Green is good – ‘but don’t lose too much parking’

A BUSTLING bus terminus should be the vital heart of the South Esplanade, but it needs to be made safer and look nicer, according to Just Games owner Stuart Lean.

He has welcomed the Draft Development Framework for the St Peter Port Regeneration Area, but has cautioned planners not to meddle too much with South Esplanade.

Since moving from Church Square to the Albany on South Esplanade, Mr Lean’s business has gone from strength to strength.

Just Games has quadrupled in size and is ‘thriving’.

By his own admission, Mr Lean has a great deal of skin in the game around the newly-released DDF for the St Peter Port Regeneration Area.

He attributes much of his successful business to the customers who come to his store through the bus terminus and he is concerned the framework seemed to be suggesting major changes to it.

‘Just as the terminus is a hub for Guernsey, we wanted Just Games to become a hub for the area too. It was always the intention for our shop to be a place for kids and adults to drop by and hang out to play games and be part of a community, and the bus terminus plays a big part in that.

‘I believe it is actually the heart of the town and has a lot more going on than a lot of people might realise.

'The bus terminus is the centre of activity. I would not want to see anything change with that in the proposed plans.

‘Of course I have a vested interest because we get a lot of footfall into Just Games from people coming and going on buses.

'The terminus area could be tidied up and made safer and even more people will use the buses and come to this area.’

Mr Lean’s views of what the South Esplanade and up to Mignot Plateau could look like does marry with many of the DDF’s aspirations.

But he would not want to sacrifice all of the parking because he believes it certainly has a role to play in that part of Town.

‘From a personal view I’m OK with it being gentrified. I’d love it to be more pleasant and greener, as the DDF suggests. I’ve got no problem with that, but I’d be opposed to losing all the parking.

‘I think the sea wall side of the South Esplanade should be parking because businesses need unloading space and shoppers need to park.’

Mr Lean suggested that the Albany area to Cocos could be pedestrianised to give people a nicer walk to and from Town, but he said losing any more parking than that would not be a good idea.

‘From a business point of view, being able to grab a half-hour space to pop in, grab your item and leave is good. Suddenly losing a bunch of one-hour and half-hour bays does actually majorly impact the quick shoppers, the ones who are in and out.’

Mr Lean had no issue with the DDF’s suggestions for the Mignot Plateau area. It says: ‘Much of the feedback from the public and stakeholders for South Esplanade and Mignot Plateau Regeneration Area focused on the excellent views from Mignot Plateau and the site’s general underutilisation as a car park.

‘Mignot Plateau should be a main public attraction for both residents and visitors to the island to enjoy the unique views and vantage point and utilise the historic venelles. There is an opportunity for development in this area to attract visitors and residents.’

Mr Lean said the walk up to the former aquarium needed more life.

‘The bathing pools are excellent, there’s a fantastic nature trail and the area has historic value.

‘I appreciate it is hard to maintain structures, particularly when the sea is involved.

'However, the entirety of that run from Octopus all the way through to the aquarium has always been a bit of a nice place to just go and chill. More could be made of it and more recreational use could be designed and promoted.’

Biodiversity, enhanced pedestrian public spaces, event venues, street art, fewer car parking facilities, more Town living and beautification of Town’s three main gateways are top of the Development and Planning Authority’s wish list in its Draft Development Framework for the St Peter Port regeneration area.

The DPA opened the consultation period for the framework earlier this month and is seeking views from members of the public.

The three regeneration areas are the Lower Pollet, South Esplanade and Mignot Plateau, and Mansell Street/Le Bordage.

Following consultation, the comments received, together with the final draft Development Framework, will be considered by the DPA.

• Information about the DDF and how to submit comments can be found at https://gov.gg/developmentframeworks.