St John's Road trial scheme correspondence (2) (FOI)

​Request

The St John’s Road one-way petition response on the States Assembly website states the following:

“The Minister for Infrastructure, the Connétable of St Helier and the Parish Roads Committee decided that a one-way system (northbound), between the junctions with Parade Road and Cheapside, should be trialled as it is believed that this would provide an opportunity to improve and widen footpaths and reduce some local traffic. The aim is to provide a safer and more liveable urban environment.”

A

Please provide any information or documents which give either an instruction or direction from the Minister for Infrastructure to “provide a safer and more liveable urban environment”. 

B

If no documents exist, where has this aim come from?

Response

A

The Government of Jersey does not hold the requested documentation since the Minister for Infrastructure made this decision, along with the Parish of St Helier in face-to-face meetings.  Therefore, Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

However, the quotes, contained in the articles linked below demonstrate the Minister’s intention:

One-way trial on lower part of St John’s Road (gov.je)

St John’s Road trial to start in Autumn (gov.je)

Minutes from the Parish of St Helier Roads Committee meetings regarding St John’s Road are available on the Parish of St Helier website and can be accessed using the following link.

Meeting minutes and agendas (sthelier.je)

B

The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 gives a right to request information that is held in recorded form, unless exempt.

This part of the request poses a question rather than seeking information held in a recorded form. 

This information is not held, therefore, Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Article applied

Article 10 - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding information

(1) Subject to paragraph (2), if –

(a) a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and

(b) the authority does not hold the information, it must inform the applicant accordingly.

(2) If a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority and –

(a) the information is absolutely exempt information or qualified exempt information; or

(b) if the authority does not hold the information, the information would be absolutely exempt

information or qualified exempt information if it had held it,the authority may refuse to inform the applicant whether or not it holds the information if it is satisfied that, in all the circumstances of the case, it is in the public interest to do so.

(3) If a scheduled public authority so refuses –

(a) it shall be taken for the purpose of this Law to have refused to supply the information requested on the ground that it is absolutely exempt information; and

(b) it need not inform the applicant of the specific ground upon which it is refusing the request or, if the authority does not hold the information, the specific ground upon which it would have refused the request had it held the information.