18 November 2019
Islanders are being invited to attend a public workshop which will contribute to the conservation of the character of St Helier. It’s free, and is being run twice, at St Paul’s Centre:
- Tuesday 10 December: 6pm-8pm
- Wednesday 11 December: 10am-12pm
The Urban Character Appraisal Workshop will explore how St Helier has changed in the last decade, the development pressures facing the town, and areas of potential opportunity for future growth. There are limited spaces for the workshop, which can be booked using Eventbrite.
The workshop forms part of an assessment of St Helier by Willie Miller Urban Design, who are updating an assessment they undertook in 2005. They will be asking for participants’ views to inform the development of appropriate planning policies for the town area. The workshop will address issues such as:
- assessing sensitivity to change
- identifying key views to be protected/enhanced
- identifying opportunity areas for densification and/or tall buildings
- developing design principles for height, massing, grouping, materiality
- developing policies for improving public open spaces (public realm) that we all share and enjoy.
The Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young, said: “One of the key building blocks in developing the next Island Plan is an understanding and analysis of the character of our main urban settlement. To inform this work we need to gauge the views that various users of the historic town have of the place and its character.
“I am pleased that Willie Miller has again been commissioned to conduct this work. There have been many changes since the 2005 assessment of St Helier, and the continuity that he brings will help us to ensure that the town character is preserved.
“This workshop will contribute to the wider Island Plan Review by refreshing the current understanding of the urban character and sensitivity of the town of St Helier and help Government to consider a coherent strategy for the location of any new development.”
In addition to the workshops, the team have held face-to-face meetings to understand the views of key stakeholders, and on-street pop-up events to hear the views of Islanders. There is also an online consultation through the Reveal St Helier website, which will be open until the end of the year.
The consultants will submit a report in early 2020 and this will be used to develop the urban design policies in the next Island Plan.
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