Joint effort to improve harbour arrival experience
VISITORS to Guernsey by arriving by sea could be greeted by an array of flags next year, under plans put forward by Floral Guernsey.
Guernsey Harbours, in conjunction with the floral group, has submitted a planning application to install 12 six-metre-high flagpoles along St Julian’s Pier, opposite the Inter-Island Quay.
Floral Guernsey council member Gerry Tattersall said the idea had come about after a conversation with Condor CEO Paul Luxon, from the days when he was in the States as Health minister.
‘He asked Floral Guernsey to get involved with beautifying the hospital and now we have 10 volunteers and the work there is ongoing,’ Mr Tattersall said.
‘Paul then moved to Condor and he thought that for people arriving by ferry it’s a pretty miserable entrance, so he asked if we could enhance the visitor experience.’
Mr Tattersall said flags would be a great way to brighten up the quay and that had led to the planning application for these 12.
They would fly the Union flag and the Guernsey flag, as well as Condor’s flag, as the ferry company has been supporting the initiative.
Alderney, Herm and Sark have donated flags to the project, as well as some of the parishes.
‘We would like to see the flagpoles up by Christmas and then have a grand unfurling before the season starts next year,’ Mr Tattersall said.
Each of the flagpoles will cost £600. The parishes and islands have each put in £250 and Condor has agreed to pay the balance.
This is Floral Guernsey’s first project in the harbour area, but Mr Tattersall said the group was keen to do more.
If this project proves successful, Mr Tattersall said it was keen to look at installing flags on top of the ferry terminal.
These would be shorter, supported by brackets on the walls. Structural investigations still need to take place to see if this might be possible.
n The planning application can be viewed at Sir Charles Frossard House.
