Tuesday 03 July 2012
Revised parking arrangers for commuters in Town will be introduced this month so that a section of North Beach can be used as a temporary freight compound.
A temporary compound and access road is being created at the eastern end of North Beach, as part of the £13.75 million refurbishment of freight-handling facilities at St Peter Port Harbour. The project is currently underway, and includes extensive repairs to the berths where goods are loaded and unloaded from vessels.
The creation of a temporary storage compound will provide space within the current restricted area for safe handling of goods while the refurbishment work is carried out. For logistical reasons, this has to be near to where freight facilities loading and unloading facilities.
From Monday 16 July, around 195 current 10-hour spaces at North Beach car park will no longer be available, but alternative public parking for around 185 vehicles will be provided on the nearby East Arm and Castle Emplacement.
The East Arm, which forms the outer wall of the QE2 marina, will be available between 7am and 7pm every day, with parking for around 160 vehicles. Around 25 additional places will be created on Castle Emplacement, near the Model Yacht Pond, as normal 10-hour spaces.
The new road across North Beach, adjacent to the temporary compound, provides access to other areas of the harbour, including the White Rock Pier and ferry check-in.
Public Services Minister, Deputy Paul Luxon, said existing services had to be maintained while the refurbishment of the freight facilities is carried out. The Department had consulted with harbour users and other groups on how best to achieve this.
'We have had a constructive dialogue, and everyone acknowledges this project is essential because we all rely on goods that come through the harbour. We've seen a real willingness to work together to minimise any potential disruption,'
he said.
'We believe we have struck the right balance between the ongoing harbour requirements, and the needs of port users, shoppers and commuters while these works are underway. And we have achieved this without incurring significant additional costs to the project.'
The revised arrangements will be in place until completion of the project, which is expected in Summer 2014.
Around 40 year round permit spaces on the East Arm will be lost, and an area normally set aside in the summer for ferry passengers will also become public parking. Day trippers will be able to use a 10-hour space, instead of paying for a reserved place, or make other transport arrangements.
Deputy Luxon said there was additional pressure on space at the port while the refurbishment is carried out. Guernsey Harbours therefore had to ensure maximum use of the available areas, and would look at reintroducing current provisions once work on the freight facilities was complete.
'We want to ensure that nobody is impacted unnecessarily or disproportionately, but maximise the available space to that we can accommodate all harbour users,'
he said.
Contact information:
Jim Anderson, Projects Liaison Officer, Public Services Department
Tel: 01481 234692
Mobile: 07781 108325
Email: Jim.Anderson@gov.gg
