Packed beach car parks, vehicles spilling onto roadsides and poorly parked cars blocking buses are among the problems being seen across Jersey as the summer weather puts pressure on some of the Island’s most popular coastal spots.
But despite difficulties at locations including Portelet, Plémont, Grève de Lecq, Gorey and Long Beach, officials from the government’s Infrastructure Department do not currently believe an Island-wide parking review is needed.
Instead, the department said problems should continue to be tackled individually with parishes, Honorary Police and the emergency services.
What is causing the pressure?
Carl Dodd, principal engineer for road network management, told Express that the warm, dry summer had resulted in “higher than usual demand for parking at a number of locations, resulting in some instances of roadside overspill parking and related access issues”.
“Historically, this has tended to occur on a relatively small number of peak weekends each year,” he explained.
This summer, however, parking pressures have been felt at several locations around the Island.
One of the most disruptive examples came on Sunday 16 August, when LibertyBus had to cancel buses between 11am and 3pm because poorly parked cars prevented buses from entering the bay.
Cars had been left on bends coming down the hill, with drivers moving police cones which had been put in place to prevent parking there.
LibertyBus director Kevin Hart said similar problems were not confined to one location.
“We do get issues from time to time around the Island – a few weeks ago we had issues in Bonne Nuit Bay and this caused delays to the service number 4 too,” he said.
“We have for years had issues at Portelet, Devils Hole and Greve de Lecq where again the bus turning has issues at very busy times.”
Keeping access clear in St Ouen
In St Ouen, Chef de Police Robert Hall said pressure at Grève de Lecq had eased since the Seaside Café’s car park reopened.
At Plémont, meanwhile, roadside parking on the route down to the bay has been restricted for “about three years”.
“We just can’t afford to limit emergency services getting down there,” said Mr Hall.
To provide another option for motorists, the parish has worked with the National Trust to open a field for parking.
Mr Hall acknowledged that the parking changes had been unpopular, but said he was pleased people were “being tolerant and being responsible because it makes a big difference”.
Could Gorey parking rules change?
Parking has also long been an issue in Gorey, particularly during the summer, according to St Martin’s Parish Hall.
This year, parking along the coast road towards Welcome Slip has caused particular problems, partly because commercial vehicles use the unrestricted spaces.
The Infrastructure Department and Parish of St Martin have now agreed to carry out a joint review.
One possibility is a 12-in-24 restriction, which would allow road users to park for up to 12 hours within any 24-hour period.
Why not introduce controls at Long Beach?
Long Beach car park in Grouville has also been under pressure and has been full even on weekdays.
The free car park is unsurfaced, making it difficult for authorities to monitor how it is being used.
Mr Dodd said keeping it that way had advantages.
“This approach helps preserve the character of Jersey’s coastline while ensuring the beach remains accessible [and] affordable to all the public,” he said.
“The most realistic alternative for managing periods of high demand in this location would be to introduce seasonal parking controls (as per St Brelade’s Bay).
“Such an approach would require capital investment to surface and mark parking bays, together with ongoing enforcement arrangements.
“There is also a risk that new restrictions could simply displace parking demand to nearby locations such as the Village, creating additional issues.”
Why are slipways off limits?
St Helier Honorary Police have also reminded motorists that parking on the parish’s slipways is prohibited.
None of St Helier’s slipways allow parking, as they need to remain clear so emergency services can quickly launch rescues.
Vehicles parked there may be towed away, with their owners asked to attend a Parish Hall Enquiry.
Is an Island-wide parking review needed?
Despite the pressures seen this summer, Infrastructure does not currently believe Jersey needs a wider review of its parking arrangements.
Mr Dodd said: “Instead, we believe it is correct to continue to work closely with Parish Road Committees, Honorary Police and the Emergency Services to address issues on a case-by-case basis.
“For example, over recent years the Infrastructure Department has implemented a number of improvements to coastal parking provision. These include the introduction of roadside flat kerb edging between Le Braye and El Tico at St Ouen’s Bay to address roadside erosion issues.”
