People oppose pedestrian zone plan in St Helier

The Government of Jersey's department for infrastructure and environment said it wants to make the town centre more friendly to pedestrians

Roads around Broad Street in St Helier could be closed to most traffic in the future, the Government of Jersey said.

The department for infrastructure and environment said in its final report it wants to make the town centre more friendly to pedestrians.

The department said it has an annual budget of £2.5m for making improvements to the public realm.

It said the proposed changes to the area included resurfacing Broad Street to make the road and pavements all one level and pedestrianising Library Place and Church Street, while still allowing access for buses and taxis.

Gary Coats said he would like to see how much the scheme was going to cost

The department said the aim was to create a continuous linked route for people through the town which will be known as La Grande Rue. The government added the first stage would begin next year, with work to New Street and New Cut.

Resident Gary Coats said he could think of "cheaper ways to emphasise" it was a pedestrian area, without re-paving it.

“I can think of a lot of ways to spend that money to benefit people more," he said.

“I would like to see how much money it costs. Get some proper paint and a couple of signs.”

Ruth Mead said footfall in the town centre had declined to previous years and does not want the scheme to go ahead

Ruth Mead said she was concerned about how the pedestrianisation would impact the local bus service.

She said: "There isn’t a lot of traffic that uses it, but I think the bus is a lifeline. Where do we get the bus if it’s not here - we have to walk to the bus station and not everyone can walk that far.

“The footfall has gone compared to what it used to be. It used to be lovely to walk around with all the shops but not any more."

Judith Bennet said the scheme would not be an "appropriate use of government funds".

Judith Bennet said she could not see the government's scheme making much of a difference

Ms Bennet said: “There are better things they could spend the money on. I can’t see it making much of a difference to be honest."

In the government's final report it said: "The scheme will also enhance the quality of the public realm in the vicinity to provide a more comfortable, safe and attractive environment for pedestrians, together with improved cycle parking.

"The works are due to commence in 2024 and continue into 2025."