How should the Castel coastline look in 2032?

Thursday 29 September 2022

There are just a few days left to comment on the future of Castel’s coastline, as the parish douzaine looks to create a 10-year vision for the area.

The douzaine has formed a sub-committee responsible for the vision so that resources are best directed towards protecting and enhancing its stretch of the west coast.

The sub-committee comprises Richard Graham and douzaineers Jo May and David Chester. 

They want to do all they can to preserve the natural and man-made environment, whilst also “enhancing the opportunities for the community to access and enjoy it” by consulting the wider public.

They added that the intuitive has the support of the President of the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure and the Head of States Heritage Services. 

An open meeting will be held at the douzaine room on Saturday 2 October between 10:00 and 12:00 where comments and suggestions can be shared.

Pictured: A meeting will be held at the douzaine this weekend.

The douzaine has invited representations on individual pieces of the coastline stretching from Richmond to Grandes Rocques. Their ideas are reproduced in full below:

Richmond slipway to the Richmond kiosk

Potential aspects include:

• Stability of the sand dunes to the north of the coast road.
• Protection of the dunes to the south of the coast road. Establish clarity about ownership and responsibility.
• Improvements to the area of the kiosk and the associated public conveniences and car parking areas. Mixed ownership and responsibility are involved.

Rue du Gélé to Vistas car park

• Potential for extending the promenade that currently runs southwards from the Hommet lower car park behind the sea wall and ends at the Vista vehicle park.
• Scope for improvements to the area around the loophole tower.
• The rectangular field contained within the junction of the coast road and La Rocquette and the triangular field bordered by the coast road, La Rocquette and Rue des Goddards are in private ownership, but the trustees have delegated oversight of the two fields to the parish douzaine. The douzaine organised a parish celebration of Liberation on the rectangular field in May this year, prompting thought that there may be other potential uses for these strategically placed fields whilst maintaining them in their natural state.
• The public car park beside Vistas Café. Now that the bring-bank facility has been withdrawn, should charity bins remain? Is there scope to extend the promenade further south?

Pictured: Vazon loophole. 

Hommet headland and Albecq

• The douzaine view is that this stretch of the coastline should simply be kept as it is. The headland and its shoulders are a popular place for walkers and there are now sufficient benches for those who welcome the opportunity to sit and enjoy the lovely views. The surface of the lower car park easily deteriorates, and its maintenance is the responsibility of the States. The large field bordered by the sea wall and the main road seems to have benefitted by being routinely grazed by the Guernsey Conservation Herd. 

Cobo south slipway and kiosk

There are three current issues here:

• Cars are parking in increasing numbers and with increasing frequency on the grass areas and the grass verges to the west of the kiosk car park, not only where the picnic tables are sited but much further west. There is a danger that the grass area will suffer the same fate as the area immediately adjacent to the original car park. The grass area to the east of the kiosk is well protected, apart from the grass verge which is now regularly used for parking.
• The kiosk car park has a relatively small capacity which is further reduced by the impact of larger vehicles and trailers associated with commercial water sport activities.
• There is evidence that long-term parking is encroaching onto the lay-by parking area alongside the sea wall and main road.

Pictured: Hommet headland.

Cobo Village Seafront

The end of the dispute over ownership of the tarmac car park has left the douzaine with the clear role of administering it. The end to uncertainty enables a wider assessment to be made of related issues in the immediate area. Those issues include:

• Control of parking on the tarmac car park. Should long-term parking of cars be tolerated? If not, should it be made a one-hour/two-hour zone? If it is zoned, how would it be policed?
• Status of the car park in front of Les Residences and the car park in front of the electricity sub-station
• The siting of the bus stop on the landward side of the road relative to the boat park.
• Should there be a bus shelter?
• Maintenance of the boat park and its access to the slipway.

Rue de la Saline

This stretch of the coastline is relatively straightforward. Two possible issues are:

• The future of the La Mare de Carteret playing fields after the closure of the high school.
• Protection of the dunes between the coast road and houses. Ownership and responsibilities.

Grandes Rocques       

There are no major issues over this northern corner of the parish coastline. Two minor aspects could be:

• Should the grass triangle between the bus shelter and the coast road be left as it is? There have been suggestions that it could be planted or host a boat as a planter.
• The headland historically served as the butts for a rifle range. Should that history be recorded with an information board or something similar?

Pictured: Sunset at Grandes Rocques. 

Comments can be made in writing to La Chambre de la Douzaine, Les Beaucamps, Castel, GY5 7PE, or by email to constables@castelparish.com.

The douzaine plans a wider consultation to go out to Castel residents once further details have been consolidated.