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A States’ deputy has grilled the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture on its decision not to reinstate the former Trim Trail at Beau Sejour.
Deputy Lester Queripel asked a series of Rule 14 questions last month about ESC’s future plans for outdoor sport.
In response to these, Deputy Queripel learned that the former trim trail at the north end of the Beau Sejour site will not be reinstated.
"The trim trail was removed due to its ongoing maintenance costs and the limited public interest in the facility, against a backdrop of increasing budgetary pressure," said the Presidnet of ESC, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen at the time.
Pictured: Deputy Queripel asked nine follow-up Rule 14 questions.
Subsequently, Deputy Queripel has submitted a tranche of follow up questions, asking whether the use of the trim trail had been monitored, what the annual budget for maintaining it was and how the Committee came to its conclusion.
“The Outdoor Trim Trail at Beau Sejour Leisure Centre was a free and unsupervised facility, in some respects akin to a park playground,” replied Deputy Dudley-Owen.
“The Trim Trail has not been in operation for many years (approximately two decades). Staff turnover during the intervening years combined with the fact that the facility was neither ticketed nor supervised means that it is not now possible to provide any robust information regarding the use, or monitoring of the use, of the Trim Trail at that time.
“However, the Centre’s grounds team and other officers had reason to visit the Trim Trail area frequently when it was operational and as such gained a good understanding of usage trends over a lengthy period of time.
“This helped to inform the conclusion that there was little interest in the facility and thus a weak argument for its continued maintenance at the point of its closure.”
Pictured: Deputy Dudley-Owen said: “We agree that this area remains suitable for a Trim Trail-like facility, should there be a proven demand for, and funds to install and maintain, such a facility.”
Deputy Queripel raised concerns that ESC could be taking a ‘sit and wait’ approach to outdoor facilities, noting that: “ESC also said in response to Question 4 in my previous set of Rule 14 questions, that should an individual, or organisation, propose a specific use for the land that was complementary to the facilities at Beau Sejour, then that would be seriously considered by ESC.
“So, with that in mind… it appears that ESC have adopted a ‘sit and wait and hope’ type of approach when it comes to outdoor facilities being provided for the community.”
Deputy Dudley-Owen responded: “The Committee takes a strategic and holistic approach to work across the breadth of its mandate - which is far removed from a ‘sit and wait and hope’ approach.
“For sport, as set out above, the Committee partners with the Guernsey Sports Commission and details of its Action Plan, including its 2022 Action Plan update, can be found on its website.
“We are currently liaising with a number of organisations regarding the potential development/improvement of outdoor and indoor facilities; however, we do not consider it an appropriate use of our limited resources to install and maintain facilities without there being a robust business case in terms of the use, benefit and capital and revenue implications of any such plans.”
Deputy Dudley-Owen stressed that the Committee is able to focus appropriate time and energy “on every aspect of our mandate”.
“Our stated purpose is to encourage human development by maximising opportunities for participation and excellence through education, learning, sport and culture at every stage of life,” she said.
Trim trail at Beau Sejour will not be reinstated or repurposed
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