According to a recently published freedom of information response, spend on the project – which has been allocated a budget of £466 million – was £25,578,692 up until 30 September.
The figure includes the amount spent on finding a suitable site for the new building as well as buying two properties to make way for the facility on the current site, extending onto Kensington Place.
Initial plans to build on the existing plot were rejected by the then Environment Minister in January following the recommendation of independent UK planning inspector Philip Staddon, who held a public inquiry into the proposals, owing to concerns over the size and mass of the project.
A fresh application to build on the current site, and reduce the height of the buiding from nine storeys to six, was submitted in April.
Mr Staddon is due to publish a report on the latest application after he held a second public inquiry last month. This report will help shape Environment Minister John Young’s decision on whether to approve the plans or not.
In regards to the buildings bought as part of the development, the FoI response states: ‘On 15 December there was the acquisition by the public of the Island of the property known as “The Apartment (Share 2)2, 44 Kensington Place, St Helier for a consideration of £380,000.
‘On 23 February 2018 there was the acquisition by the public of the Island of the property known as “Ground Floor (Share 1)”, 44 Kensington Place, St Helier for a consideration of £425,000.’
The money to acquire the two properties came from the consolidated fund, as part of the 2014 budget allocation to the Future Hospital Project, the FoI adds.
Meanwhile, the response states that as the spend on the project varies week-by-week it is ‘not possible to provide a figure that represents weekly “ongoing cost”’.
