Pie in the sky for pink granite coast?

It’s good to see pride in the parish, and the willingness to take an interest in, when you see it from an overhead photograph, the remarkable length of coastline that the Castel boasts.

The report reads nicely. It has some nice turns of phrase – ‘the somewhat incoherent result of haphazard human intervention’ stands out – but essentially it’s not about entertainment and the quality of writing, it’s the douzaine’s 13 recommendations that matter.

And that’s where the report becomes something of a curate’s egg. There are several, sensible, recommendations to leave well alone. Many others are linked to improving access.

Less sensible, and clearly more ambitious, are the douzaine’s thinking with regard to the kiosk at Cobo, in front of the Guet, and the playing fields at La Mare de Carteret. Couched with caveats that it is beyond the parish’s remit, are ideas for a Vallette-style cafe for the former, and parish amenity centre, including a doctors’ surgery, nursery, pre-school and primary school for the latter.

Alongside other practical and achievable concepts, this stretches into the realms of fantasy, with the douzaine recognising it has ‘neither the authority nor the means to take the lead on this’.

It creates a curious juxtaposition of a report. If it gets people talking, no bad thing.

But if it merely gathers dust on a shelf – why go through the process?

To give the douzaine something to do, in the continued absence of any clear guidance from the States on working together with the parishes?