Our Hospital: Preferred Access Route (P.167/2020) – second amendment [P.167/2020 Amd.(2)]

STATES OF JERSEY

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

Lodged au Greffe on 26th January 2021 by the Future Hospital Review Panel

STATES GREFFE

2020  P.167 Amd.(2)

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

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After the words "at Overdale" insert the words ", with a report to be presented to the States by the Assembly's meeting on 2nd March 2021 setting out the matters detailed  below,  and  a  subsequent  proposition  to  be  lodged  seeking  the Assembly's approval of the preliminary outline design of the preferred option prior to any engineering works being undertaken –

1. a Preliminary Design of the preferred option, to include a horizontal layout drawing of the highway with proposed widths at a scale of 1:500 with junctions to include Pierson Road and St. Aubin's Road, land ownership constraints and the existing highway layout as background, and a second drawing to show vertical cross-sectional information (such as views along the highway) at key points to indicate the extent of the new roadworks and proposed highway in comparison with the existing Westmount Road in terms of height and width and land ownership;
2. all accesses for all means of transport, including all vehicle accesses and all walking and cycling accesses and access routes;
3. all third-party land required for the implementation of the preferred option;
4. the impact on houses, schools and other existing structures as a result of creating the new route;
5. the impact on the surrounding ecology and environment;
6. the scope of engineering works and any anticipated disruption;
7. timescales for the work to be undertaken;

(viii)  the anticipated cost and budget for the work; and

(ix)  the visual impact at key locations on the proposed route (via computer generated imagery)."

FUTURE HOSPITAL REVIEW PANEL

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, with a report to be presented to the States by the

Assembly's meeting on 2nd March 2021 setting out the matters detailed below, and a subsequent proposition to be lodged seeking the Assembly's approval of the preliminary outline design of the preferred option prior to any engineering works being undertaken –

1. a Preliminary Design of the preferred option, to include a horizontallayout drawing of the highway with proposed widths at a scale of 1:500with junctions to include Pierson Road and St. Aubin's Road, landownership constraints and the existing highway layout as background,and a second drawing to show vertical cross-sectional information (suchas views along the highway) at key points to indicate the extent of thenew roadworks and proposed highway in comparison with the existingWestmount Road in terms of height and width and land ownership;
2. all accesses for all means of transport, including all vehicle accesses andall walking and cycling accesses and access routes;
3. all third-party land required for the implementation of the preferredoption;
4. the impact on houses, schools and other existing structures as a result ofcreating the new route;
5. the impact on the surrounding ecology and environment;
6. the scope of engineering works and any anticipated disruption;
7. timescales for the work to be undertaken;

(viii)  the anticipated cost and budget for the work; and

(ix)  the visual impact at key locations on the proposed route (via computer generated imagery).

REPORT

Introduction

In November 2020, Overdale was approved by the States Assembly as the preferred site for the new hospital (P.123/2020). During the debate, an amendment was accepted by the Assembly which requested:

"prior to its acquisition of land or properties required to facilitate access to the preferred site for Jersey's new hospital, to present to the States Assembly for approval a report on alternative access strategies designed to maximize sustainable modes of travel to and from the new hospital, and to minimize the impact on homes, leisure facilities  and  the  surrounding  environment  of  the  access  interventions  currently proposed"

On 14th December 2020, the Council of Ministers lodged P.167/2020 – Our Hospital, Preferred Access Route', which asks Members to approve a final option regarding access to the Overdale site. The final option is based on assessments made by the design and delivery partners for the Our Hospital Project which are presented in the technical report appended to the proposition. The technical report considers 70+ options on access to Overdale and includes an overview of how the final option was decided upon.

The Panel engaged the services of an expert adviser to undertake an appraisal of these options to ensure the preferred option was appraised appropriately and delivered the best outcome for the area. The Panel has found through its review that there appears to be no detailed design showing how the roadworks and the preferred access route will impact on the surrounding areas and what impact it will have on residents.

The Panel has asked the Our Hospital (OH) Team if an appropriately detailed design of the  proposed roadworks in the preferred  option could be  provided so  that States Members and members of the community can understand the impact that the proposal will have on the parks, and on the townscape, and the surroundings of St. Helier . However, it has been informed that the detailed design work and the impact studies on the area will not begin in earnest until the access route has been approved. This will then go on to form part of the planning process. The Panel has repeatedly asked if the design will finally come back to the Assembly for approval and has been informed that ultimately the final decision will be taken with the planning process and by the Planning Committee. The Panel is worried the States are being asked to approve the access route to the hospital without a design and the data to understand what the impact will be on the surrounding area.

Costs

The Panel has been informed by the Development Director of the OH Team the reason for there being no design is due to the fact the design work will cost a significant amount of money, however, it has not been stated how much this would be. The Panel understands there is a budget of £15.5 million within the overall costs of £550 million to undertake the work on the highways. If the design has not yet been finalised, the Panel is concerned this cost could spiral as it is not fixed to a specific plan or proposal. There is also concern that the budget has been approved with no basis.

Conclusion

The Panel asks the States to accept this amendment which will allow Members the opportunity to approve the design and have a clearer understanding of the impact the roadworks will have on the surrounding area. Once the impacts of the design have been assessed, then the proposition, brought by the Council of Ministers, which contains this further detail can be debated and the access route finally decided upon. If Members are not being given the opportunity to approve the design, the Panel believes the only recourse of action it has is to bring this amendment.

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial and manpower implications.