The building is one of the earliest purpose-built hospitals in the British Isles and its restoration has been planned since the early 1980s, when the States first approved the project. However, a lack of funding had prevented progress since then.
Last year the restoration appeared to have stalled when funding allocated in the 2019 Government Plan disappeared from the 2020 version without comment.
An amendment to the plan, first proposed by former Assistant Economic Development Minister with responsibility for culture, Deputy Montfort Tadier, and supported by his successor, Deputy Kirsten Morel, was adopted by the Council of Ministers and agreed by the States in December.
It provides £750,000 towards the project this year and ‘a commitment that funding shall be provided in subsequent years to complete the development, no later than the end of 2025, subject to the agreement of an updated business case and after the Jersey Heritage Trust and ministers have worked together to thoroughly investigate other potential funding mechanisms’.
Jersey Heritage’s project will transform the derelict block and coal store to support events at the castle, including the provision of exhibition and lecture space, catering facilities and toilets.
However, the requirement to agree the funding arrangement for the whole project of improvements costing around £6 million – which also includes work on the castle’s officers’ quarters on the parade ground – means that work cannot yet begin, according to Jersey Heritage director Jon Carter.
‘The immediate task, on which we are now working, is to agree the business case and secure a strategy for the remaining investment. And with planning permission in place for the hospital, we now need to complete building bye-law applications,’ he said.
‘We will likely be in a position to start work on site this year but subject to the business case for the remaining funding, as we can’t let contracts until it is clear that the remaining funds are available.’
