Select a region
The Government has only pledged to safeguard a third of the 157 parking spaces on land it wants to buy from St. Helier for the new hospital highway – with more than 100 set to be lost.
Officials working on the Our Hospital project last week put forward a deal to the Parish - £6.5m for parcels of land, plus a string of other pledges, including 'land swap' for a new home for Jersey Bowling Club at Warwick Farm (or £700,000 plus £1m to build a new premises, should Warwick Farm not work out).
But, if parishioners agree to the Government’s offer at next Wednesday’s Parish Assembly meeting, they’ll also be approving the loss of around 100 car parking spaces from car parking zones at Inn on the Park, People’s Park and Peirson Road, and the associated revenue they generate for the Parish.
The trio of parking zones are the costliest parcels of land the Government needs to acquire, valued at £3.5m, £1.91m and £1.01m respectively.
Overall, 157 parking spaces and 32 motorbike and cycle spaces - which together bring in £170,000 each year for the Parish - sit on the land that Government wishes to buy.
However, the Government has only pledged to safeguard around a third (52) – the majority of which are residential.
The proposed ‘Heads of Terms’, which will be signed if parishioners give their approval, gives the following estimates of how parking space numbers will change:
The agreement adds: “Of the totals above, reasonable endeavours will be used to reprovide the 7 Resident and 10 of the motorbike parking spaces that cannot be accommodated within the land lost to public carriageway and footpath.
“The car parking is likely to be in Elizabeth Lane Car Park as an interim solution (once construction of these highway works commence) and then within Patriotic Street Car Park once the new hospital is open, subject to the approval of Minister of Infrastructure and agreement of the Parish. The motorcycle parking and cycle parking will be at a location with the approval of the Minister of Infrastructure and agreement of the Parish.”
This morning, the Roads Committee was due to hear a presentation from the Government about their final vision for the new hospital highway up Westmount Road.
Pictured: A Parish Assembly meeting will be held to decide if the deal should go ahead in just under two weeks' time.
Next Wednesday at 19:00, a Parish Assembly will be held where votes will be cast.
St. Helier's Procureurs, who are responsible for looking after parish finances, say they’re not recommending parishioners vote either way.
They noted, however, that the deal may be better value than what would be achieved under compulsory purchase.
INSIGHT: The FULL details of the '£6.5m' St. Helier hospital deal - Express digs into the detail of the deal, and shares the proposed 'Heads of Terms' in full...
Gov makes £6.5m bid for parish land
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.