VIDEO: Shock resignation means Waterfront could still be site of new hospital

Thursday 17 November 2016

Battle lines have been re-drawn in the on-going row over the location of Jersey’s new £466million hospital.

Constable Chris Taylor’s resignation from the Future Hospital Sub-Panel yesterday re-opens the debate on where the new building will be located, with Health Minister Andrew Green convinced it should be rebuilt next to its present site.

But Constable Taylor’s preference for the Waterfront means States members will debate the issue over the new hospital location before next summer’s recess.

Constable Taylor delivered a proposition amendment yesterday calling for the matter to be debated for the location of the biggest capital project in the Island for many years – and it boils down to either the current ‘preferred’ location, or the Waterfront.  

Project management company Concerto Partners recently came down in favour of the Waterfront, saying the “best answer” may not be to re-build in the current proposed location.

The Concerto report highlighted the fact that it would be cheaper and quicker to build at the Waterfront, whereas Senator Green says the development there would include a footbridge, which he described as “ridiculous” earlier this week.

But Constable Taylor said: “It is a simple choice – to request good information as to the two remaining choices of sites and to enable the assembly to properly determine whether the choice of the Council of Ministers is one which this assembly would choose to endorse.

“In my view, for the Assembly to do that properly and responsibly, on a capital project which represents approximately 60% of our tax revenue in any one year, it needs to know, on the basis of current and even-handed calculations, which site offers the best value for money.

“It is clear that the site rejected by the Council of Ministers represented the better of the two choices with regard to most categories of risk.”

Chairman of the Future Hospital Sub-Panel Deputy Richard Renouf said: “As the amendment appeared to draw conclusions from the scrutiny work before the sub-panel has agreed and released its findings, it compromised the work of the sub-panel. Having discussed the matter with the Constable, he immediately offered his resignation from the sub-panel. That preserves the integrity of the work of the sub-panel whilst allowing the Constable to pursue the issue that concerns him.”

 A new hospital public meeting was held last night at the St Paul's Centre in which Ministers and States members delivered their timetable for the £466m project, which Senator Green said was "the biggest building the States has ever undertaken in living memory."

Officers outlined plans for the hospital, with an outline planning application set to be ready by March and with work starting in earnest on the new site later next year.

States members will first debate the issue, with the assembly yet to decide on which site it will located.