Beaucamps traffic views split, even between husband/wife

Derek Webb, 57, retired, said he had lived near the school all his life and it had never been an issue for him.

‘It doesn’t matter where you go, the traffic will always be busy at certain times and they are taking steps to mitigate it,’ he said.

‘I think it’s ridiculous to suggest looking at the whole thing again.’

But his wife Christine had a different opinion.

‘I think it’ll be traffic chaos and it was gridlock around here when the school broke up for Christmas,’ she said.

Mrs Webb said equipment to measure traffic volumes in the area had been put out in about June, when the final-year pupils had not needed to attend school.

‘How will you get a true figure from that? I just can’t see it working. When I asked how many more buses would be needed they couldn’t give me an answer,’

J. W. Rihoy & Son chairman Jeremy Rihoy, 59, said the school was not a bad neighbour.

‘Occasionally you get traffic delays but not enough to really complain about,’ he said. ‘If I have to wait a little longer to get out of my drive, I don’t see it as a problem.’

He said the island had a problem to deal with – youngsters at La Mare de Carteret were probably being disadvantaged the most – and it was time to get on with it.

‘If the people who are paid to do it think that one school on two sites is the way forward, who am I to argue?’ he said.

‘I’m not a head teacher or an educationalist. I can’t see the point of leaving it to another set of politicians for more interminable discussion.

‘Everybody will have their own viewpoint on this but in the main it’s an uninformed one.’

Norman Le Huray, 72, retired, has lived in La Rue des Beaucamps for 30 years.

‘At the time that the current school was built it was built for the purpose it’s being used for now and what they want to do with it is beyond a joke,’ he said.

‘I don’t think it’s been thought through properly and the traffic situation around here will be complete chaos.’

Mr Le Huray said he would support a move to get the proposition deferred until the June general election has taken place.

A man who wished to be known only as Pierre said that, at present, the traffic was an issue only at peak times. The biggest problem he could see for him was the proposal to make La Rue des Beaucamps a 20mph zone.

‘I’m not sure if delaying it will help and it will only be a case of kicking the can down the road again,’ he said.

Another man who did not wish to be named said the plans were being rushed,

‘I hope they stop it as La Mare de Carteret is a far better site,’ he said. ‘As far as the traffic goes, they seem to have idealist thinking and are saying that if there is no parking there then nobody will drive there.’

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said she thought the whole thing was bonkers. Castel deputy and Education, Sport & Culture member Richard Graham had told her how much he valued the Grammar School when canvassing nearly four years ago.

Another woman said she thought it was horrendous to create something so large there and said it would be intimidating for the pupils. She had no problem with the school as it is.