Campaigners to wait for Police report on Town Park road safety

Sunday 11 September 2016

A group of road safety campaigners have put the brakes on forcing a parish meeting to look at road safety around the Millennium Town Park, following the death of three-year-old Clinton Pringle in June.

The Friends of the Millennium Town Park group had wanted an independent safety expert to come over and review the road layout around the park, after branding temporary measures to reduce traffic as a "joke."

Clinton was on holiday in Jersey when he was hit by a van while crossing the road on the Tunnell Street side of the Park, and the Group have been campaigning ever since to get the area made safer.

The Group met with St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft on Thursday and have now agreed to wait until they hear what comes out of the police report, due out next week, before going ahead with the Parish meeting. 

Road safety campaigner Nicola McAteer said: "That is due to come out within the next week or so and once that comes out we're hoping that will give information about the road safety around the whole of the Millennium Town Park and if we do not get that information we are going to continue with the Parish Assembly on the 5 October.

"We've tried to come to a compromise and we think it would be of everybody's benefit to wait for the police report. We have delayed it by two weeks but we think it's important that the police report is looked at first. What's important for us is to get something done as quickly as possible. If the report doesn't cover the immediate dangers around the road safety of the park then absolutely we need to have the Parish Assembly."

The Constable of St Helier said: "I understand that the Police commissioned report will be finalised next week and then released to the Parish as soon as possible afterwards; we certainly would not want to have to wait several months for another report to be commissioned and produced.

"While we cannot pre-empt the findings of the forthcoming report by the police's independent expert, I am confident that the Parish's Roads Committee will properly and carefully consider any recommendations that are made as soon as possible, and take prompt action where necessary.

"Mrs McAteer has reserved the right to have the Requête heard by the Parish Assembly if necessary on Wednesday 5 October 2016.  As Constable of the Parish and also as one of the original members of the Millennium Town Park Group I fully understand the concerns of those who signed the Requête and indeed all parishioners about road safety.  We will continue to monitor our Parish roads with that in mind and will prioritise the consideration of recommendations when they are forthcoming."

A 38 year-old woman was arrested in connection with road traffic offences at the time of Clinton's death but has not been charged.