28 April 2019
The trial closure of the road between Liberation Square and Weighbridge Place, which was due to take place from 9am tomorrow (Monday 29 April), has been temporarily put on hold.
The closure was arranged in order to assess the impact on traffic of the proposed merger of Weighbridge Square and Liberation Square to create a public space to mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation.
The decision to postpone the trial has been taken by the Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Kevin Lewis, after consultation with the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré.
It follows the Minister's review of responses in the recent public survey on the proposed design for the public space. The feedback indicated that a significant proportion of islanders were concerned about the project’s cost, design and impact on traffic. In making his decision to postpone the trial, the Minister also considered the number of bank holidays over the period and the risk that the trial’s results would not accurately reflect the road’s normal use.
Deputy Lewis said: “At this moment, I want to reflect on the feedback from the recent public consultation and, because of the timing of the trial, I felt that the results would be inconclusive and not address the wider concerns expressed by the public, if we went ahead today. The Chief Minister has asked my officers and me to review the project in light of those emerging issues. The Government has committed to being more inclusive and to listening to the public, and we are doing just that. I will be discussing the next steps with my ministerial colleagues and will present the revised options in due course.
“The Liberation was the single most significant event in Jersey’s modern history, and I think it is sensible that there is a short pause now so that we commemorate the 75th anniversary in a way that has public agreement.”
gov.je