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The fate of Jersey's proposed £800m 'health campus' could be decided next week when its planning application is scrutinised at a week-long public inquiry.
Here's how the week is expected to pan out...
The first session kicks off at St. Paul’s Centre off New Street at 09:30 on Monday.
After 30 minutes of housekeeping and procedural matters, the following will each have 10 minutes to make an opening statement to independent planning inspector Philip Staddon:
the applicant: IHE Director General Andy Scate;
the Planning Authority: Head of Major Applications Chris Jones;
and ‘interested party’: the First Tower Community Association.
The rest of the day will then focus on the need for the development and its design, and how it confirms with relevant policies and guidance.
Tuesday will deal with the proposed hospital’s visual and heritage impacts and how it impacts neighbouring properties.
Pictured: The hospital inquiry will be led by independent planning inspector Philip Staddon.
Wednesday moves onto its environmental impact and other ‘key planning matters’, such as the loss of the Jersey Bowls Club, the loss of agricultural land, and the demolition of buildings.
Thursday is all about transport and drainage while Friday will look at the impact of construction and demolition, and the proposed hospital’s overall compliance with the recently approved Bridging Island Plan.
Monday 11 April has been kept as a reserve day for outstanding business and for Mr Staddon to make his final site inspections.
At the end of five days of hearings - when the project team, planners, politicians, heritage and community groups, and members of the public will give evidence - planning inspector Philip Staddon will go away.
By 13 May, he will make a recommendation to the Environment Minister as to whether the application should be accepted, rejected or amended.
Planning has already recommended the application should be rejected, concluding that the proposal’s harms are “so great” that they outweigh “even the very significant benefits generated by the proposal.”
The Government has said that it is “committed to delivering the new hospital on time and within budget on the Overdale site, which was approved by a vote of the States Assembly.”
At a pre-inquiry meeting in February, Mr Staddon said he would look at the demolition of the existing Overdale hospital next week, despite it initially not initially featuring in the application.
This is because it formed part of a separate application which was rejected by the Planning Committee at the beginning of February.
However, the Government and Planning agreed to amend the main application’s wording to include the demolition of the 20 buildings at Overdale.
If built, the new hospital will cost £804.5m, the lion’s share coming from two £378m bonds, which will be repaid over 40 years.
The first is due to be issued in the second half of this year.
FOCUS: Why Planning is saying NO to the £800m hospital plans
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