Pledge to save trees from chop during Overdale demolition

Monday 28 June 2021

All trees and shrubs will be retained at Overdale when the hospital is demolished next year, according to the project team.

Releasing more details about the demolition, the team add that new homes will be found for bats and birds found roosting and nesting in or near buildings before they are razed.

In total, 20 buildings will be demolished; a number that are already empty and fenced off. The work will be carried out in three phases, the first being a cluster of buildings to the south-west, including the old kitchens, Secker House and the McKinstry block.

Phase 2 will involve knocking down the buildings to the north, including the Eva Wilson and Diabetic Centre, the Hearing Resource Centre and the Laundry and Boiler House.

Finally, the more modern Westmount Centre, William Knot building and Poplars Day Centre will be taken down.

Pictured: The former kitchen block at Overdale will be one of the first buildings to be demolished next year.

If a planning application, due to be submitted at the end of next month, is approved, the first phase of demolition should start around this time next year, after surveys have been carried out and all asbestos has been removed. 

The information is included in a ‘virtual public exhibition’ on the demolition, which can be accessed via the Our Hospital website. 

It shows that planners do not expect any disruption in traffic flow for surrounding residents, with demolition vehicles using the existing main Overdale entrance and exits.

Work that generates noise will be restricted to between 08:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday, and 08:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays.

Pictured: Westmount Centre is in the third and final phase of demolition.

Addressing ecological considerations, the exhibition says: “All works will be sensitively timed to minimise the impact to surrounding flora and fauna, for example the presence of roosting bats in any of the proposed buildings or any possibility of nesting birds on site.

“Inspections will be carried out to confirm the presence of roosting bats and nesting birds in any of the proposed buildings or in close proximity, and appropriate mitigation and compensation measures implemented in advance of any works.”

On trees, it adds: “A tree survey was conducted to identify, label and categorise all the trees across the existing Overdale site according to its life expectancy and quality.

“The survey data informs which trees need protection throughout the entire construction project and helps formulate a Root Protection Plan.

“In the demolition plan, all the trees and shrubs in the demolition zone will be retained.”

Richard de Gruchy, Legacy Director for RoK FCC JV, the joint-venture that will build the hospital, said that as much of the demolition rubble as possible would be reused in the new construction.

"It is hoped that as much demolition material as possible will be reused in the main Our Hospital project," he said.

"Due to the planning application for demolition not being linked to the main hospital project, it has not been formally stated that the material will be reused for the main project.

"However, we are in touch with local sub-contractors, and looking at how this can be achieved through the processing and storing the material at the La Collette facility and bringing it back to site when the opportunity presents itself on the main hospital project.

"The processed material would take the form of graded reusable materials to be generally used as capping layers, working platforms, and in the substructure."

Concerning asbestos, Mr de Gruchy added it was in all but two of the 20 buildings to go.

"We don’t expect large quantities, however, this cannot be confirmed until we carry out an intrusive survey in each of the buildings, where trained surveys open walls and ceilings to identify all asbestos within the buildings and enable an accurate measure. These surveys are planned for the end of this year. We plan to make arrangement for this to be taken to La Collette."

Nearby buildings Thorpe Cottage and Briez Izel, which are both listed but earmarked for demolition, are not part of the demolition application and will be considered within the main hospital planning application.

A second exhibition about the move of health services to Les Quennevais has also been released, with the project asking for feedback on both.

They can be found HERE.