U-turn on Liberation Square merger traffic test

Monday 29 April 2019

A road closure designed to test the flow of traffic if Liberation Square were to be merged with the Weighbridge has been cancelled at the last minute.

Minister for Infrastructure Deputy Kevin Lewis announced the news in a statement circulated to media at 23:00 last night.

In it, he said the decision had been taken to postpone the trial, which was due to start at 09:00 today, following consultation with the Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré. 

Deputy Lewis said he had also noted that there were a number of bank holidays during the period of the proposed road closure trial, which meant that the trial results may not accurately reflect the road’s normal use.

Pictured: The road closure, which was due to start today, was supposed to emulate the flow of traffic if Liberation Square and the Weighbridge are merged. 

He commented: “At this moment, I want to reflect on the feedback from the recent public consultation and, because of the timing of the trial, I felt that the results would be inconclusive and not address the wider concerns expressed by the public, if we went ahead today. The Chief Minister has asked my officers and me to review the project in light of those emerging issues. The Government has committed to being more inclusive and to listening to the public, and we are doing just that. I will be discussing the next steps with my ministerial colleagues and will present the revised options in due course. 

“The Liberation was the single most significant event in Jersey’s modern history, and I think it is sensible that there is a short pause now so that we commemorate the 75th anniversary in a way that has public agreement.” 

The statement announcing the road closure trial’s last-minute cancellation also acknowledged that the project has so far proven controversial. It noted that the Minister had taken into account feedback contained in responses to a public survey, stating that “a significant proportion of islanders were concerned about the project’s cost, design and impact on traffic.”

Pictured: The £3million ‘Liberation 75’ square merger proposals.

As well as merging the two squares, the project, which is projected to cost £3million, would also involve the creation of a pétanque court, events plaza and serpentine. 

It was hoped that the large-scale infrastructure project would be completed in time for a royal visit as part of the island’s ‘Liberation 75’ celebrations, commemorating three quarters of a century since the German Occupation ended.

Since the project was first announced, questions have been raised over the lines of accountability and who made the decision to go ahead with it. In a recent Scrutiny hearing, the Minister for Infrastructure said he had “inherited” the project from the previous Council of Ministers, who had input from the Bailiff.

Pictured: Politicians will tomorrow vote on a proposal by Deputy Jeremy Maçon to cease the project.

In the same hearing, it was noted that £100,000 has been spent so far on the merger. 

Deputy Jeremy Maçon will tomorrow be asking his fellow States Members to vote on whether the merger, which he describes as a “vanity project”, should still go ahead. If they vote in favour of his proposition, it will be ceased.