Last Friday (22nd September 2006) I attended an all day seminar at the Town Hall that considered how the town (or is that city?) of St. Helier might develop architecturally over the coming 20 or 30 years. Ambitious, yes, but maybe it's what is needed given the piecemeal approaches that have taken place in the past.
The presentation was given by dare I say it an "outside" consultant who come under the suitably anonymous name of "EDAW", I'm not sure however for what exactly these initials stand, but I'm sure some wag could assist.
What I found a little depressing though was the lack of representation of the private sector, whose numbers you could count on one hand. On the other hand there were more politicians and civil servants in attendance than you could shake a stick at. I guess it's not unreasonable given that a business person taking a day off work is quite a commitment. Clearly the same sort of discomfort is not felt in the public sector, alternatively it could just reflect the degree of complacency that pervades our Island where we are lucky enough to have full employment and a high standard of living.
However, back to the point of this Blog and that of the structural future of St. Helier.
As a business person with a shop in the heart of the town I clearly have a vested interest in how St. Helier develops in the future. Seeing the real estate value of my property disappear as St. Helier retail moves seaward is not what I want to see, and clearly the same is the case with other businesses in my area.
So it was with some relief that EDAW recognised these concerns and that traffic and parking issues have been clearly identified as a problem to be solved, something Transport and Technical seem to have great difficulty in sorting out at present.
I was also cheered by the recognition that the redevelopment of Fort Regent is a high priority and also that it should remain a focus for our community. The solving of the perennial problem of accessibility is the clever bit here.
There was also acknowledgement that whilst there remains 6 lanes of traffic between the town and the waterfront, the chances of the waterfront becoming a part of town are a little less than nil. It is such a shame that when this was highlighted by some local architects a decade or so ago so little importance was given to this obvious problem.
Once again a solution will need to be found to "tie in" the waterfront to the main town. Projects such as sinking this main road have already been put forward in the press, and seem almost inevitable. A few more millions to swallow.
Overall I came away with a sense of positivity as to the potential future of St. Helier. My fears that one part of town was being given prominence over another had been allayed. There was also the first public recognition of the totallity of the problems faced, and although solutions still seem to be a little thin on the ground one can't fault the overall concept.
Of course it's one thing to have a vision and strategy, another to implement it successfully.
The question was asked, "where would you start?". I boldy said the Fort. It lies at the heart of St. Helier, and the people who live and work here would be able to see on a daily basis the progress of the new vision for St. Helier as it emerged before their eyes. Everybody could see the progress being made, no need for spin.
However my group thought this too high profile, "what if something goes wrong?"
Doesn't that just sum it all up. Things have been going wrong for years and the fear now is such that even with this vision people are already looking for the escape hatch. What chance then does this project really have if it doesn't have the full and unconditional support of the council of ministers?
For once in their lives those in Government empowered to make these kinds of decisions must step up to the plate and acknoledge their responsibilities, failure as well as success. You get used to doing that in the private sector, why can't it be replicated in Government?
Now there is a vision!
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It's obviously too late to say it now, but this is exactly what should have been done before the Waterfront was redeveloped. Did we really spend all that time and all those millions of pounds reclaiming land from the sea so it could be used for fast food outlets and a cinema...with all the architectural forethought and grace of inner-city Coventry?
You know what I've always thought would be a nice way of reconnecting the Waterfront with town? A selection of wrought iron victorian style bridges, with landscaped granite walling running along the roadside - pulling it into line with the architecture of the old abbatoir and harbour buildings. Then convert the Weighbridge area into a nice park - with the the central piece being the Statue of Queen Victoria which currently resides at West Park. It would give the area a pleasantly historical air, whilst being functional and modern.
As for the Waterfront itself, with its "let's make it up as we go along" architectural footprint...I really think the only option is to level most of the 1970's style concrete monstrosities that litter the site, and start again from scratch with a cohesive plan.
Aside from the Waterfront and Fort Regent, I personally don't think St. Helier needs a 30 year plan. I think the town should be allowed to develop naturally...BUT...with the planning commitee keeping a very keen eye on any new developments, ensuring any new buildings are completely sympathetic to their surroundings, with maybe some new form of legislation being drafted to clarify that aspect.
That's my simplistic viewpoint on the subject anyway!
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