Campaigners say that congestion around Janvrin School has increased since construction work started at the former Jersey College for Girls site, now College Gardens, in 2012.
They fear it is only going to get worse with the news that nearby Patrick Freeley Lane is to be opened up to traffic and with the redevelopment of the Maison de Ville old people’s home potentially on the cards.
More than 780 people have so far signed an online petition calling for the plan to open to lane to through traffic to be scrapped. Those behind the petition fear the lane, which they say has been used as a safe route for children to walk to school for more than 25 years, will become a ‘rat run’.
The parish has, however, denied that is the case and said the petition is inaccurate. St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft added that the decision to open the by-road had been approved by the parish’s roads committee twice.
Janvrin headmaster Iain George, however, raised concerns. ‘Congestion has become so bad that lorries are parking on the pavement, making people walk on the road… it’s an accident waiting to happen and it’s clear this will only be reviewed [by the Parish of St Helier] when someone is hurt or killed.’
He added: ‘The key issue is that Simon Crowcroft [St Helier Constable] and the [St Helier] Roads Committee have been seen to follow protocol to get this passed but have never once consulted with the school or Education Department on the latest development. To add a second development site in an already congested area at Maison de Ville makes no sense whatsoever’.
Viki Lucas, a member of Janvrin’s parent teacher association, said: ‘You see near misses daily. Mr Crowcroft should come to the school in the morning and see how bad it is’.
Louise Moore, head of the school’s PTA, said some parents had said they would take their children out of the school if the by-road is opened up. She added that they ‘feel forgotten about’ and said: ‘It feels as though local authorities don’t care about children who go to town schools’.
However, Mr Crowcroft said: ‘I have just looked at the online petition and it’s inaccurate. I accept kids do walk up that lane, while noting it is currently derelict and filled with potholes.
‘The development of the lane would cost nothing as Dandara [which has submitted plans to develop Maison de Ville] would pay for it. Residents are doing their upmost to stop this development.’
A spokesperson for the Education Department said: ‘Janvrin School is a large States primary with 382 pupils on a constrained site served by a small one-way road and with limited parking.
‘The head teacher has made us aware of serious concerns about the traffic and pedestrian safety and we will be raising these issues with developers and the parish authorities so that they are aware of the risk to parents and small children and can make the road as safe as possible for the school community.
‘There is already a large-scale construction project under way next door that has had an impact on people travelling to and from the school premises so careful thought needs to be given to a second development, particularly if this runs at the same time.’
