Deputy moves boulders to get overflow car park open
Environment & Infrastructure member Andy Cameron got hands-on in getting the Grandes Rocques overflow car park reopened on Friday, it has emerged.
The car park was reopened after the States U-turned on a decision to keep the area, which can accommodate around 30 vehicles, closed for 're-wilding'.
The States said the opening was due to ‘unforeseen delays’ in a re-grassing project, however many islanders believe it was pressure from a petition, which had gathered more than 500 signatures.
Deputy Cameron said the decision had been taken at a Environment & Infrastructure meeting on Friday afternoon.
‘It was decided that we should reopen the car park as the re-grassing project had not gone ahead,’ he said.
‘I was concerned that States Works would not be able to do the work before the weekend, so I went down to have a look.’
At the site he spoke to kiosk owner David Barlow.
‘Together we found we could roll two of the boulders out of the way quite easily,’ Deputy Cameron said.
‘And a passer-by helped us with the third.’
Mr Barlow said they had enticed the man to help move the rocks by jokingly saying there may be ormers underneath.
‘They were actually easier to move than I thought,’ he said.
‘Deputy Cameron’s been really good. I think he swung the decision with the committee. I think there is a compromise to be made, with part of the overflow becoming car parking.’
The States said in a statement yesterday that the area will be permanently closed from the end of the summer holidays as planned.
However, Deputy Cameron appeared to suggest there may be some room for manoeuvre. ‘I think we need to consider public opinion and perhaps look for a compromise,’ he said.
‘There is not the budget to surface the existing car park properly, but we could revisit this in the future and consider how to help maximise the parking on the site.’
Deputy Marc Leadbeater also commented on the States’ social media post saying it was a sensible decision to reopen the area and it should be kept as a car park.
‘I don’t see any sense in rewilding this area, it will make no difference to the area’s biodiversity,’ he said.
‘People will just park illegally elsewhere, which will cause problems for local businesses blocking access, and we need to realise not everyone can cycle.
‘I’m hoping E&I realise they are making a mistake, and if it is closed permanently at the end of the summer, I for one will be putting questions to E&I in the States to ask why.’
The States’ announcement that car park was reopening garnered 145 comments on Facebook in 24 hours, which were overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the overspill car park permanently.
