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People living in St. Helier are being asked to vote on whether the parish should take a step towards greater independence with a new elected council.
In a Parish Assembly next week, ratepayers will have their say on whether the Constable should officially take plans to establish a new council, the ‘Conseil Municipal’, to the States Assembly later this year.
Constable Simon Crowcroft has long argued that St. Helier should be given more control over its parish decision-making.
With the formation of a Conseil, the aim is that the States could transfer additional responsibilities to the Parish, which could be more effectively managed at the local level.
Pictured: Constable Simon Crowcroft is the longest-serving member of the States Assembly after he was first elected in 1996.
As such, Constable Crowcroft hopes that parishioners will agree with his proposal so it can be debated by States Members as part of the Government Plan.
Express took a closer look at the idea...
The idea of creating a new council for St. Helier was first considered more than 100 years ago, but it was not put in motion until the end of 2019 when the Parish Assembly established a new ‘Shadow Conseil’ to trial the concept.
The aim of such a council was to address the “lack of control” over developing and implementing Parish strategies and policies.
The Shadow Conseil operated for a test period from January 2020 to June 2021, and although only an advisory committee (the council did not have any statutory powers), it showed how such a body could operate.
Pictured: Four Parish Assembly members were elected to the Shadow Conseil in December 2021.
Following a successful trial period, the Conseil concluded there was potential to “better achieve” Parish objectives and deliver a more “efficient and effective service” if further responsibility and authority were devolved to the Parish.
It also stated that a Conseil Municipal offered the potential to bring about “significant improvements” for residents and businesses.
In recent years, Constable Crowcroft has welcomed the greater involvement of the Roads Committee in the running of the Parish, together with that of the Procureurs du Bien Public – those responsible for Parish finances.
The Constable believes that the evolution of the Committee into a Conseil Municipal, with additional elected members, would allow the “expertise and interest” of more parishioners to be “harnessed for the benefit of all”.
The formation of a Conseil would enable the Parish of St. Helier to add to the list of delegated responsibilities it already has with respect to the administration of Jersey’s capital.
Pictured: The Shadow Conseil believe the concept has the potential to improve the lives of residents and businesses in St. Helier.
The Conseil would also negotiate with the States to take on additional responsibilities that could be better managed at the local level.
St. Helier’s trial Shadow Conseil comprised the Constable, Roads Committee, Procureurs du Bien Public, and four elected Parish Assembly members.
The Shadow Conseil met regularly during the trial period, formed sub-committees to consider particular matters, and met with Ministers and government officers.
The central argument for establishing a Conseil Municipal, as outlined in St. Helier’s Municipal Reform report, is that delegating further work to an elected body in St. Helier would free up Government time to concentrate on its “core business”.
Meanwhile, the Parish of St. Helier would focus on providing “more efficient” and “timely” administrative services to residents and the business community.
St. Helier gives the example of alcohol licensing, a “complex, lengthy and costly process”, where “little progress” has been made.
“There is an ideal opportunity for the application process and decision making to be transferred to the Parish, freeing up the time of both Government departments and the judiciary,” the report says.
Pictured: Further delegation to the Conseil could be beneficial for both Government and the Parish of St. Helier.
The trial Conseil also highlighted opportunities to “enhance” the Parish’s role by opening up local administration to a greater number of elected members than is currently possible.
“A Conseil Municipal would attract parishioners wishing to be involved in the improvement of their quality of life and environment, but who have for whatever reason concluded that membership of the States Assembly is not for them,” the report suggests.
The Conseil also recognise there is work to be done before the States Assembly is asked to consider the proposal, for example to ensure the Parish would not be disadvantaged financially by taking on additional functions currently carried out by Government.
St. Helier elects 'Shadow Council'
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