Take five - Ministers announce hospital site shortlist

Monday 13 July 2020

Ministers have announced a shortlist of five sites for the island's new hospital - including the location of the current Nightingale Wing at Milbrook playing fields.

The new shortlist doesn't include rebuilding the hospital on its current Gloucester Street site.

But controversially, it does include First Tower Park, and the People's Park - a location which has already been vetoed by the States.

The Town Constable, Simon Crowcroft, has already launched a bid to get those potential locations removed.

The final shortlist is:

• St Andrew’s Park;
• People’s Park;
• Overdale;
• a group of fields to the north of Five Oaks in St Saviour;
• and Millbrook playing field plus farm land north of the inner road in St Lawrence.

The Government says that they had a 'long list' of 82 possible locations.

Pictured: the location of the current Nightingale Wing is on the shortlist for new hospital sites. 

"Further investigations will now be carried out by the newly-appointed design and delivery partner, who will look in greater detail at the feasibility of each site. They will assess a range of factors that could affect the ability to deliver Jersey’s new hospital by 2026. These include the impact on the local environment, infrastructure requirements, overall cost and any site-specific issues.

The States will then be asked to debate the preferred site in November.

Deputy Chief Minister and Chairman of the Political Oversight Group, Senator Lyndon Farnham, said: “This is an important step forward in the delivery of a new hospital for Jersey. From the outset we have been committed to ensuring there is an independent, transparent and fact-based site selection process and it has delivered this shortlist.

“Jersey’s clinicians and medical professionals have been involved from the beginning, as well as a specially created Citizen’s Panel. More than 280 Islanders responded to the call for sites and made 340 site suggestions. This approach has meant that Islanders have been at the very heart of this crucial process, for which we thank them.

“Each of the sites presents its own unique set of challenges and opportunities and we know there will be a high level of public interest and, potentially, concern but it’s important to stress that more work has to take place over the summer before we can announce the final preferred site in the autumn.”

Pictured: Overdale's run-down premises has long been thought to be one of the front-runners for the new hospital development. 

Earlier today, Constable Simon Crowcroft launched a bid to get two parks taken off the list, describing including them as a "cynical ploy" by Ministers to focus attention on their preferred sites. 

Permission to use Milbrook playing fields for the so far unused Nightingale Wing was granted on the basis that it returns to its former use, once the need for extra capacity to cope with covid-19 cases has receded. 

LIST: Where else was considered?

(Source: Government of Jersey)