Our Hospital: Preferred Access Route (P.167/2020) – amendment [P.167/2020 Amd.]

STATES OF JERSEY

OUR HOSPITAL: PREFERRED ACCESS

ROUTE (P.167/2020) - AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 26th January 2021 by the Connétable of St. Helier

STATES GREFFE

2020  P.167 Amd.

OUR HOSPITAL: PREFERRED ACCESS ROUTE (P.167/2020) -

AMENDMENT

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After the words "at Overdale" insert the words "and to request the Council of Ministers –

1. to minimise any reduction in the green space and tree planting in People's Park and Westmount Road and their environs, and any other Parish land impacted by highway improvements in relation to the new hospital project, replacing any green areas that are lost and any lost trees in consultation with the Parish of St. Helier;
2. to re-locate and replace any existing community facilities that are impacted by the development of the new hospital access roads, in agreement with the Parish of St. Helier ; and
3. to replace any parking facilities that are lost due to the development of the new hospital access roads at a location to be agreed with the Parish of St. Helier ".

CONNÉTABLE OF ST. HELIER

Note:  After this amendment, the proposition would read as follows –

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to approve Westmount Road, as a two-way roadway with areas for active modes of travel, such as walking and cycling, as the preferred primary access option for a new hospital at Overdale and to request the Council of Ministers –

1. to minimise any reduction in the green space and tree planting inPeople's Park and Westmount Road and their environs, and anyother Parish land impacted by highway improvements in relationto the new hospital project, replacing any green areas that are lostand any lost trees in consultation with the Parish of St. Helier ;
2. to re-locate and replace any existing community facilities that areimpacted by the development of the new hospital access roads,in agreement with the Parish of St. Helier ; and
3. to  replace  any  parking  facilities  that  are  lost  due  to  thedevelopment of the new hospital access roads at a location to beagreed with the Parish of St. Helier .

REPORT

In relation to the proposed development of the principal access routes to the new general hospital, should P.167/2020 be adopted by the States, the Parish of St. Helier has received some assurances that the impact of the proposed routes will be kept to a minimum, and that such incursions into Parish land that are necessary will be offset and any lost facilities replaced. These amendments are designed to formalise arrangements between the Government of Jersey and the Parish of St. Helier in this regard.

It is to be hoped that the replacement of Parish land and facilities affected by the development of access routes can be achieved through negotiation and that the Parish Assembly will be presented with detailed arrangements for approval, as happened, for example, when the parcel of land in Westmount Park was sold to the Government for the development of an electricity substation in 2013. However, these amendments should not be seen as being a replacement (or dilution) of the requirement for the Government to purchase Parish land; rather they can be considered as complementary to (i.e. additional to, not instead of) the land acquisition process already approved in P129/2020.

The  three  amendments  address  the  key  areas  of concern:  green space  and  trees; community facilities such as the bowling club and pétanque areas; and parking spaces.

1. Green space and trees

It is to be hoped that the highway improvements that have been outlined will not be the nightmare scenario' that have been posited in public forums: People's Park reduced to a postage stamp and the charms of Westmount Road (which have been experienced by many groups of walkers in recent weeks thanks to an initiative of Friends of the New Hospital) lost to a new highway of U.K. proportions; it is also to be hoped that the impact on the heritage of the area will be less invasive than is feared. However, given the lack of green space available to town dwellers, especially in this part of St. Helier, a situation which can only get worse as the Town's population is swelled by thousands of new housing units in the coming years, it seems essential that the existing open space and tree-planting is safeguarded, in the first place by requesting the Government to agree to keep to an absolute minimum any requirement to use green areas and to fell trees in order to provide for access to the new hospital.

The amendment also requests that any land or trees lost in the vicinity of People's Park and Westmount Road are replaced, including Victoria Park and Lower Park; in addition, the amendment applies to the potential impact of highway changes that may be required on the other access routes which border on Parish land, including Mont à l'Abbé cemetery, the recreation area at Clos Vaze and the Furzer triangle' at the junction of New St. John 's Road and Queen's Road.

2. Community facilities

The Government accepts that the Jersey Bowling Club, which has operated on Parish land for over a century, will need to be replaced if the proposed access to the new hospital is created on Westmount Road, and discussions are ongoing to explore the potential for sites in public ownership, including Warwick Farm, to provide a new and a fitting home for the club. The Parish's pétanque terrains between St. Aubin's Road and Peirson Road, may also need to be re-provided. In addition, depending on the scope

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P.167/2020 Amd.

of the highway works deemed necessary, the playground and exercise equipment in People's Park may also need to be re-provided.

3. Parking spaces

The Government has suggested that all of the parking spaces on Peirson Road and on St. Aubin's  Road  alongside  People's  Park  will  be  lost  due  to  highway  changes, including the provision of walking and cycling routes to encourage more sustainable modes of travel to the new hospital. The parking comprises:

• Peirson  Road,  on-street  car-parking:  31  car  parking  spaces  (26  RPZ  +  5 Visitors) and 1 doctors bay (total of 32 parking spaces) + 2 bicycle hoops for 4 bicycles.

• People's Park car park: 55 car disc parking spaces, 11 RPZ parking spaces, 3 disabled parking spaces (total of 69 car parking spaces) + 6 bicycle hoops for 12 bicycles and parking for approximately 10 motorcycles.

The Parish-owned Inn on the Park car park' may also be required which currently provides 44 car and 6 motorcycle parking spaces. The residents' parking is vital for residents of nearby properties most of which do not have off street parking and who belong to the Cheapside Residents Parking Zone established in 2002, while the short stay spaces support the local businesses in the area including the Cheapside shops and restaurants and the Grand Hotel. The parking is also important for car borne visitors to People's Park, including the many major Island events which are hosted on the park.

Financial and manpower implications

It is impossible to know what the cost of implementing these amendments will be but it is understood that the budget for the new hospital will meet it. Staff resources will be met from existing resources of the Property Holdings Department.