I am Jersey born and have lived in this district as a child. I live and work in the Parish where I run my own business. I have served the Parish for over 30 years in an honorary capacity. I am a member of the Parish Roads Committee and Accounts Committee. With this background, I feel I can do much more as a Town Deputy to benefit the Parish and its Residents.
I have decided to stand in the Central district because it needs particular attention. We need more and better facilities in town, particularly for families and young people. More nurseries and schools, open spaces, pocket parks and playgrounds. Every resident should have green space available within 5 minutes of where they live. We need to extend Millennium Park. Community involvement in town planning is important in this respect. There are many other green initiatives we can make
Island Issues:
Health Care
I am a member of the Friends of Our New Hospital group and attended the recent planning inquiry where I presented my objections to the plans which are not fit for purpose, too expensive, in addition, the Jersey Care Model is a UK concept that does not suit our Island.
Housing
We need a new housing model to allow the young to avoid the rental trap and be able to afford decent housing. There are many solutions that can be seen around the world. Jersey has been slow to adopt shared cost and modular house build alternatives and other innovative solutions.
Tax
Our Tax model is both unfair and outdated. It needs a complete overhaul and concepts such as Zero/Ten and GST need a complete rethink. Corporation Tax needs a re-think.
Agriculture and Tourism
These industries are both in decline and whilst we must preserve green space, we can put these open areas to better use. We must stop the decline in the quality of the soils from intense monoculture and subsequent spreading of chemicals on the land which pollute our waterways. The Island has a rich history and Tourism could be better directed at celebrating our past as well as encouraging visitors to explore our beautiful Island
Transport
The Town needs improved transport links, a frequent hopper bus service and better routes for cyclists, safer routes for children to walk and cycle to school. Our dependency on the car has reached unmanageable proportions. The amount of traffic that passes through town causes continuous pollution and increases respiratory problems in the young. We need to consider greener methods of transport for people of all ages and abilities.
The Environment
I have a passion for St Helier and as an environmentalist, I have a vision to improve the town for its residents and visitors by making it a cleaner, greener and a more pleasant place in which to live and work. From an Island’s point of view, we need to do much more to protect our Island’s environment and biodiversity. We must look at Renewable Energy alternatives to fossil fuels.
