Plans for a £7 million overhaul of mental-health services at La Motte Street have been unveiled to address the “urgent need for improved facilities” and replace buildings deemed “not fit for purpose”.
The planning application, submitted on behalf of the Health Department, would see the redevelopment of the government-owned site at 38 La Motte Street to create a new adult mental-health day centre and community hub.
The existing Diner facility has operated from one of the annex buildings to the rear of the former school building at 38 La Motte Street for the past eight years.
It currently provides a day service centre for islanders over the age of 18 with “severe and enduring mental-health conditions”, according to the application.
But the current buildings – parts of which date back more than a century – are “not of a high standard or fit for purpose”, with “structural and fire safety issues” and parts already vacated due to safety concerns.
Under the new plans, the Diner would be relocated from its current location into the newly renovated former school building on the La Motte Street site – which would be completely reconfigured to create a purpose-built mental-health hub offering a wide range of services, including therapy rooms, clinical spaces, recreational areas, and a community café.
The former Social Security building in La Motte Street does not form part of the plans.
The aim is to create a “calm, welcoming and non-institutional” environment that supports recovery while maintaining privacy for users.
The proposed hub would include space for up to 50 service users, alongside dedicated areas for group therapy, one-to-one support, education and training, and social activities.
Outdoor landscaped courtyards are planned to provide safe, tranquil spaces and to ensure “the presence of the facility is not conspicuous to the public”.
The scheme also includes the provision of short-term residential accommodation for individuals in crisis or requiring additional support.
This would include “a two-bedroom residential unit to replace the displaced New Way residential property”, providing “short-term accommodation for service users for emergency support, or a respite provision for family members”.
It would be used “on an emergency or longer-term basis as needed” and would be accessed independently from the main hub.
If approved, the development will involve partial demolition of existing structures – including more modern additions deemed to have “no architectural value” – while retaining and restoring historic elements of the former La Motte Street School building.
