Friday 04 September 2015
The Town Seafront Working Party met on 3 September at Sir Charles Frossard House.
Attendees were:
- Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Chair
- Deputy Peter Gillson, Deputy Chair
- Deputy Al Brouard (on behalf of the Commerce & Employment Board)
- Deputy Yvonne Burford (on behalf of the Environment Board)
- Deputy Mary Lowe
- Deputy Scott Ogier (on behalf of the Public Services Department Board)
- Deputy Barry Paint
- Deputy Lester Queripel
A number of decisions were agreed by majority by the Working Party members, including:
- To put in place a consultation process on the long-term strategy for town seafront, balancing social, environmental and commercial factors, and working in line with the emerging Island Development Plan
- To constitute the Working Party formally, with a terms of reference, so that its work can continue after the next General Election and the States Review Committee's changes are in place
- To agree the need to have the Working Party fully-resourced by officers in the civil service, so that the work of the Working Party can be prioritised effectively
In addition, the Working Party continued to assess the arrangements for the cruise liner industry for 2016. The members of the working Party agreed by a majority that:
- Cruise liners passengers will disembark at the Albert Pier for the 2016 season
- The informal pedestrian crossing will continue to be staffed on certain cruise liner days
- The Working Party will consider changes that can be made to the current arrangements for cruise liner passengers that will improve the 2016 Albert Pier arrangements for islanders, town retailers and the cruise liner industry, including the on-island businesses that are part of that industry
The Working Group decided, by a majority, to recommend that the Public Services Department retains the cruise liner passenger landing point at the Albert Pier for 2016. It also decided that any future, significant changes to the Town seafront, such as the location of cruise liner facilities, should be first considered with all the available information through public consultation.
Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Chair of the Working Party, said:
"Yesterday's meeting was important as we put in place the building blocks for coming up with a long-term strategy for the town seafront - which includes the cruise liner industry, but also will consider retailers, housing, the environment, transport and our local history and culture. We want the consultation to begin from October, and have directed officers to present a plan for that in the next few weeks. It is acknowledged that we should be doing more to co-ordinate consultation on town seafront issues and this will now be a significant aspect of the Working Group's function.
It is important to clarify the cruise liner arrangements for 2016. Not only do the cruise liner operators need certainty for their planning, but so do the businesses in Guernsey that work with them - bus companies and tour guides, for example. It is also important that we give early certainty to Islanders and town retailers. The Town seafront Working Party therefore recommended, by majority, that PSD retain the cruise liner operations at the Albert Pier for 2016 until such time that, through public consultation, we are able to understand all of the potential opportunities and impacts of alternative options.
In reaching this conclusion, we acknowledge that further improvements to the Albert Pier arrangements could be made, at small cost, and without unnecessary upheaval for Islanders. That is what we will look to do in the coming months.
We will also, as part of taking a longer-term view of the town seafront, start to consider the cruise liner arrangements for 2017, and we will consult on that in due course.
I should add that there was a strong discussion around the cruise liner arrangements and indeed the wider strategy, and that discussion is to be welcomed. As with our community, not all members of the Working Party were in complete agreement on the best way forward - but we all agreed that improved consultation, a long-term strategy and a joined-up approach are what is now needed, and we are determined to do that."
