Call to extinguish road between Liberation Square and Weighbridge
Thursday 14th May 2009, 2:55PM BST.
Two large crowds on Liberation Day, cut by the road linking Mulcaster Street to Route de la Libération
THE Weighbridge and Liberation Square should be merged to create a major outdoor events area, St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft has said.
He told the JEP that the two areas should be joined by removing a short section of road which links Mulcaster Street and Route de la Libération.
Mr Crowcroft said that the move was essential to create a space large enough to host major outdoor events which could attract thousands of Islanders.
He spoke out after thousands gathered at the Weighbridge and Liberation Square area on Saturday for the Liberation Day celebrations. Mr Crowcroft said: ‘There is no doubt that the layout for the celebrations was much better than in previous years but I think we could still do it better.
‘I believe that there is a lack of space for large outdoor events and I think that a decision now needs to be made about what to do with the area.’
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This comment comes from someone who does not drive, hates cars and has been responsible for the worst traffic calming measures in the history of St Helier!!!
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We have areas to hold major outdoor events, problem is when an outdoor event is organised where thousands and thousands of Islanders attend, enjoy themselves etc etc the States ban it! Does the “Picnic On The Park” spring to mind!?
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Very good idea, there are way too many cars in the island and everything possible should be done to make life for drivers more hassle but this can only be done if the bus service is improved and walking/cycling facilities are also.
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Maybe a few colourful and sustainable recycling bins too, for good measure?
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Why can’t we just shut the road on the few days a year that a big event is being held?
Everywhere else manages temporary road closures.
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Crowcroft in anti car shocker!!! surprise surprise
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I think it is a good idea in fact I had exactly the same thought myself a couple of weeks ago sitting outside Piranha bar on a sunny afternoon. The space created at the Weighbridge is excellent and joining the two areas up would really make the whole thing (one of) the nicest parts of town.
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Don’t let Crowcroft close any more roads.
Traffic congestion is already bad enough & with all his 1 way streets we all drive round & round looking for somewhere to park causing even more air pollution.
St Helier will soon become inaccessible to residents of other parishes { unless they have private parking facilities }.
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Pip Clement: so sensible and practical..would you like to be the next constable or chief minister even.
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A lack of space for outdoor events is this guy totally bonkers or just blind! What about the miriad or parks in St. Helier all of whioch bigger than Lib square and the weighbridge combined.
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A Great idea, something that will be totally brilliant for everybody- a bit of space to breathe without the wretched car -and while you are about it Mr Crowcroft, Broad street needs the same treatment! All we need is somewhere to park on the outside of town, and then-wait for it- WALK ! strange concept isn’t it ?
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why would you when any time some events goes on the royal yacht complain and stop the event continuing into the evening and complain when someone else may be selling food and drink taking away profits!
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No Space big enough?????? Think you need to go to specsavers Mr Crowcroft!! We have plenty of beautiful parks that are surley big enough to hold thousands of islanders (im pretty sure they have been doing that for some years on big events or is that just a figment of my imagination?)
Town is hard enough to drive through anyway thanks to your one way traffic etc never mind taking another road away!!
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As I have mentied elsewhere on this site, the only people now welcome in St Helier are those who wish to eat, drink and just hang around.
The coments of #3 – lets make like difficult for drivers, who are invariably people with money to spend are insulting, to say the least. Yes, there are a lot of cars on this island, that’s because there are a lot of people. People with disposable income like to travel in the comfort of their own cars, at a time that suits them.
Many of St Helier’s retailers are struggling for survival, one can shop out of town, as I invariably do, or buy on-line.
Crowcroft can pave over the whole of town if he likes, and sit back and watch even more shops close – It certainly won’t bother me !
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I think they should make it a shared surface so when it is closed for the odd day of the year there are no kerbs etc but it needs to still be car friendly.
We are trying to be a green (eco) island yet if you shut this road you would have to go through the tunnel, and back on yourself where is the sense in that?
I think he is taking advice from David Blunkett given the rest of the one way system that has been introduced!
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Liberation Day – our ‘National Day’.
The event was put on at the weighbridge but all the stalls and entertainment was ordered to close at 4.30. I don’t get it.
The Connetable now wants to make the area bigger to attract more people to come and be disappointed.
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There’s absolutely no need to join up two areas that are best left as they are with their own characters and are well served for pedestrian access with the zebra crossings (and the road was closed during the event anyway). People’s Park is the place for really large events.
Perhaps le connetable could go and stand there during the average working day and see for himself just how well used the route is (and how much it’s clogged up since all those extra crossings have gone in around the area). He obviously doesn’t get out much to see the effects of all his tinkering.
