Reservoir walk set to be more accessible under centenary plan
PLANS to develop and enhance part of the Millennium Walk at St Saviour’s reservoir have been submitted by Guernsey Water.
The proposal to provide an outdoor learning space along with improved accessibility for everyone forms part of the company’s centenary celebrations.
It has been drawn up to make the walk more inclusive and help connect the whole community with nature.
Schools and community groups stand to benefit from the learning space and the area would be made accessible for wheelchair users and those who are less mobile.
Guernsey Water general manager Steve Langlois said he believed everyone should have the chance to get out, explore the reservoir and benefit from being in a natural environment.
‘The planned improvements align with Active 8, the new States strategy which aims to encourage islanders to incorporate regular exercise into their daily lives,’ he said.
‘They would also help connect our whole community with nature and provide a space to share knowledge about our environment, so they would make a really important contribution to Guernsey’s new Strategy for Nature.’
The proposed location for the outdoor learning space is in Les Annevilles pine forest, where a natural clearing already exists.
A path would lead to it from the car park before looping round to the same parking area.
Alterations would be made to the pathway to improve the surface for wheelchair users and benches would be provided for those who are less mobile or people who just want to stop for a rest.
This in turn would contribute to delivering the States’ Disability and Inclusion Strategy by improving access for disabled islanders and their carers.
Seating in the learning space would be made out of cut tree trunks, sourced mainly from fallen trees in the area, while existing pines and native trees would be retained.
Additional screening using native shrubs and trees are due to be used to manage any noise and visual impact on wildlife.
Mr Langlois added: ‘We are very grateful for the support of Environment Guernsey and the States’ disability officer who have helped us develop our proposals.
‘The outdoor classroom would be utilised by schools, youth and adult groups for a variety of talks and education on birds, entomology and botany and it will also feature as a meeting place for groups such as Walking for Health.’
