A view from the barricades

Constable’s Comment, Town Crier, December 2024

There has been some criticism of our Parish in recent months due to the amount of scaffolding in the town centre and the proliferation of roadworks around town.

In terms of scaffolding, it is true that some of this has been in place for longer than anyone would have wished, but this is rarely due to property owners or developers dragging their heels; it has resulted from some high-profile failures of construction companies as well as unforeseen complications in the building works themselves. Much as scaffolding can look unsightly, it is an indicator of the health of the town as people are investing in the creation of new properties or the maintenance of old ones.

Regarding roadworks, these are also an indicator of the good health of our town, as in most cases the roads are being dug up in order to connect new residential and commercial properties to essential utilities. However, some of the road and pavement openings are the result of problems that some utility companies have in maintaining their network, and I am sure that we all hope that these will be resolved soon.

Finally, I am sure everyone acknowledges the wonderful examples of public realm improvements that have been carried out this year, both in the refurbishment of Halkett Street and in the creation of the new civic space outside the Jersey Arts Centre. We are going to see more of this sort of thing in the town centre, especially in Broad Street, but I am confident that the results in terms of improving the public realm will be worth any temporary inconvenience caused by construction.