Why make all the traffic go around past the bus station and underpass roundabout and back just to head east via the tunnel? Why add on even more expensive time to taxi journeys from there?
While he’s at it, perhaps le connetable could explain just what was the point of widening the pavements and removing even more on-street parking in Don Street. Yet more pointless bollards for no good reason!
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No more than is to be expected from “The Mayor” of the “City of St. Helier”! Agree with the remarks of most above especially #1. If the road is so little used, which I would very much dispute, then have a temporary closure as required. Any more bright ideas and the Town will be closed to outsiders!!
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gridlock is coming,those in the service industry will be back to the handcart in the future.
close the road for events but not permanantly.
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@Carl : the situation in Don Street has been considered by the Roads Committee over a long period of time. I can say that one of the concerns has been to save ratepayers’ money – the problem has been the breaking of kerbs by large delivery vehicles mounting the pavements to pass parked vehicles. It seems that a solution to the size of delivery vehicles servicing the commercial premises is not deliverable in the short term. A realignment of pavement (there’s some widening and some narrowing overall) should reduce wear and tear on the paving, thereby reducing repair costs over time, avoiding potential liability for uneven paving, and also keep lorries off pavements, thereby reducing hazard for pedestrians. Not ideal, but as reasonable a solution as the Roads Committee could find.
A reminder that any questions about roads in Parishes can usually usefully be addressed to your elected members of the relevant Roads Committee (bearing in mind that main roads are the responsibility of the Minister, but other roads fall under the Parish).
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Perhaps he’s doing this as he’s run out of toilets to convert to cafes
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For all you talking about congestion I say you ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until they start the finance quarter in earnest then everyone trying to get into town especially for work, will be wound as tight as chickens in a tumble drier. I await this coming debacle, as I see it, with interest.
Add on top of this ever more people flooding into the island to try and get a job and away you go.
I myself view anything that State’s touches now as a recipe for disaster and overspends.
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Thank you for explaining that, Geraint. I had no idea that solid chunks of granite were being damaged regularly by lorry tyres. I really can’t say I’ve ever seen cracked pavements! But if you say it’s a huge problem out of all proportion to the benefits to the populous of being able to park there, who am I to argue?
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As a car driver, i now avoid town like the plague. I now shop out of town and buy off the internet. Perhaps i’m one of the minority but more restrictions on access to town will be the death of the high street.
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I rarely go into town myself. Too tatty, too rushed, too expensive, too many ugly carbuncles, no manners from anyone, too many bad attitude people about, etc. What reason is there to go to town now unless you are forced to work there?
No way is St.Helier a true reflection of Jersey, as far as I am concerned. It might fit into a non discript UK town like Milton Keynes seemlessly though. I believe this says a lot for the way things are over here now.
My advice stay well clear, it is a mess as it is a never ending building site now. Wait for the finance centre to grind things to a halt soon. If that doesn’t put people off from emmigrating nothing will.
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This arguement has been hi-jacked by the “Car Lobby”. The Constable is right, the limitations on holding Liberation Day in Liberation Square are all to apparent, seating for 1000 and restricted viewing for the masses without a seat. Surely with a bit of imagination the two areas could be merged and the roads between kept open and then closed when necessary. The Constable means well and he shoud be given a chance to explain his idea. A good compromise is easily achievable.
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I think the whole of town should be turned into a pedestrian zone.
If the states had not planned to place a huge incinorator at La collette then that could have been earmarked for an east carpark and the esplanade carpark could have been sunk to create a west carpark. the old JCG site and another location a north carpark. Then just implement a hop on hop off bus.
It would be far more pleasurable to spend an afternoon in town.
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Don’t you think he might of mentioned it before they spent the 50 or so quid redeveloping the weighbridge!
I think it could be done without to much effect on traffic, but surely the whole area would need to be redeveloped?
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Why make a mountain out of a molehill? As has been said, just close it when necessary. No need to inconvenience everyone all year when it’d only be used for a few days.
My biggest gripe about it was the ridiculous sight of security guards walking around ordering the few food stands that were there to stop trading at 4.30/5 pm. Who in God’s name came up with that brainwave?!
Sun-check. Entertainment-check. Food n drink-check. Tourists having a good time-check. Locals having a good time-check. Jersey bureaucracy-check. Sounds like every public event in this island is destroyed by some pen-pushing idiot on a power trip.
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and just how much is this going to cost the tax payer? perhaps it can be done when the underpass is closed and added to that bill! after all it is only going to take three years to build and goodness knows how much tax payers money will be poured into it!!!they could do both jobs at the same time. i am just thankful i no longer work in town and try to avoid it as much as possible. st helier is hell a dirty, scruffy, tatty place with nothing to commend it any more. where has the character gone?
