Exploring the Future of Les Quennevais Parade and Precinct - P67/2025

During my election campaign, I made a commitment to focus on the future use of our amenities to make St Brelade even better.

Les Quennevais is a growing and bustling part of the island, with a strong sense of community and a range of activities taking place. As a long-term resident of Vingtaine des Quennevais, and now a Parish Deputy, I very much enjoy living here and am aware of the many advantages it offers. As with any community, however, improvements are always possible and necessary.

The growth of Les Quennevais as an area inevitably requires additional community amenities – be they public or private led – to keep pace with these changes. We can see positive examples around us, perhaps most notably the Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing Centre, and the new Les Quennevais school. We have also seen new businesses starting up at Les Quennevais and Red Houses, and a number of long-term businesses which are cornerstones of the community, and that is similarly to be welcomed.

One area though which is becoming increasingly notable for not keeping pace with the changes in the wider Les Quennevais area, indeed it seems with changes anywhere in the island, is the Les Quennevais parade and precinct. This area has long been described as looking tired, but as the years pass by that is becoming an increasingly generous description. The parade and precinct are now in a very poor state and are showing the effects of years of neglect from a seemingly disinterested commercial landlord and beneficial owner. This is having an increasingly negative effect on the area, and the people living here, and efforts must be made to address it.

I wish to be clear that this proposition makes no criticism at all the businesses and residents operating and living in the parade and precinct. They are being let down just as much as anyone else. Indeed, it is the residents (many of whom are homeowners) and businesses who provide hope for the future, given the care they have for the area and their determination to deliver change and improvements. A proactive landlord working with businesses and residents, supported by the Parish and Government, is the recipe needed to deliver those improvements. I have engaged with residents and businesses living and operating in the precinct, and they must continue to be at the centre of discussions as we move forward.

I stood on a manifesto commitment to reinvigorate the parade and precinct, and this was undoubtedly an issue which chimed with parishioners in St Brelade. In the past three years, I have tried continuously to deliver improvements – be it ensuring that the paving is repaired and safe, installing flower beds to add some colour, bike racks to support sustainable transport and footfall, and community art schemes to make the parade and precinct more attractive. I would still like to see one of the various empty retail units be used as a parish and government hub for local services (a need that has arguably been increased following the closure of Lloyds bank). In all these respects, I have unfortunately found myself banging my head against the proverbial brick wall, and I have to regrettably admit that very little progress has been made so far. It is not for the want of trying and it is important that we do not give up.

I recognise that the primary issue in respect of the commercial retail hub is that this area is privately owned. However, we can’t allow that to be a definitive block on progress in an area of such public importance. If we show a collective interest, care, and focus, then change is achievable. Les Quennevais is a large and growing suburban population area Page - 4 P.67/2025 and retail centre, and current policy is to continue that growth trend. This now needs to be reflected in wider strategies, policy, and action.

That is the purpose of this proposition – to put what has become a forgotten and neglected part of the island back at the centre of our attention and focus and make Les Quennevais a key part of the discussions that are happening now for island regeneration.

Here is a link to the Report and Proposition

States Assembly | P.67/2025