South Hill skatepark (FOI)

Request

Since 2021 St Helier youth have been waiting on the delivery of the South Hill skatepark, and other satellites. 

Large plans were submitted to Planning for the South Hill skatepark, as it was illustrated online at the time, and in the attached ITV article, and then the plans were then removed; it has been indicated that the plans have been scaled back. 

As three or four revisions of these plans were sent to a Heritage consultant for comment, please advise of the following:

A

What is the current plan for South Hill? Please provide the drawings as they currently stand.

B

Which specific sites have been identified for satellites, and what will be built on each?

Revised plans for South Hill skate park would be `timely' (jerseyeveningpost.com)

Jersey’s skatepark: Plans submitted for South Hill gardens (itv.com)

Response

A and B

The Government of Jersey is considering various locations for further Skateparks and satellite facilities within existing public open space and parks in St Helier, which includes the wider South Hill Gardens area.

The Government of Jersey is also progressing plans to introduce skate friendly benches in Millennium Town Park on a trial basis. The next steps include final consultation with stakeholders and design to ensure this is safe and successful.

Article 35 (Formulation and Development of Policies) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied to the release of the remaining requested information in relation to Skatepark and satellite sites since discussions are still ongoing and details of any finalised sites will be shared in due course.

Release of the information at this stage will likely generate misinformed debate. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately. 

Article 35 is a qualified exemption; therefore, a public interest test has been applied and is shown at the end of this response.

Article applied

Article 35 - Formulation and development of policies

Information is qualified exempt information if it relates to the formulation or development of any proposed policy by a public authority.

Public Interest test

In applying this article, the following considerations were taken into account.

Public interest considerations favouring disclosure

• Disclosure of the information would support transparency and promote accountability to the general public, providing confirmation that the necessary discussions have taken place.
• Disclosure to the public fulfils an educative role about the early stages in policy development and illustrates how the department engages with parties for this purpose. 

Public interest considerations favouring withholding the information 

• In order to best develop policy and provide advice to Ministers, officials need a safe space in which free and frank discussion can take place – discussion of how documentation is presented and provided is considered as integral to policy development as iterations of documents are demonstrative of the policy development process. 
• The need for this safe space is considered at its greatest during the live stages of a policy. 
• Release of the information at this stage might generate misinformed debate. This would affect the ability of officials to consider and develop policy away from external pressures, and to advise Ministers appropriately. 
• Premature disclosure of this information may limit the willingness of parties to provide their honest views and feedback. This would hamper and harm the policy–making process not only in relation to this subject area but in respect of future policy development across wider departmental business.