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I’ve never read so many anti-finance/jersey comments.
Those people who make such comments should go and try and make it in london or the real world, you’ll soon stop complaining about jersey.
If you don’t like it, then no-one’s stopping you from leaving!
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We hear so much from the anti-car lobby, that we need to hear from the pro-car lobby to even things up.
After all, we all vote with our feet – on the pedals – look how many of us drive.
The area is going to suffer enough mayhem as it is with the Finance Quarter and sunken road (which will be a disaster but I digress) so closing this valuable route will just add to the fiasco. Even if it can be made to work, now is really not the time to try it.
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#20 Geraint,
I wonder if you tell us how much was spent on the realignment of the pavement and resurfacing ogf the road and then tell us how much has been spent on repairs in the last 12 months.
I cannot believe the cost of this was justified especially given the detrimental effect the works had on local businesses, someone should be very ashamed of themselves….ask yourself would you have spent your money on it?
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The 2008-2009 estimates were approved by voters, including the programme of works as proposed by the Roads Committee, at the last Rates Assembly.
One of the reasons for undertaking the realignment works now was to be able to do it in conjunction with the programmed resurfacing (it is cheaper to do the works at the same time rather than undertake projects separately. With any luck, the new surface will last 20 years (although the weight of the delivery vehicles may adversely affect the expected lifetime of the surface, and of course any development work and consequent roadworks re services may affect the lifetime of the surface).
Saint Helier voters wanting to cut the Roads budget 2009-2010 and remove proposed works from the programme are encouraged to attend the Rates Assembly in July. Voters wanting to support proposed works are, of course, also encouraged to attend.
Since I was re-elected in December last year, the next chance dissatisfied voters will have to vote against the Committee will be in 2011. I wouldn’t say my record is perfect, but I couldn’t honestly say I’m ashamed as pedestrian safety is clearly my number one priority as I have made clear to voters on every occasion I have stood for the Roads Committee in Saint Helier.
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Back to the point: has anyone thought of just changing the direction of Wharf Street and Commercial Street? et voila!
We don’t need the Esplanade and Commercial Street running parallel and Wharf Street/Bond Street running the same way…..
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So I can I assume you can’t answer the question about cost?
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Pip #5 Couldn’t agree more. The only reason to shut the road permanently would be if there were regular large events (like at least once a week) taking place there.
In Scotland whole city centres get shut off to traffic a few times a year for various events, I think this one small road could easily be shut as and when!
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Will this been approved by the Emergency Services. If I recall they hadn’t approved the road works at Bel Royal! Just think of the chaos that is comming with the proposed underpass works; i sincerley hope nobody dies because the Emergency Services cant get through to them in time!
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I spy no ships only hardships. Welcome to the rosy future of Jersey PLC.
Liberty Wharf, an incinerator (for maybe £120-£130M, guestimates welcome, that hasn’t even got its own chimney for the price!!), toxic waste nearby (possibly leaching into the sea with a Ramsar Site near by), sewage being discharged in St.Aubin’s Bay (and possibly elsewhere around Jersey’s coastline), and many other problems coming to a place near you. It is blunder after blunder now as far as I am concerned.
I believe the icing on the cake will be the Finance Quarter bringing St.Helier to a stand still. Nevermind don’t say you haven’t been warned! It looks very much like it is a case of carry on regardless.
Anyway wasn’t this road due to be sunk as part of the Finance Quarter, or isn’t it coming this far down the road?
When I think of Jersey now I feel sorry for the young ones having to grow up in a place going down hill rapidly. I have been lucky as I saw Jersey at its best in the 1960′s and 1970′s, every decade since it has been getting worse and worse.
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How are the busses going to get to the bus station?? D’oh
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We all seem to have good memories of the old days, but wasn’t it during those good ole days that the alleged Haut de la Garenne atrocities happened, with cries of bad government and government cover ups, pre reclamation there used to be sewage pipes into the sea by the end of gloucester street where rats were rampant! Immigration in farming etc was encouraged hence the influx of cheaper foreign labour, seems to me someone will look back on these years with the same regard as the good ole days cos nothing has changed!
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I think they should ban cars altogther from St. Helier, its so small there is no need to have cars driving around it (disability aside)
I also believe there should be a 20mph limit across the whole Island to reduce pollution, and to cut down on car accidents.
The Island generally has no need for cars, its only due to EGO and laziness that over 50% of cars exist (conservative est.).
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“Call to extinguish road between Liberation Square and Weighbridge”
Didn’t know it was on fire ..
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