My core stance to the Electorate which has seen me through 20 years so far is ‘Community – be that at Parish, Island or International level’, when I consider issues I always come back to it and think is it good or right for the Community? So I am looking forward to working with two distinctive Parish communities each led by their Constable. I am also very much looking forward to working with other Deputies – a first for me having been the lone Deputy of Grouville for 20 years. I have known both Steve Luce and Rose Binet for many years, so working with them and sharing the load will be a new experience for me. As Steve was Deputy of St Martin before as I was Grouville, it might be that we gravitate to our respective parishes and have an extra pair of hands in the form of Rose. But we will see. What it does do of course, is give Parishioners a choice of who they contact about Parish matters.
As I said on the electoral trail, I plan to resurrect the Community Support Group in Grouville and also help St Martin set one up. There is already a group of volunteers ready to take on this task, but if anyone has a bit of spare time and would like to join the CSG Team, please get in touch with me or the Parish / Public Halls. A non-emergency service is offered to Parishioners to get a bit of help in daily lives – be that shopping, picking up a prescription, changing a light bulb or having a chat over a cup of tea.
I am also working on establishing regular Parish Surgeries at various venues across Grouville and St Martin. I have suggested some dates and times and hope to be joined by the Constables and Deputies of the two Parishes. Parishioners are invited to attend whichever Surgeries suit them regardless of which parish they are held in.
I continue to be keen to see a network of safe cycling and pedestrian lanes progressed, not only around the Parishes, but the whole Island. We have the scenic Tourist Routes (although the speed limits on those lanes are often too fast) now we need safe commuter routes to parish hubs and to St Helier, in lanes where priority is given to cyclists and pedestrians and the speed limit is appropriate. This is a project I would like to see progressed by the Parish Roads Committees and I will be making further representations to the new Comite des Connetables and the new Infrastructure Minister.
Despite the current challenges the Island faces, I am really looking forward to a fulfilling term in office as one of the Eastern Parish Deputies, and I am hopeful that much can be achieved for our Community – at Parish, Island and International levels.