Do we need more offices? Really? Why have these never been occupied yet?Surely a scrutiny panel should survey the Finance Industry's needs before we get a load more built and remain empty?
Now, let's have a look at our Wonderful Waterfront...
Not the best intrusion in the middle distance, between the quayside and Westmount, but we've gotten used to it...
... shame there's no sea view from street level at Pier Road though.
Where did the bay go?!
An underpass may be an ugly thing, but ours is perfectly functional and certainly not the worst I've ever seen...
... there's considerable greenery here now.
I'm sure the parking rows could be closer together, perhaps the whole carpark could have had one-way routes to make better use of the space?
- but it's a very pleasant car park, as car parks go. And needed, too. Why scrap it?
More views of this perfectly respectable car park...
It's good to have a green space on the Esplanade...
.. after this dark alley of dull offices with nothing of interest to pedestrians. It's not much fun walking past corporate frontages and a bus station, is it? Not compared to shop windows.
With the carpark here, it retains the open feel that the Esplanade always had...
... and always should...
.. including the historic old sea wall.
So why ruin what's already there and working, which has bedded in nicely and feels 'Jersey' enough?
Remember how strongly The Public (who are supposed to matter, in a democracy) rejected the idea for a bridge because we simply didn't need one? There is no need to cross there.For the same reason, we don't need to sink the road to improve access to an area which, frankly, doesn't need much access because there's nothing much there to attract people.
1) So, leave the road alone. The underground road will cost us a fortune to maintain, and if anyone really believes it will never flood, they must be some variety of crazy. Not to mention the toxic waste currently buried there which may be better left alone for now... and moving it all to La Collette is mad too, reducing the life of that reclamation. Where next? Further out to sea?
And the traffic chaos, oh boy, that's going to suck!
2) Leave the car park alone.
*No need for yet more offices,
* no need for yet more shops.
Wait and see if the vacant units in the innards of Spectrum ever get tenants, and let's see how the Island Site retail experience turns out in the old abbatoir. We don't need to suck the life out of the old town by moving it to a bland new grid of highrises.
The development will not attract people, there will be no reason to go there. Either that, or there will be less life in the historic town center. No point tarting up the streets there with the windfall from this project, if there's no-one around any more (and do we really want to waste money giving Colomberie and Cheapside a make-over?).
3) Use the remaining vacant space by Les Jardins de la Mer as open space for the public to truly enjoy. Simple, open grassland where events can be held. Raise it up 5ft so we can see the beach without a thick block sea wall in the way. Some swings and roundabouts - think of the kids for a change. Make it a pleasant area instead of yet more development we don't need.
It seems that whatever we gain from this proposed development, the gains will be squandered and used up in the costs of keeping it maintained. So what's the point?
It's as if our dear politicians have £££ signs in their eyes, so blinded by the apparent joys of getting Something For Nothing (as if!!) they simply cannot question whether that Something was worth having in the first place. It isn't.
Will common sense prevail? Sadly, I think I've got more chance of inheriting a billion from a distant relative I never knew about.
6 comments:
Some great photo's on your blog and equally great idea's.
Unfortunately, like most of us, do you get the feeling you might be pis-i-g into the wind?
You are correct with the £ signs in their eyes. This goverment won't be happy until they've stripped Jersey of all it's natural beauty and made a fortune out of it. They will then retire to a nice warm climate somewhere whilst me, you, our kids and our grandchildren suffer the effects of their raping and piliging of our once beutiful island.
We owe it to our future generations to stop this bunch, We must all get to the ballot boxes or we are as much to blame as they are.
I don't relish the prospect of a granchild of mine in the future asking me "howcome the goverment were allowed to do this to Jersey"?
And having to tell them "because they could, nobody exercised their democratic right and voted"
Thank you very much for the praise, it's always welcome :o)
Yes, I'm sure that the coming elections will bring us more "better the devil you knoew" mentality. Can't have newcomers who haven't proved themselves, can we? That's the way it's always been.
There are too many people too keen to keep things as they are, despite the shortcomings. Don't rock the boat, etc.
That's why I believe that voting is largely a waste of time - why vote for personalities when you never quite know what direction they'll take on future issues? Plus, I can only vote for 12 senators, 1 deputy and a constable - out of 53! If we had parties, that wouldn't matter so much, but with independents... what difference can my voting really make?
I believe it's better to devote efforts to specific issues - a well organised pressure group can achieve thigns out of all proportion to their conventional voting power. I shall continue to voice my opinions to anyone willing to listen... just in case someone actually does :o)
I likes the pics too. Makes a nice change from my wordy near pictureless blog.
The thing that sticks out like a sore thumb when viewing the Waterfront area in your snapshot form, is just how there's nothing "Jersey" about it.
Infact, the majority of the pictures could have been taken somewhere like Birmingham or Coventry. A couple of them remind me very much of Crawley.
The only section pictured which has a uniqueness and a bit of character about it is the 'historic sea wall'..and that's wallowing in a sea of concrete today!
I simply despair at what a completely wasted opportunity the Waterfront turned out to be....and it's not even finished yet.
another loser doin a blog.
get a life wake up and smell the future cos it aint yours
AHITS :
Yes, the whole Waterfront has been a bit of a disaster, that's why I'm keen to see a line drawn... and no further c**kups. A grid of boring offices and an underground road is going to make things even worse!
Yes, the car park could be anywhere, but the point is that it's an open space (much needed) retaining the 'feel' of the Esplanade, and despite being just a car park with greenery, there are views of things that are very definitely Jersey - remaining old buildings, the avenue, the Fort, etc. That's why I say it feels Jersey enough.
If you stand there and look around, you KNOW you're in Jersey, even if you have to look to the distance and ignore the immediate surroundings. At least the Jerseyness is there if you look!
Anon :
I published your comments to show I don't censor unless I have to.
Thanks for your viewpoint, you're welcome to it, just as I'm welcome to believe it's amusing how someone would spend time commenting when they think so little of the blog. Would some snotty kid bother? ... I can understand why people wonder if The Establishment (or even professional spin doctors) are involved in trying to rubbish The People's attempts to have a voice!
Post a Comment