Ministers at war over Salerie wall

THE Public Services Department has denied that a new road design has put homes at risk of flooding and wasted thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money. Safety experts say that the sea wall at La Salerie must be built up ' at a cost of '20,000.

Recambering raised the level of the road and pavement on the sea side, effectively reducing the height of the wall from three feet to just nine inches.

Housing minister Dave Jones said that taxpayers' money was being spent rectifying a problem caused by a road improvement scheme.

He blames recent work and says the fault lies with Guernsey Technical Services' road engineers.

'The result of this piece of advice not only cost the taxpayer many tens of thousands of pounds but had the added effect of reducing the level of the sea wall in the process, making it unsafe,' he said.

But Public Services minister Bill Bell yesterday said the problem was due to a decision made 40 years ago in which none of the present GTS staff was involved.

'I would expect the Housing minister of all people to get his facts right before sounding off,' said Deputy Bell.

Deputy Jones is also concerned that the change in camber caused by raising the road could flood properties when the sea tops the wall in a north-easterly gale.

But Deputy Bell insisted that last year's resurfacing entailed merely a thin carpet of tarmac being laid on the existing surface, which had in no way changed the camber.

'No road engineers or GTS staff were responsible for the decision to raise the wall,' said Deputy Bell.

But Deputy Jones wants heads to roll.

'If this government has any chance of convincing the public that we will hold those accountable for the criminal waste of taxpayers' money they see in their island, then those who advised the committee on this scheme should be held to account,' he said.

'We cannot continue to watch while thousands of pounds are wasted on traffic experiments by these engineers that create more problems than they solve.

'Accountability is the only way we can arrest the huge waste of public money on projects that infuriate the taxpayer already struggling with the prospect of further tax rises in the future.

'At the moment we appear to be paying lip service to the concept of an accountable government and quite frankly the long-suffering public deserve better.'

But yesterday GTS director Dave Parish said that Deputy Jones had received repeated assurances about the seawall.

He said that while 100 years ago flooding was the main consideration, modern drainage and pumping stations had dramatically reduced the risk of it in the area.

The other major change to all Guernsey's roads is the type of traffic using them, from horses to carts to cars.

Years ago, the adverse camber caused tomato lorries bound for the harbour to lose their loads.

'It was a notorious corner for motorcyclists, too, and it was at that time that the camber was changed,' said Mr Parish. That work was carried out about 40 years ago, he said, and the department had not been involved in recommending the sea wall be raised.

'We understand that the height of the wall is being raised on the advice of the Health and Safety Executive,' said Mr Parish.

Deputy Jones said he was infuriated by waste because, as head of the Housing Department, he was presiding over a board making difficult decisions as to what areas of the corporate programme were still deliverable in a time of severe financial restraint.

He had been in several rounds of talks with the Treasury minister and Policy Council exploring ways to keep as many public services as possible, while making sure that his department and others were adequately funded.

Deputy Jones said he had become more incensed watching other departments waste thousands of pounds on the advice of 'so-called traffic experts' on schemes that all could live without.

'It is time that there was a complete rethink on the advice that is given to political boards from these experts,' he said.

Deputy Bell said his department was playing its part in reducing States expenditure, with the roads budget slashed by 30% in 2005 and a further 10% in 2006.

'This amounts to more than '1m. in savings,' he said.

'I only hope that Deputy Jones plays his part as well.'