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STATES OF JERSEY
OUR HOSPITAL: PREFERRED ACCESS ROUTE ( P.167/2020) - AMENDMENT (P.167/2020 AMD.) - AMENDMENT
Lodged au Greffe on 28th January 2021 by Deputy L.M.C. Doublet of St. Saviour
STATES GREFFE
2020 P.167 Amd. Amd.
OUR HOSPITAL: PREFERRED ACCESS ROUTE (P.167/2020): AMENDMENT (P.167/2010 AMD) - AMENDMENT
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1 PAGE 2, PARAGRAPH (a)
After the words "Parish of St. Helier " insert the words –
"and Jersey Trees for Life".
DEPUTY L.M.C. DOUBLET OF ST. SAVIOUR
Note: After this amendment, the proposition (as amended by the Connétable of
St. Helier 's amendment, as amended) 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 –
- 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 andJersey Trees for Life ;
- 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
- 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 .
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P.167/2020 Amd. Amd.
REPORT
It is currently unknown the extent to which the proposed access routes for the new hospital will impact on the People's Park and Westmount area. The amendment to P.167/2020 brought by the Connétable of St Helier addresses certain aspects of that impact with part (a) dealing with green spaces and trees. I am fully supportive of this and thank him for bringing it to the Assembly for consideration.
It seems there is unfortunately a high risk that some trees may be felled. There is need to ensure that a) this is avoided wherever possible; and b) any trees unavoidably destroyed will be suitably replaced - not only to minimise any reduction to the natural environment of the area but also to enable the other benefits of trees e.g. improvement in air quality to be maintained.
My amendment seeks to involve local, independent experts in tree/woodland management in the consultation process around tree felling and replacement and green zones. Jersey Trees for Life is a registered charity in Jersey which provides "protection, care, and education for and about trees on our island".
When approached, Gerard Farnham , Chairman Trees for Life confirmed that:
"Jersey Trees for Life would work constructively with the Government and Hospital team to help them safeguard the natural environment in the People's Park and Westmount area. Our view remains that any loss of existing woodland and trees is unacceptable. The complex biodiversity that is intertwined with a 50 year old oak tree, for example, is not easily replaced. However if this does happen we want to make sure that the mitigation is carried out as well as possible and would offer our expertise and advice in this respect."
The States Assembly debated and adopted the Government Plan 2012 -24 ("the Plan") in December 2020. One of the Government priorities identified in the Plan was "to protect and value our environment" with mention of both protecting the natural environment through conservation and protecting our habitats and species through better legislation and enforcement. This provides an indication of the level of importance attributed to our environment and the need, therefore, to limit the impact on the environment of any significant building project.
Financial and manpower implications
There are no financial or manpower implications associated with this proposition.
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P.167/2020 Amd.Amd.