Five Oaks Masterplan By 2025

St Saviour parishioners who are concerned about developments and rush-hour traffic in Five Oaks are being encouraged to get involved in a process to create a Five Oaks masterplan by 2025.

That has been agreed as part of the 2022 to 2025 Bridging Island Plan process.

It will focus on improving buildings, travel, community facilities, open space and employment opportunities.

Environment Minister Deputy John Young says the area is very congested.

"There are these major landowners and redevelopment schemes going on, so I think it is a good period to look at what can be done - particularly about active travel, walking and cycling.

Of course, we've got the intensification of what's planned at Le Cinq Chênes with Andium and so I think we can factor in a piece of work.

I think I would add in schools, because there's no question that the issue about schools provision and open space and children are absolutely crucial."

The redevelopment of Le Cinq Chênes is due to start in around three years' time, according to the Housing and Communities Minister.

Deputy Russell Labey says a contractor should be in place by the end of September this year.

The work is due to be done in phases.

Many of the island schools are in and around St Saviour, and more pressure is expected with more homes and other developments in the pipeline.

Parish Deputy Kevin Lewis described the traffic around the Five Oaks junction during rush-hour as 'absolutely horrendous'.

Deputy Jess Perchard, who represents a section of the Five Oaks area, says it's really important that people living in the area understand that there will be an opportunity for them to share their views.

"I think sometimes it can be confusing when members of the public hear that we'll be bringing forward a masterplan.

What that doesn't mean is that the intention is that we're going to build lots and lots of things in that area and we're going to bring forward a plan to show all the buildings we're going to put there. That is absolutely not what is being proposed here.

The reason I'm saying that is because I have had communication from my parishioners who live in this area who are concerned about any more development taking place because of the reasons outlined to do with traffic, rush-hour, school times.

I think it's really important that members of the public understand that this is your opportunity. This is your opportunity to raise your concerns, to share your views, and to participate in a democratic process.

Those engagements do have a direct impact on outcome and we've seen that through various public engagement mechanisms that we've used for different things.

I'm shortly going to be proposing the Carbon Neutral roadmap which is a result of a people-powered approach in its entirety and I can say wholeheartedly that members of the public who engaged in that process have had a direct impact on subsequent policy development decisions."

Deputy Louise Doublet called for consultation with different groups of people in schools - from staff to parent groups, leadership teams and children.

Parish Constable Sadie Le-Sueur Rennard says the masterplan is much-needed and she hopes parishioners will be involved.

"I also hope that it will happen before they decide to do the building works because we're going to have lorries trundling up and down and diggers and all sorts."

The Environment Minister says the key to this masterplan is getting children to school safely. He calls it 'a nightmare at the moment.'

It was approved unanimously by States members.