Message from the Connétable
Dear Parishioner,
An article appeared in the Wednesday 24th July Edition of the JEP which deserves a reply as it contains criticism of an organisation that does not deserve it.
When there is such an attack on the Chef Tenants du Fief du Roi de Grouville, I need to stand to defend them as they will almost certainly not do so themselves.
The Gorey Common is described by the powers that be as the Gold Standard for all Commons and there is good reason for that.
Not only do the Tenants not take a dividend on their income (as most other Tenants in the Island do) but they do so many good things with their income.
This group of individuals spend their money on maintaining the Common areas for a few good reasons. A large part of the North side of the area is dedicated to an SSI, which the Tenants wholeheartedly supported. A management program is put in place by an expert at a considerable cost to the Tenants.
Two areas are maintained for the use of Islanders and Tourists alike. The football pitch and Liberation Field could be grazed by animals and the public excluded from these areas, but the Tenants choose to have them maintained for public use instead, again, at their own expense.
The two maintained areas also provide parking for large events like car boot sales or the Gorey Fete or next year’s Jumilage Games.
After Storm Ciaran the Chef Tenants spent a huge sum of money to make the Common safe again for the Public at no cost to anyone but themselves
I looked after these areas for many years and was frequently asked who paid for my time. It was suggested by many that it was the Parish or States of Jersey, but I was proud to say that it was a group of private individuals who had chosen this course of action.
They have also allowed the cycle track to be established on their land from Longbeach apartments all the way to Grouville Station. They allowed a lock gate to be fitted in the stream for the safe passage of water to the sea to defend the village from flooding.
The car parks at Longbeach and Beach Road are also part of their land, and they supply them to the States for a peppercorn rent so as the people can gain access to the beach. It also provides backup parking areas for residents and shoppers in the Village. This is vital as there has been a severe parking issue in the village for many years with no viable solution to this issue.
The play area that is known as ‘Sandypark,’ is also owned by them and has been one of the only play areas in the east of the island for generations.
I would also like to mention the generosity of this group of individuals.
They give away a substantial amount of money to support local organisations who would perhaps otherwise be asking for support from the Rate Payer.
Their support allows the Grouville Battle of Flowers Association to represent the Parish every year (which they will be doing very soon and celebrating 60 years doing so). By their generous donation it allows the builders and decorators to do their job instead of spending their valuable time fundraising which they do very successfully also. They support Gorey Youth Club and allow it to do its outreach work and support our young people. They support Grouville Football Club and buy replacement football kits for the Trinity Shield Team.
They support the marvellous Eco project opposite the School called the McGugan Meadow and over the years have supported Grouville in Bloom and the Gazette in its formative years. They supplied the School with one of their Minibuses and a fabulous Bus stop at Long Beach.
They have recently fully supported Grouville Petanque Club to establish itself on their land behind Beach Road car park and provide another facility for activities on their land.
In conclusion the Chef Tenants of this Common are an asset to the Parish of Grouville and I, at least, appreciate their overwhelming generosity.
As I said recently, the Parish of Grouville is still a warm and welcoming place to visit and a place where people give generously of their time to support each other, and their community and the Chef Tenants du Fief du Roi are the best possible example of this.
Mark A. Labey
Connétable of Grouville