St John's Road and Parade Road trial scheme (FOI)

Request

A

What metrics are the Government using to determine whether the outcome of the St John’s Road and Parade Road trial is a success or failure?

St John's road trial scheme (gov.je)

B

Will residents be consulted on the suitability of the metrics used to evaluate the scheme?

C

Who is responsible for signing off the metrics that will be used to evaluate the outcome of the trial?

D

Will noise or air pollution monitoring equipment be installed as part of the trial?

E

Will the speed limit of either St John's Road or Parade Road be changed as part of the trial?

F

How many emails or letters opposing the trial has the Government or the Minister for Infrastructure received?

G

How much has been spent on the trial so far?

H

What is the estimated total cost of the trial?

I

Has any formal road safety audit or assessment been conducted ahead of designing the trial?

Response

A, B and D

The St Helier Roads Committee made a decision on 12 April 2023 that they would like to work with the Minister for Infrastructure to stage an experimental road layout for a limited period.  Infrastructure and Environment (I&E) are in the process of developing a set of evaluation criteria for agreement.

The draft documents and items under consideration are exempt from release under Article 35 (Formulation and Development of Policies) of the Freedom of information (Jersey) Law 2011 since their release at this stage will likely generate misinformed debate.

Article 35 is a qualified exemption; therefore, a public interest test has been applied and is shown at the end of this response.

C

The Infrastructure and Environment department will propose a specification for qualitative and quantitative data for agreement with the Parish of St Helier.

E

There is no legislative process available to provide for temporary speed limits for temporary works such as the proposed experimental road lay out. However, it is planned that a permanent 20mph zone be created that will include lower St John’s Road to the junction with St John’s Road and Parade Road. 

This is a result of the Parish speed limits review process and is separate to the experimental road layout.  It is intended that the speed limit change be introduced to coincide with the experimental road layout period.

Further information regarding the Ministerial Decision in relation to the reduction of the speed limit is detailed in the link below:

Road Traffic (Speed Limits) (Jersey) Order 2003: Amendment: Law drafting instructions MD-INF-2023-399 Written Report - Law Drafting instructions - St Helier Speed Limit changes.pdf (gov.je)

F

A breakdown of the 17 responses received in relation to this trial as at 5 July 2023, is detailed below:  

• 9 against
• 7 in favour
  
• 1 neutral.

G

£13,524, has been spent on the trial as at 5 July 2023 which includes £5,600 of stock items which will be returned to store for reuse.

H

As at 5 July 2023, it is estimated that the cost of the trial will be £30,000 which includes approximately £10,000 of stock items which will be returned to store for reuse.

I

Independent road safety advisors have informed the development of the trial and the Road Safety Audit will be applied to those elements within the scope of the Road Safety Audit Policy (the ‘Policy’).  

Standard temporary traffic management such as being implemented for the trial is generally out of scope of the Policy. 

Article applied 

Article 35 - Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

Public Interest Test

In applying this article, the following considerations were taken into account.

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure 

• Disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public, providing confirmation that the necessary discussions have taken place.
• Disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how the department engages with parties for this purpose.  
  

Public interest considerations favouring withholding the information 

• In order to best develop policy and provide advice to Ministers, officials need a safe space in which free and frank discussion can take place – discussion of how documentation is presented and provided is considered as integral to policy development as iterations of documents are demonstrative of the policy development process. 
  
• The need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a policy. 
• Release of the information at this stage might generate misinformed debate. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately. 
• Premature disclosure of this information may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback. This would hamper and harm the policy–making process not only in relation to this subject area but in respect of future policy development across wider departmental business.