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The care sector's industry leader is calling for a former parish care home which has been empty for more than six years to be returned to elderly accommodation, after Express revealed it was now on the market with bids of more than £1.75m invited.
Residents of St Helier House, which sits on Westmount Road, left in 2017 after fire safety issues were discovered at the premises.
With increasing demand for beds in the care sector, Care Federation Chair Cheryl Kenealy said its return to a care home, rather than into private accommodation, would "greatly benefit" the parish of St Helier, which has only one non-private site – St Ewolds – and needs around 30 to 40 more places where ageing residents can live comfortably.
It comes after Express reported earlier this week that ambitious plans to turn the seven-storey building next to People's Park, which has been vacant since 2018, into sheltered accommodation and a new building for Westmount Day Nursery had quietly fallen by the wayside as the site went up for sale by tender with Quérée Property Consultants.
Andium Homes – the island's social housing provider – said they remained "interested", but that negotiations "on this site at the time did not result in a viable option".
St Helier's Constable, Simon Crowcroft, also confirmed that no progress has been made on these plans.
Parishioners had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Andium and St Helier parish collaboration in 2021 after several years of extensive debate about what to do with the parish-owned site.
Pictured: debate about what to do with the derelict St Helier House continues this week.
Built in 1963, St Helier House was closed in 2017 due to concerns about its flammable cladding and the building's fire safety risks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. All 44 of its elderly residents were rehoused before January 2018 and the property has remained vacant since then.
Previous attempts to sell the site to an anonymous buyer for residential development fell through, leaving Andium to step in – but now, with the site up for sale once more, discussion has reignited around its future – and whether that future, in fact, lies in its past.
Ms Kenealy said she had only been made aware of recent developments at St Helier House via Express, and noted that a developer may have to apply for a change of use to residential or commercial upon purchasing.
"If it is zoned for use as a care home, then it should absolutely remain as it's already zoned," she said.
She referred to the redevelopment of Palm Springs Nursing Home on Trinity Hill, which was demolished and turned into flats after the buildings were deemed unusable, claiming that there were interested parties who would have retained its use as a care home.
The former Limes nursing home, previously in the possession of Health before being passed to Andium, was also developed into 40 one-bedroom, 83 two-bedroom and seven three-bedroom units.
Pictured: Cheryl Kenealy is the chair of the Jersey Care Federation, an industry body which represents the island's care sector.
Ms Kenealy continued: "We already have too much housing, and there's no market for it at the moment. But what we do have is an ageing population, and St Helier would greatly benefit from a residential home for elderly."
She said that while St Ewolds had recently increased its capacity, the relocation of the 16-bed Samarès Ward to this home for up to nine years while work progresses on delivering new healthcare facilities for the island had filled up any added beds.
"St Helier is still short around 30 to 40 beds," she said, encouraging developers who are interested in the St Helier House site to keep it as a care home or residential home for older islanders.
"Parishioners should have access to an additional care home. St Helier is the most densely-populated area in Jersey, and a high percentage of that population is elderly, and lots of them are currently living in social housing. If you moved those older islanders into a care home, then it would also open up 40 units of social housing."
She added that the site remained suited to a new care home, but that the current multi-storey would need to be demolished first – and, she added, access to the Hospital will be improved as building on the New Healthcare Facilities Project gets underway.
"It could be a really lovely care home," she concluded. "Whether it's multi-storey is irrelevant, because if there is lift access and nice balconies, then what does it matter."
Other islanders commenting on social media also voiced their opinion that St Helier House should be returned to its original purpose.
Commenting on Express's story which ran on Wednesday, Dina Lynn said: "Why is it not being returned back to its former use. There is a shortage of beds for elderly care. You knocked down the Limes and sold it off and now there are flats there. These people in power need to think about where they will be looked after when they are elderly and infirm."
Anita Shepherd also wrote: "There are far more care homes needed for dementia so turn it back into one."
Claire Boyes shared this idea, saying: "Can't it be revamped for another care home... they are full currently and will continue to be if nothing changes."
Others put forward suggestions that it should be used as housing for hospital staff or overseas workers, with some saying it could be a dedicated dementia unit or mental health treatment facility.
Speaking to Express earlier this week, Constable of St Helier, Simon Crowcroft, reassured parishioners that they will have the final say – via a vote – on what happens to the site.
Ex-care home invites bids upwards of £1.75m as social housing plan falters
Parishioners give green light to St Helier House negotiations (2021
Parishioners to vote on £2.9m St Helier House sale to Andium (2021)
Flammable cladding sparks St Helier home closure (2017)
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