Parish could take over two seafront gardens

TWO gardens on the seafront in Havre des Pas could soon be taken over by the parish of St Helier.

The Vingtaine de la Ville, which covers the centre of town and includes Fort Regent and Havre des Pas, owns Allix Shipyard Garden.

However, St Helier Procureur du Bien Public John Baker said that the garden has not “been maintained to a state they would wish since money has run out”.

As a result, the parish have been in conversations with the owners to take over maintenance of the garden.

And, Mr Baker added that St Helier was hoping to take a 50-year lease on La Collette Gardens, owned by the government, to get some income from “some of the property on the land”.

The commemorative Alix Shipyard Garden sits on the site of a 19th-century shipyard, in operation during the Island’s shipbuilding heyday – which was recently highlighted in a series of stamps created by Jersey Post.

The gardens form part of plans to redesign sea defences in the area to better defend it against flooding.

And the Shoreline Management Plan described how Havre Des Pas had in the past been “a bustling centre for ship construction, with active shipyards lining the shoreline”.

Meanwhile it describes La Collette gardens as “an enchanting feature of the area, where the lushness of tropical coastal plants thrive in response to Jersey’s sunny climate”.

A decision on whether ownership of Alix Shipyard Garden should be transferred to the parish will be taken by property owners in the Vingtaine.