Features

As the government prepares a strategy for the way the island will look in almost thirty years time, BBC Jersey’s Sarah Scriven asked young people from Le Rocquier School for their views on the islands future.

What legacy will today's adults leave to the young people who are growing up in Jersey today?

In the year 2035 today's fifteen year olds will be 43 years old. That's the date Jersey's government is looking to in its strategy for the future. What will Jersey be like for them? And what do they hope for in the coming years?

Ashely Brock, Ajay Taylor, Joseph Dowie, and Hannah Hegarty are students at Jersey's Le Rocquier School and we sat them down for a discussion about the future of their island.

Planning and Environment

For head boy Joseph Dowie, personal life is strongly connected to the island and its environment.

"It’s a very laid back island and I think changing it into a business place is going to change the view of the island."

Joseph also told us he cares about how Jersey's waterfront will shape up in the coming years.

He explained that "I know they're building a lot of offices and that. They've already got the cinema and that down there and I think they could concentrate on the youth side. We've already got enough offices in town."

Too expensive

Concerns about the wider world are echoed by the schools' Deputy Head Boy Ajay Taylor.

Rocquier School’s head girl Ashley Brock told us that a main talking point between her and friends is their academic progress.

She explained that "in year eleven we've got to think about what's our next stage of education and most of my friends are worried about where they're going to go and what courses they're going to do. They know they need to get certain grades to go to places so we're all concerned about our future and where we're going."

As well as her academic future, Ashley is also concerned about the environment.

She wonders about tidal power and told us " I don't see why we're not doing it - if we are an island and we have got such a strong current. That's one thing I'm confused about, why we're not using it."

Hannah said: "I think it’s getting expensive to live in Jersey now, especially first time buyers and stuff - it's quite expensive to have a house where you can accommodate a family as well. That's a concern to me and that’s why I'd move away personally."

She does have hopes for the future of Jersey though and hopes the island will keep its friendliness and character.

Hannah told us: "I'd want Jersey to keep its character and its friendliness. I think a lot of people know it as a rich place where millionaires’ live but it's not like that at all. There are the local people there and normal people who do all the normal stuff that other people do everywhere else. It's basically like England but smaller."

He said that he wants "more to do around the island in places out at St John's instead of just being trapped in St Helier.”

He explained the reason for this plea: “Where people outside St Ouen's area have to travel all the way into St Helier just to do stuff. This is still using carboon emmissions. I'd like this to be more of a frequent move so people in the areas of St Ouen and St Brelade have more to do rather than travel into St Helier which is bumping up carbon emmissions in Jersey."

Time will tell how much planners are listening to these hopes for a caring, environmentally friendly island of thriving people and industry.

More from our ageing island season tomorrow.