Park kiosk could replace Delancey changing rooms

An application, which also proposes installing fencing around the park’s children’s playground and removable traffic bollards at its north and south entrances, has been made by Education, Sport & Culture together with the St Sampson’s parish constables and douzaine.

ESC commercial risk manager Colin Thorburn said that, despite Delancey Park being used for recreational purposes by many people, there were no refreshment facilities.

He said the changing rooms in question – constructed in the 1990s for football and cricket – had not been used for several years, were not in an operational condition and had become redundant.

A cricket wicket in the park had been removed, the playing field had not been marked out for years, and there were no goal posts on-site.

‘The scope of proposed works is to create a hygienic box from which an operator can fit out and operate,’ said Mr Thorburn.

In preparing the application, he said that St Sampson’s constables and douzaine had spoken with the Guernsey Football Association and Guernsey Cricket Association, and both had confirmed that the park was no longer suitable for their respective sports.

Mr Thorburn added that, at this stage, opening hours of a proposed kiosk were yet to be agreed, but would balance the provision of amenity for park users and the needs of the property owners in the vicinity of the park.

With regards to constructing a fence around the park’s children’s playground, Mr Thorburn said the fence would match that of the playground at Saumarez Park so far as was reasonably practical, and would encircle the whole of the play space so as to create a safe space for children to play and ensure that dogs were excluded.

And regarding the installation of removable vehicle bollards at the park’s two vehicle entrances, Mr Thorburn said that, presently, there was nothing stopping vehicles entering the park from the south, and that unauthorised vehicles did enter. He also said that, while the north entrance had a barrier gate which prevented vehicles, it was in poor repair and impacted access to the park from the car park by those less mobile or with children in buggies.

‘Installing removable bollards to these two entrances will prevent vehicle access, while improving access,’ he added.