This Is Guernsey

By Nicci Martel

A PUBLIC meeting was held yesterday as part of a process to decide the fate of a horseshoe road off Victoria Avenue. The Guernsey Housing Association’s development plans for the area include demolishing the road, which is a public highway. But the Royal Court needs to give its permission for any public highway to be closed - something which has not happened since 1992, when it agreed to the closure of Courtil des Mielles in St Sampson’s.

As part of the procedure, it had to hold a meeting to allow the public to object to the closure.

Former St Sampson’s constable Keith Tostevin made the only representation against the move, which was recorded by the parish’s current constables and will be passed on to the court.

‘I object on the grounds that this road has always been used as an escape road from Victoria Avenue, which is a dead end.

‘When there are football matches and other events held down here, there are cars parked on both sides of Victoria Avenue and instead of doing a three-point-turn, the horseshoe can be used to turn around,’ said Mr Tostevin.

He thinks the road could be joined to the sewage service road that leads to Les Banques, via Chateau des Marais. In the long term, it could help ease congestion once the new school at Les Nicolles is completed.

‘It’s time St Sampson’s had some payback for all the development that it’s had.

‘Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a wonderful project, but I think the road could be of use.’

Also at the meeting were St Sampson’s constable Peter Gilson, two douzeniers, Advocate Rupert Sewards, two representatives from the Housing Department and Steve Williams from the Guernsey Housing Association.

Mr Williams said that if the court ruled that the road must stay, the development plans would need some major alteration.

He said the association had invested a lot of time and money into the design of the project, which was intended to provide housing for the elderly.

‘If the existing road must stay, then there would be quite heavy delays in terms of redesigning the development and we would have to submit another application.’

A report will be submitted to the Royal Court on Monday 3 December.