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Les Amis has halted its transformation of the former Hampshire Hotel into specialist homes for people with disabilities after the government withdrew its support.
The disability charity announced this morning that a new government report had indicated that the Maison Des Amis development - which received Planning approval in November last year - was now too large for the island's predicted future needs.
However, Paul Routier, newly appointed Chair of Les Amis’ Board of Directors, said: "We stand by our research which highlights the unmet need for such facilities and commit to making the right provisions going forward."
According to Les Amis, as a result of the recently completed report, the government said that it was unable to commit to commissioning the services due to be delivered at Maison Des Amis due to be built at the Hampshire Hotel which was purchased by the charity for £3.3m.
Without this commitment and in the face of rising costs and pressures on the local construction industry, the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees of Les Amis agreed that "the financial risk is too high to justify continuing the development at this time".
The Board described the decision to halt the development as a "difficult" one.
Prior to the recent report, Les Amis said that they had "worked closely and met regularly with the relevant government departments and Ministers over the past two years".
They added that they had "consistently kept them informed and sought their support throughout to build what was to be Jersey’s first, long-term residential home with specialist nursing units for Islanders with learning disabilities, including those with early on-set dementia."
Pictured: Les Amis bought the Hampshire Hotel in 2021 for £3.3m.
Paul Routier said: “Les Amis will continue to work with Government of Jersey, partner agencies, staff and residents and families to determine and gather consensus around the appropriate facilities required for aging Islanders with learning disabilities – for their right and access to quality care, quality of life and dignity in their final years, when they are most vulnerable.
"We stand by our research which highlights the unmet need for such facilities and commit to making the right provisions going forward.
"In the meantime, we remain focused on providing our residents and their families the best care, facilities and support that we can give as a strong, local charity which has always spoken up and fought for the rights of Islanders with learning disabilities.”
Express has contacted the government for comment.
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Pictured top: An illustration of what the new facility was planned to look like. (Morris Architects)
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