Westmount residents secure parish vote on hospital highway plans

Friday 05 February 2021

Westmount residents have succeeded in forcing a Parish vote on whether hospital highway construction work should be halted until St. Helier parishioners have received more details about the plans.

The Parish Assembly - during which the purchase of Parish land for the access route among other items will be discussed - will take place at the Town Hall at 19:00 on Wednesday 10 February.

It comes after residents from Westmount served a requête - a way of forcing a Parish Assembly - on the Constable of St. Helier on Monday to prevent any purchases of Parish land until more information about the proposed access route was received.  

The move comes in addition to a fresh legal challenge to the major roadworks being brought by Westmount residents, which was revealed by Express earlier this week.

It is understood that the Royal Court could be asked to decide if the Government broke the law when it asked Members to give the Assembly power to buy land by compulsory purchase around the new hospital site last November.

CLICK TO ENLARGE: The full requête.

Advocate Olaf Blakeley, spokesperson for residents in the area, said the group had decided to take action in the wake of a move from Deputy Chief Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham to secure an early vote on whether Westmount Road should be widened to access the new Overdale health facility despite concerns over the lack of detailed visuals presented to States Members. 

Describing the move as "unacceptable conduct", Advocate Blakeley said it was "wholly unacceptable that any members of government could be requested to vote in favour of a proposition which is vacuous of content." 

Politicians have since approved the controversial proposals to extend Westmount Road to make it the main route to the new hospital, with 34 votes to 11 amid deep concern and skepticism. 

While the works have received political approval, the requête still stands.

Signatories of the requête will this Wednesday be asking the Constable to prevent any work from being done on the land until the Parish can confirm to a future Parish Assembly that it has received the required details on the highway.

They also asked that the Parish oppose any land purchase until those details have been provided.

Pictured: Constable Simon Crowcroft said he was pleased to facilitate the Assembly.

Constable Simon Crowcroft, who has been discussing the matter with local residents and Government Ministers, said he appreciated the concerns of those affected by the proposals, and the impact on the local neighbourhood and environment.

He said he was pleased to facilitate the Assembly and reminded parishioners that, like with any purchase or sale of Parish land, a further Parish Assembly would be called to consider any proposal received from the Government to acquire Parish land for the proposed access road.

While the Assembly will be held at the Town Hall, parishioners will be requested to attend online if possible due to covid restrictions.

If they want to attend in person, they should contact the Parish Secretary on 811880 by 17:00 on Monday 8 February, providing their name and address (spaces will be limited and reserved for those who are unable to attend online). 

In order to vote, parishioners wishing to attend the Assembly online are asked to register in advance by contacting the Parish Secretary by 17:00 on Tuesday 9 February 2021. 

Meanwhile, the Red Rebels will be gathering at Westmount tomorrow (Saturday 6 February) to demonstrate their concerns about the £15m future hospital highway and urge the Government to “tell the truth” about the impact on the natural landscape.

Pictured: Environmental activists, the Red Rebels will be gathering at Westmount tomorrow.

The environmental activists said they were concerned that the vote was taken without “huge clarity about the road, or which trees will be affected” given that no detailed visuals had been provided in advance. 

“The [Government’s] lack of transparency is causing public outrage,” the group explained.

“There is not just confusion over the road, but the new hospital site itself. This has always been termed the Overdale site, whereas in fact, the published plan appears to also take over the fields on the east side, which will almost certainly affect the skyline. 

“According to one document issued by the States, the loss of canopy cover will be enormous. It has been worked out at 60 mature trees. We are living in a dying ecosystem where more carbon is being discharged into the atmosphere than is being absorbed back by trees and plants. What remedial action plan does the States have in place? When the States say no trees will be removed unless absolutely necessary, how many, in fact, does that mean? 

“Please tell the truth.”