Closed petition Re-open Broad Street

Ministers responded

This response was given on 16 April 2025

Changes to our public spaces can cause concern. Keeping Broad St as a pedestrian-priority area aligns with the States’ strategic objectives and delivers significant benefits for the wider community

Thank you to the petitioner and all signatories for sharing your concerns. I fully appreciate that changes to our streets and public spaces can cause concern, particularly when they affect access, travel habits, or involve public investment. As Minister for Infrastructure, I want to provide a clear response outlining the reasons behind Broad Street’s closure to through-traffic, the proposed realm improvements, and how these changes support our Island’s agreed policies and long-term ambitions.

The petition to reopen Broad Street to vehicular traffic raises valid questions about the use of public funds and the potential impact on local services. However, keeping Broad Street as a pedestrian-priority area is fully aligned with the States’ strategic objectives and delivers significant benefits for the wider community. This ambition has been supported not only by the Assembly through its Common Strategic Policies, which recognise the need to revitalise town, the Island Plan and the Plan for Town, but also by broader economic strategies, including the Government’s recently published Visitor Economy Strategy and Retail Roadmap.
These strategies emphasise the importance of creating a vibrant, welcoming, and accessible town centre that supports both residents and visitors. Public realm improvements like those proposed for Broad Street are vital to delivering on these shared goals, which have also been supported by the last two successive governments and the Parish of St Helier, who we have worked in partnership with to develop the works.

One-off capital work programmes such as this do not divert ongoing annual revenue funding from charities, they are entirely separate budget streams. While the capital works are a one-off investment, it must be understood they will support vibrancy, economic vitality, and quality of our town centre long into the future - helping to sustain tourism, commerce and the quality of town life. There is strong evidence that realm improvements increase business confidence and unlocks further private investment, increasing the value of the initial government capital spend.

Alignment with Strategic Objectives
Government’s Common Strategic Policy recognises the need to revitalise St Helier. The Island Plan and the Plan for Town set out a vision to enhance the town’s public spaces, better connect important cultural and public amenities, and prioritise pedestrian accessibility and safety. The aim is to build upon St Helier’s existing strengths and character, to ensure that it is, and continues to be, a vibrant and attractive place to live, work, and visit—offering inviting public spaces, healthier streets, and improved walking and cycling options.

These improvements benefit residents, businesses, and visitors alike by creating a welcoming, and people-centred heart of town. The enhancements to Broad Street play a vital role in achieving this vision and are integral to promoting investment into St Helier - reducing vacancies, integrating retail with cultural animation and public realm improvements. Improving the customer and visitor experience, with a focus upon sustainability; place making is an important part of Jersey’s International brand and reputation.

Economic and Social Benefits
Pedestrianisation has been shown to boost local economies by increasing foot traffic, which benefits retail businesses and the hospitality sector. The proposed enhancements to Broad Street, including improved lighting, seating areas, and greenery, are designed to create a pleasant welcoming atmosphere that encourages people to spend more time in the area, thereby supporting local businesses.

Improvements at Charing Cross are a recent example of how pedestrian priority and place making can stimulate activity, improve the built environment, enhance commerce and help to attract private investment. Another, more recent example, is Halkett Street, which saw an immediate drop in vacancy rates following the Parish led improvement works - jointly funded by Government public realm money. The investment by these businesses increases the value of and draw of the town centre, multiplying the worth of the initial capital spend.

Disability Access and Blue Badge Parking
Ensuring accessibility for all users, including disabled persons, remains a key priority in the Broad Street improvements. As part of planned enhancements, an additional 20 Blue Badge parking spaces have been introduced in nearby locations, including three in Library Place to maintain convenient access to the town centre, in addition to those from Broad Street which were replaced by the same capacity provision in Dumaresq Street in 2020. In addition, the bottom of Dumaresq Street has been reversed to provide taxicab access for all visitors, including those with disabilities, to the Premier Inn.

These inclusive urban design measures ensure that people with mobility impairments can continue to access and support local businesses. The pedestrian-friendly environment, including flush paving to support mobility, and well-placed seating areas, further enhances accessibility for wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, and those with visual impairments. Bus stops and taxi ranks will continue to be made as accessible as possible, while balancing the need to ensure safe and effective pedestrian-priority movement.

The Department remains in ongoing dialogue with disability groups to ensure the design addresses their needs as far as possible. The approach reflects a balanced strategy – prioritising pedestrian safety and public space improvements while maintaining nearby vehicular access for Blue Badge users and mini-buses.

Environmental and Health Advantages
Reducing vehicular traffic in urban centres contributes to improved air quality and lowers noise pollution, creating a healthier environment for residents and visitors. Promoting walking and cycling also aligns with sustainable transport goals and encourages more active lifestyles, improving public health, and reducing emissions. Buses and taxis will continue to serve the town centre users, with appropriately located accessible stops and ranks around the town core, providing a reliable and inclusive alternative to private car use.

Consideration of Public Funds
The investment in Broad Street's pedestrianisation is part of a broader commitment to enhance public spaces in St Helier. The £2.5 million referenced in the petition is not a single spend on paving Broad Street. £2.5m is the approximate sum of the annual capital budget for a broader, phased Public Realm capital programme, as approved in the Government Plan 2024–2027, which includes projects such as the crossing to the market and works on New Cut and its junction with King Street and New Street. Where applicable this will be supported by Planning Obligation Agreement contributions from nearby developments. While concerns about public spending are valid, it's important to recognise that such investments are aimed at long-term community benefits, including economic revitalisation, providing opportunities for al fresco hospitality, enhancing the tourism experience, improved public health through active travel, and environmental sustainability.

The Havre de Pas Lido, referred to in the petition, already attracts significant public funding which is considered appropriate to maintain its safety and use for the public. Work is underway for a separate expression of interest process from external parties who have indicated they will increase private investment into this facility. It must be understood that Government capital funding must be spread across the community as a whole, and this investment in the Broad Street area is considered to provide value and create a public good for the wider island community, as this response sets out.

Conclusion
Maintaining Broad Street as a pedestrian-priority area is consistent with government policy and the Parish’s strong ambition to improve St Helier's public realm and create a people-focused town centre. These changes will also directly contribute to supporting government’s economic strategies which seek to make Jersey an Island that is welcoming, vibrant, economically resilient, and environmentally sustainable.

Change requires vision and leadership that looks beyond the immediate political cycle, focusing instead on delivering long-term improvements and the wider public good. While such decisions may not always enjoy universal support in the short term, they are often necessary to ensure a sustainable and vibrant future for our town. At the same time, government working in partnership with the Parish must remain open minded, actively listening to all public feedback, and avoid any sense of complacency or detachment in its approach. I hope this response helps explain the reasoning behind these proposals and how they support a broader vision for St Helier, working with the Parish and town’s wider community.

The planned works will celebrate Broad Street’s historic character, enhance its public spaces, support businesses, and encourage active travel and healthier streets. Reopening the street to through-traffic would undermine these ambitions and forgo the opportunity to shape a more vibrant and sustainable future for our capital.