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The planning application for a new hospital – which will be the subject of a week-long inquiry next month – has been updated to include a reference to demolition.
Following a meeting on Monday between planners and the applicant, Director General of the Infrastructure, Housing and Environment Department Andy Scate, the formal description of the application now includes a ‘clarification’.
This states that “demolition of existing buildings includes all buildings on the existing Overdale Hospital Site, Mulcaster House (Jersey Water) and the former Jersey Electricity sub-station in Victoria Park.
“The application also includes the redevelopment of fields no. H1550, H1550A, H1551 and H1552.”
The clarification was suggested at a ‘pre-inquiry meeting’ on Friday, held by independent planning inspector Philip Staddon, who will hear evidence from Monday 4 April on the merits of the application to build a £804.5m hospital on Westmount.
After the inquiry, Mr Staddon will make a recommendation to Environment Minister Deputy John Young on whether he should approve the application or not.
Mr Staddon held two inquiries into plans to rebuild the hospital on its current site, twice recommending their refusal.
The addition of the demolition of 20 buildings currently standing at Overdale is controversial as Mr Scate submitted a separate application, which was refused by the Planning Committee earlier this month.
Pictured: Planning inspector Philip Staddon is willing to accept submissions about the demolition of buildings at Overdale.
Mr Scate said this was simply to get a head-start on demolition and the knocking down of all buildings on the site was self-evident in the main application.
However, those opposed to the cost and scale of the project – including campaign group Friends of Our New Hospital – argued that such a significant component, which includes the destruction of relatively new buildings such as the Westmount Centre, required a fresh application.
However, on Friday, Mr Staddon said he would review the demolition as part of his inquiry, although he was “duty bound” to accept submissions on it beyond the deadline of midnight on Sunday.
The Friends of Our New Hospital, however, believe that the Government is not following its own rules.
Writing on the group’s Facebook page, member Mary Venturini said: “Can anyone imagine ordinary people being allowed to change the wording of an planning application, with the excuse that the new wording was what was intended all along?
“Sorry everyone, but those buildings we specifically excluded, we really meant to include all along and surely you can understand this from the rest of the data in the application? What a joke of an excuse.”
However, on Friday, Mr Staddon concluded: “I am left thinking, had I looked at this application as a Jersey citizen, it is clearly looking at plans in the round and is a comprehensive redevelopment project of the whole site.
“I am clear, therefore, that the application I am considering does involve removal of all buildings.”
The public inquiry will begin shortly after the policies against the hospital application will be judged - contained in the Bridging Island Plan - are due to be debated by the States Assembly.
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