Parish votes not to sell land for new hospital road

Parishioners in St Helier have voted not to sell land to the Government of Jersey to build a new access road up to the hospital site at Overdale. At a parish assembly on Wednesday night, 47 of the 61 people in attendance said they wanted to turn down the £6.5 million offer. The government says it needs to make changes to Peirson Road, Kensington Street and Westmount Road in order to create a wide enough route to the new hospital, which will enable large vehicles such as ambulances and buses to pass each other.

157 parking spaces currently owned by the parish would also be subsumed by the project. Jersey Bowls Club has already agreed to move its headquarters to Warwick Farm, so the government is proposing a land swap from its current grounds.

If the plans for the hospital buildings and access road get planning permission next year, the government can still acquire the land it needs through compulsory purchase powers. Parish officials warned the assembly before the vote that the terms of compulsory purchase were likely to be less generous than the current £6.5 million value. Independent planning inspector Philip Staddon will give his verdict on the plans for the facilities and roads in the new year.