Leale's Yard holds the key to Bridge potential

Little has changed. If anything it has got worse with the closure of one of the main pubs and several shops.

The Waiting for Godot inertia of the northern retail centre is littered with plans that never came to fruition.

The redesign of the traffic system, for example, keeps coming back, only for the latest iteration to join the others gathering dust on a planners’ shelf.

Then there is the fabled ‘bridge across the Bridge’, from the Crocq Pier to Northside, to ease the flow of north to south traffic.

This week we saw an exciting idea to demolish the building that used to house the Quayside store and build it with a new frontage closer to the marina.

The road would easily fit behind.

The vision of al fresco restaurants, apartments and coffee shops looking directly south over glittering yachts is an enticing one, not least because Guernsey is chronically short of coastal places to eat and drink without a road in the way.

Will the plans ever see the light of day? Don’t hold your breath.

At the heart of all the indecision and delay is the Leale’s Yard development.

It dominates all plans because of its importance to everything from retail to traffic and housing.

The latest mixed-use concept seems to be gathering good momentum but islanders have witnessed too many false dawns over this eastern development to get too excited.

Sadly, there is more chance of another random field being developed for a handful of homes and a healthy profit than a major development that has the potential to unlock the Bridge’s full potential.

The north deserves better.

Along with Town it bears the brunt of home and business developments. A functional and attractive retail centre would seem the minimum requirement to service those communities.

If, by 2025, this Assembly can get spades in the ground and the first phases of development going at Leale's Yard then it will have at least one accomplishment to be proud of.