Senator Lyndon Farnham, who chairs the political oversight group for the Our Hospital project, said that although there were discussions about the possible relocation of the Crematorium, this would not involve the garden and memorial.
‘The sentiments of Islanders whose relatives are commemorated have been loud and clear, and there are absolutely no plans to move the garden of remembrance,’ he said.
Environment Minister John Young and St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft have been among those to have previously stressed the importance of keeping the gardens and memorial at their existing location.
The memorial acknowledges around 16,000 prisoners of war and civilians who suffered at the hands of the Germans, and hosts an annual commemoration service on Liberation Day.
After the future of the Crematorium was discussed at a recent meeting for local residents, Senator Farnham confirmed that the technology at the facility was approaching a point where it would soon be obsolete, prompting a review of its future.
‘The need to consider the future of the Crematorium was something that was required to be considered, regardless of the Our Hospital project,’ he said. ‘It needs rebuilding, with an investment in new technology, and there’s a train of thought that as part of this it might be better that it was moved to a different site.’
Senator Farnham said that no decision had been made about whether the Crematorium might eventually be relocated, and he was not able to predict when the decision would be reached.
More detail regarding the hospital project is set to be released by the end of this month, when the concept design process is expected to be completed.
A planning application is due to be submitted by November, with the government looking to gain approval by the spring of next year and start building in early 2023.
