Constable: Hands off Millbrook!

Wednesday 15 July 2020

A second Constable has made a bid to protect her parish land from the future hospital development.

St. Lawrence’s Deirdre Mezbourian wants to see Millbrook playing field taken off the table as one of the site options.

The site, which belongs to the descendants of Florence Boot, currently houses the Nightingale Wing.

But it’s now in the running to host a medical facility permanently, having been placed on the shortlist of five sites for the new hospital.

Pictured: The site currently houses the hospital's Nightingale Wing.

“It is unbelievable that this site is being considered for the new hospital,” Constable Mezbourian said as she announced her opposition this afternoon.

“The Citizen’s Panel themselves have acknowledged the detrimental impact it would have, not least of which would be upon the historic and built character of the area, and the loss of important views. What they have not taken into account is the use of the site by thousands of islanders every year,” she added, alluding to the car boot sales and sporting activities hosted there annually.

The Constable continued: “Significantly, the site has the highest level of protection against development under the Island Plan, and the reason for that is because it is the last open green space from West Park to beyond Beaumont. 

“To lose that green lung would impact detrimentally upon every islander now, and in the future. 

“Millbrook Playing Fields, and the fields beyond, must continue to have the highest level of protection against development so I call upon all islanders to oppose this site and to Save this important Open Space.”

Pictured: St. Lawrence Constable Deirdre Mezbourian, who launched an 'SOS' ("Save this important Open Space") to protect Millbrook this afternoon.

She is the second Constable to launch a bid to protect parish land from having the future hospital built on it. 

Earlier this week, St. Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft put forward proposals to remove People’s Park and St. Andrew’s Park from the final five. 

The former had already been rejected as a possible site following a States Assembly vote last year, while St. Andrew’s Park is the home of a church, children’s play area and historic dolmen.

If both Constables succeed in getting their parish green spots thrown off the shortlist, it will be narrowed down to fields north of Five Oaks and Overdale – the latter of which is long-rumoured to be the Chief Minister’s preferred location.

Earlier this week, Constable Crowcroft went so far as to suggest that officials had listed sites they already knew would not be met with approval by the States Assembly or public as part of a “cynical ploy” to narrow the list to their favoured zones.

Pictured: Constable Crowcroft accused the government of a "cynical ploy" to narrow down the site shortlist by including previously rejected People's Park.

"People's Park has already been ruled out, so it is nonsensical to put it on the list, and that is just not going to happen. It looks like a cynical ploy to whip up a storm around these two parks, to distract attention and get their preferred sites through,” he said.

"It's a waste of resources. Why not spend the resources on those which have a realistic chance of getting through?"

Constable Crowcroft’s plan to protect his parish parks is scheduled for debate on 8 September.

Constable Mezbourian is yet to bring forward a proposition to protect the playing field, but told Express that she will consider doing so "if necessary".