Members eventually voted in favour of plans to progress with the transformation of the road into a wider, two-way main road to serve the new facility – which States Members had already backed Overdale as the preferred site for – by 34 votes to 11. Further details will now be put together before a planning application for the work is lodged.
During the all-day debate ministers warned that any potential delay to the project could cost the Island millions of pounds per month and would put further pressure on the already decaying Hospital.
Opponents to the ministerial plans for the road, however, criticised a lack of information and said failure to address questions now could mean further problems at the planning stage.
Much of the debate focused on an amendment from Scrutiny calling for greater detail on the proposals for the road, Health Minister Richard Renouf said that time was running out for the existing Hospital.
And he quoted clinicians’ fears about the risks to patients if the Hospital had to be maintained beyond 2026 – the target date for opening at Overdale.
Treasury Minister Suzie Pinel, meanwhile, said that if a contract with the main partner for the hospital project was delayed beyond March, additional costs of £3.4 million per month would be incurred. And she claimed that the overall cost of the project would climb by £240m from the current budget of £805m if the project is not progressed before the next election in May 2022.
However, Senator Kristina Moore, who chairs the Future Hospital Panel which lodged the amendment, said there could be further difficulties for the project when it came to the planning stage if further information was not provided.
‘Significant improvements are needed to improve public confidence so that when the planning application is considered it has the best chance of success,’ she said.
The Scrutiny amendment was eventually rejected by 27 votes to 21.
Former Environment Minister Steve Luce said that he regretted the choice of Overdale, referring to drawbacks of the site mentioned by planning inspector Philip Staddon when he reviewed the planning application for a new hospital at Gloucester Street in 2018.
Deputy Luce was criticised by Constable Richard Buchanan for reopening a debate that should, in his opinion, be closed.
The debate in more detail: Pages 4 and 5 of today’s [2 February] JEP.
