Barrantee
Phurt Le Moirrey

Vote James Helps

Hi, I’m Jay/Jamie Helps. I’m 44 years old, and I’ve lived in and around the Port for the last 30 years. I grew up in Fistard and have lived at both ends of the Port over the years, currently off Bay View Road. Living here for most of my life, I have a good understanding of our community, how it works, and the issues it faces. 

Having spent many years talking to other residents about problems in the Port and how things could be improved, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take some positive action. 

There are five major areas where I feel the Commissioners could substantially improve the quality of life for our community – these are the areas I would focus on if YOU choose to elect me. 

 

Road safety

Traffic calming – I propose more safe crossing points: opposite Torden Stores to provide safe access to the beach, and the others being painted on junctions through the Port to provide a continuous route for pedestrians.

Parking near the shops should be limited to 30 minutes to ensure turnover for local businesses. Trade vehicles should be restricted to loading/unloading only. 

Designate an additional space outside the Chemist/Post Office/Hairdressers for disabled parking to ensure access for those who need essential services. 

Resurface Chapel Gate car park and access lane, and paint parking bays. Erect proper signage to encourage use. There are many residents that either don’t know the facility exists, or don’t use it due to the lack of upkeep. The double yellow lines at the entrance/exit also need repainting to provide clear visibility.

The High Street needs resurfacing, not repeated patching. I will do my best to understand and communicate why this has so far proven impossible to achieve.

 

Environment

I will campaign to re-open the free-cycle. Failing this, we could establish a village free-cycle scheme at the Town Hall – using a qualified electrician to safety test items, so that electrical goods aren’t going to waste, benefiting the environment and residents on low-income. 

 

The Civic Amenity site hours of operation can be frustrating for residents – it would be better to have shorter hours during the week, and open the facility on bank holiday Mondays and evenings when there is greater demand. 

Establish what tangible benefits the golf course brings to the residents, ratepayers, and local businesses of the Port. Could it be put to better use to benefit the community and as a more environmentally responsible feature of the Island? For example: wilding and planting trees on the upper portion to create a public park/woodland for future generations, and using the lower hillside for a bike park/trail centre akin to those in Ramsey, Castletown, Union Mills and South Barrule. This would attract people from across the island and provide footfall for the Pavilion. With two 18 hole golf courses within a five to ten minute drive from the Port I would be in favour of repurposing the land for the wider community. 

 

Boosting business

The Pavilion needs to become a destination venue in its own right, but has remained untenanted for over a year now, which is a detriment to the Port and a lost opportunity. A bike-park/trail centre and public park would provide a steady footfall for the Pavilion, in turn benefiting local residents, whilst also bringing revenue into the Port as a whole. People should be actively encouraged to spend time on trails and use the local businesses whilst in the Port. 

 

Chapel Bay has no amenities on the lower promenade. We should invest in a proper temporary toilet and changing trailer for the summer, for the benefit of sea-swimmers and beachgoers. We should be reaching out to summer pop-up stalls, to create facilities on the lower promenade which would attract people to the beach. We should invest in additional rafts, and consider leasing inflatables for the summer months to attract visitors to the beach (and thereby local shops and services).

 

Promote the water quality of the bay with clear signage.

 

Seaweed needs to be properly dealt with – whilst it’s accepted that it is part and parcel of living on the coast, it accumulates and is off-putting to beach goers and those using the Catwalk. 

The various little jetties but over the rocks which seem to serve no purpose are being slowly eroded – their actual purpose is as viewing platforms, but they aren’t maintained to be used as such. There are also paths which are slowly eroding between the upper and lower promenades which should be addressed and adequately maintained. I hope to rally volunteers from among our public-spirited community to help maintain these unique parts of the Port infrastructure. 

 

Community, culture, and the arts 

The Town Hall is underutilised as a venue. There is no reason why we couldn’t use it in the same manner as Peel Centenary Centre, fostering and nurturing culture and events in the Port, celebrating our local arts and encouraging visitors to further boost local hospitality and retail businesses. Lectures would be a good place to start.

 

I will look to foster more community events in the vein of Hunt the Wren/New Years Day Dips/Lantern Parade which have been a proven draw to the Port, and be open-minded to suggestions from local residents.

 

Communication

The Commissioners website is in need of updating to 21st century standards. Both visually, and in terms of accessibility.

Opt in email updates from the Commissioners for those that don’t use Social Media, and residents who would like copies of the Board meeting minutes automatically sent to them.

Encourage engagement between the Commissioners and residents of the Port.

Additional, clearly visible, Commissioners notice boards in the village.

 

You can reach me at jay4commissioner@gmail.com or Whatsapp/SMS on 07624 467167

 

Thank you for your time, Jay.