This Is Guernsey

By Aimee Le Cocq

Intersurgical’s premises on the Pitronnerie Road industrial estate. The company’s MD is worried that children will be walking through this site on a busy working day.

SENDING children through an industrial area unsupervised could be dangerous, according to Intersurgical managing director Mark Levrier.

The firm is based on the Pitronnerie Road estate at the St Peter Port end of the suggested walking and cycling route to the new schools at Les Nicolles.

Mr Levrier had major concerns about children moving through the busy area to access the green lane to the Island Bowl, the first part of the route. There are no footpaths and forklifts regularly operate.

‘They are moving the danger from the public road to the private road. It is totally private here, so it isn’t policed. On a Saturday afternoon [when the route was tested] it’s fine, but not when it’s busy. It hasn’t been thought through. It may well be safer, but I have concerns.’

He feared that on a dark winter morning, staff at the end of a long shift and driving a forklift might not see children making their way to school. He believed that a path should instead be put through the Bouet and Victoria Avenue and on to the new schools.

‘Some children do use the industrial estate to get to the Bowl, but at the times they do it isn’t very busy. And we do get children from the estate coming to play here, but we can manage that because the number is very small. But children will be coming through here daily. The risk is too high. Living Streets has not done any risk analysis, which is a legal requirement for industry.’

Pat Wisher of Living Streets said the group had met Mr Levrier on Saturday.

‘Living Streets is grateful to Mark Levrier for drawing its attention to the possible safety issues which students might face when they walk or cycle through the industrial estate to access the track to the Bowl. Certainly we do not want to put students in danger and we hope that we can work with the estate owners to find solutions to all their concerns.

‘We understand that schools are constantly making students aware of road safety issues and reinforcing the need for vigilance. Finally, we would like to reassure the estate’s owners that, if the green lane route becomes a reality, the number of students accessing the new schools would probably not exceed 100.’

* The Home Department declined to comment on the proximity to the prison of one point on the route, another safety issue that has been raised.

Article posted on 16th July, 2008 - 11.30am