ENSURING children’s safety is paramount, now that work on schools at Les Nicolles has been given the final go-ahead. Parish deputies and officials welcomed the development of the new secondary, St Sampson’s High, and co-located secondary special needs school, Le Murier.

Education and Treasury have agreed to a smaller project, at £45m., than was initially planned.

Deputy Environment minister Ivan Rihoy said the island needed the new schools and he has resigned himself to their location.

‘The important thing now is to ensure they are safe,’ he said.

‘To me, that’s essential.

‘Probably the most important aspect of the development is the entrance and exit of the schools, for the parents, the children, everyone concerned and the motorists using that road.’

He added that traffic in the area had to have a high priority.

‘Especially when we’re looking at the sea front strategy as a whole – it’s the arterial roads leading onto the sea front that affect it.’

Deputy Dan Le Cheminant said it was important to have somewhere up-to-date to educate young people.

‘I know there’s been a working party set up between the Education Department and the members of the douzaine,’ he added.

‘And I hope that a lot of the problems with regard to traffic would have been ironed out. It’s not an ideal place for a school, but once the States made that decision, I think we have to make it work for the benefit of the children.’

Deputy Ron Le Moignan was pleased work was under way at last.

‘A good education is a good start in life,’ he said.

‘I haven’t had any adverse comments about it.

‘I think we’ll just have to hope it comes out within the revised new budget that’s been agreed between Education and Treasury and Resources.’

St Sampson’s senior constable Phil Gallienne said the douzaine’s prime concern was to ensure the safety of school children.

‘Douzaine representatives have had meetings with Education and Traffic about the roads and suggested alternative calming measures which are being looked at,’ he said.

Baubigny resident Ken Nicolle said that Education had been keeping people well informed about the work. But there were still concerns with the planned new junction and for pedestrians using Baubigny.