New Community Garden Transforms Forgotten St Helier Site into Green Sanctuary

A once-neglected patch of land in St Helier has been transformed into a new community garden, officially opening as a green space for residents, community groups and local charities.

La Pouquelaye Community Garden, created by the St Helier Community Trust, has turned former scrubland into a welcoming outdoor area featuring fruit trees, hedges, a pagoda, pathways and raised allotment beds.

Trust chair Andrew Lewis described the project as the creation of a “secret garden”, saying the land had been left unused since the 1940s.

The site, located near the former La Pouquelaye School off Fairfield Avenue, became surrounded by housing over the years but remained an empty plot of land.

 “Sanctuary for the north of St Helier”,

Mr Lewis said the opening of the garden marked the creation of a “sanctuary for the north of St Helier”, replacing an area that had previously attracted fly-tipping with a space designed to bring people together.

The garden has been developed to support a wide range of residents, including people with mobility difficulties, mental health challenges and other social needs. It includes quiet retreat areas, accessible planting spaces and allotment beds for community use.

Local organisations including the Centre Point Trust and the Youth Service will use the garden for outdoor learning, including forest school activities, growing plants and exploring the sensory garden.

The St Helier Community Trust said the project represents the strength of community involvement and aims to provide a peaceful, inclusive space where people can connect with nature.