A game of 10 questions for deputies

£355,000+ of taxpayers' money? I'm at a loss to describe my feelings but I will attempt to make them now...

Considering that these changes were not requested by the electorate, voter, taxpayer (or cash cow, as I believe we have been described), it is unfathomable that this money has been squandered in such a haphazard and amateurish way.

The main road is now crawling at certain times because of the changes, with motorists now using the Crown Pier lane, which moves quicker to loop past the more stationary main lane, effectively jumping the queue, not to mention a queue now reaching past the roundabout... traffic was bad previous to this, but now it is worse. Not what we want.

There are no signs at the 'temporary' courtesy crossing to indicate that it is still a courtesy crossing.

I find this quite troubling as we have seen an increase in pedestrians simply walking out onto the crossing (while texting) causing some vehicles to slam the brakes on. Instead of wooden chocks to prop up a wobbly sign showing that Castle Cornet has moved, perhaps that money could have been used on signage in various languages

And seeing as there have now been two occasions where traffic wardens have been used to control pedestrians at this crossing, this just makes a total mockery of it all.

Personally, I find it slightly incredible that a new harbour master, with fewer years' experience than previous HMs, suddenly has clout over Guernsey's roads and effectively St Peter Port Town. How is this the case? Do harbours own the roads and we just didn't know it?

How does this particular structure work?

I had posed a question to Deputies Inglis and Gollop a few weeks ago on BBC phone-in, asking why the States has not looked into renovating somewhere to take the cruise ship passengers. As a suggestion I mentioned the Bathing Pool area.

This could be renovated to incorporate a purpose-built pontoon/s, shopping village along with a dedicated road area for coaches/mini buses/taxi's etc... It seems this current States likes to spend money but does not seem to want to invest in the island's long-term future.

This would have minimal impact on Town – so no need to disrupt the roads on the seafront – and would placate Harbours for the cruise passengers (who seem more important than the Herm and Sark boat passengers still at the old steps).

The response I got was either non-committal, or the deputies simply didn't know if it had been pondered or not. I was simply told the idea would be 'put into the melting pot'. Pardon my cynicism but that sounds like 'put in the bin' to me.

I would like to ask you all a few questions that I would appreciate an honest reply to:

1. How much negative feedback will it take to revert Town back to normal?

2. Why are Harbours only paying £5,000 for the flowers yet the public have to pay the £25,000 for planters we do not want? Planters were Harbour's idea?

3. Is this 'The Vision' being forced through by any means? I have read that document and it makes for scary reading, and it appears to be happening now. Will you deny this is the case?

4. A lot of Town seafront shopkeepers I have spoken to have stated they were not consulted about the changes yet the States claims they were. How do you account for this discrepancy ?

5. How was this passed, funded and actioned so quickly, yet the work for the Salerie, where a poor soul lost his life, is still waiting? How can this be morally explained?

6. Do you listen to the public, I mean truly listen?

7. Would another public demonstration, aka Enough Is Enough, help persuade you that this current plan is not in the public interest? After all, there has been little to no public consultation regarding the vision?

8. For local deputies who speak of Guernsey's uniqueness in the world, why do so many of you want to bring in laws that mimic UK/Europe? You seem quite fixated on turning Guernsey into a little UK. Please explain why you would want to remove the Guernsey uniqueness, like selling the island as a VAT/GST-free area, yet want to bring in VAT/GST?

9. You talk of the UK as being a bigger tax haven and having bigger tax avoidance, yet current laws here protect the wealthy by minimising what they pay, yet the public pays full whack. Does 20% not actually mean 20% anymore? Or does money now run the island's policies?

10. Why isn't Greenacres being changed over to a dementia home? Have we actually had a massive influx of cyclists and backpackers and we need to build more hotels to cope? If there is one thing this island does need it is this – not a hatchet job on the seafront.

Taking a good long look at Town, all that is plainly visible is a cheap, hashed-up and embarrassing piece of work, a plaster on a gaping wound. I and many others are livid that our money has been used so poorly, and add to this that the States want to use £500,000 of our money again on a court case. Is it any wonder that this States is dubbed the worst ever?

Although the questions are aimed at all deputies, it would be remiss to taint you all with the 'you're not listening' brush. Indeed listening to some of the States debates, it is satisfying to hear 'enough is enough' being cited by several deputies who do acknowledge the public and listen to them. For that I am grateful and offer my thanks. As to who those deputies are... I think it's more fun to let others find out for themselves, don't you?

Lastly, many of us are deeply worried, we don't want these changes as they simply are not needed. Just because you can do something does not mean you should. Guernsey is being ruined by these schemes and it appears some forget this is our home. Invest in the island but don't change it based on an alleged 'problem' that wasn't there until very recently.

We love Guernsey, and we thought the States of Guernsey did too.

RAY MARSHALL,

Peoplepower.gg

St Peter Port.

Editor's footnote: Deputy David De Lisle replied:

Dear Ray,

Thank you for sharing your concerns with me.

The loss of parking with the changes to the southern part of town's retail trading core on the Albert Pier and Esplanade is of serious concern.

It is important to secure the future of the Town for local people and visitors who rely on the car parks for retail shopping.

These spaces are close in to the southern part of town's retail trading core. These parking spaces are vital to the success of retail in the Esplanade, Market complex, Fountain Street, Church Square, Commercial Arcade, and High Street. The importance of adequate parking close to the primary area to successful retail was recognised in the Retail Strategy.

There are 15 parking spaces outside Pier 17 on the Albert Pier – formally reserved for small car 10-hour parking – that could be made available on non-cruise liner days for shoppers to park their cars. I can see no reason why these marked out spaces can't be used for parking on days without cruise liner visitors in order to assist shoppers and the retail trade in town. I have written to Chad Murray at the Harbours Office to enable parking on these spaces non-cruise liner days.