Bridge flood defence plan misguided, say Constables

The centre of the Bridge, where flood defences are expected to be installed 

This is the view of the Vale Constables, who have been kept informed of the latest developments, but who are concerned that the latest initiative released by the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure is simply going over old ground and will again come up with the wrong solution.

"We are grateful to the committee for its communications with us but the latest announcement, seeking a contractor to carry out site investigations under the Bridge, suggests the recommendation will again be for a barrier down the centre of the road.

"As we have said during previous investigations, what's needed – in the absence of a tidal gate across the harbour entrance – is for the harbour wall to be raised. Putting a barrier down the centre of the Bridge prevents changes to traffic circulation and will prove to be an expensive stop-gap measure," said Mr Leale.

Storm gate
He pointed to the Guernsey Development Agency's longer term plans for the whole area, which included reclaiming and then building on the Black Rock area and having a storm gate across the harbour mouth.

In his release, E&I president Adrian Gabriel said what the flood defence will look like and exactly where it should be would be confirmed through the design work. "However, much of the design will be informed by what is necessary to deliver an effective flood defence, and what is most cost-effective, but the Committee is very conscious of the visual impact on the area and the importance of maintaining good access and parking for customers to businesses in the area."

Mr Leale said the problem with that was there was no explicit commitment to investigating building a two-ft wall round the edge of the harbour, which would be a simpler solution and wouldn't compromise future traffic layouts on the Bridge itself.

He added that the States had been looking at this issue since at least the Royal Haskoning report 14 years ago and nothing had been achieved and no homes had been built at Leale's Yard or Parc Le Lacheur in Lowlands.

• A submission from consulting engineers Dorey Lyle and Ashman supporting the restaurant development of the former Beekers and L'Ora building said the Royal Haskoning analysis predicted that a one in 50 year event could see peak water levels rise 0.40m [nearly 16 ins] above the average level of the road. "A principal concern was that sea defences could be breached simultaneously to the west at Le Grand Havre, effectively flooding the length of the old Braye du Valle basin," it stated in its letter to Planners.

From Royal Haskoning's 2102 report