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Thankyou for reading my letter.
We are told choices for the new Hospital site can only be the previously rejected Overdale or the People's Park. However, Site Evaluation and Site Selection Reports advise Overdale has a "number of key challenges" and "many shortcomings" :-
- Topography of the site is challenging, causing several problems, including visual
- Requires several low level buildings as technical problems with ground (lots of walking rather than working for staff)
- Requires demolition of several (some not very old) buildings occupying the only flat space, plus one listed building, plus the much loved Jersey Bowling Club, plus three houses
- Compulsory purchase of three green fields, plus "a few pockets of land" - all green space! Plus those three large family homes
- Clearance of wooded areas and enormous effect on "several areas of ecological value". Noise and building pollution will decimate extensive wildlife here
- Damaging closures and relocation (where?) of existing health facilities
- Worst of all - Access is from a steep hill in every direction except the "network of unsuitable roads in the north" - but after extremely expensive and disruptive roadworks the steep hill and hairpin bend will still be there
- Increased journey time as ambulances and everyone in town will travel past the People's Park to get up this hill, far fewer people walking
- Over years millions of increased journeys - pollution, commitment to climate change ignored
- Detrimental impact on all residents not just in the immediate area but all surrounding areas as millions of extra vehicles over years will use all these access roads
- So many problems costs will undoubtedly escalate over the years this will take to build and it will, in the end, cost £1 billion.
- Choosing Overdale makes a mockery of most of the criteria drawn up for the new Hospital
In the same Site Selection and Evaluation Reports every aspect makes the People's Park, - which keeps coming back to the shortlist - by far the better and more appropriate site:
- One multi-storey building with room for indefinite expansion upwards as the extremely steep hill behind and for the full length of the Park would disguise size and height - why is this fact being ignored?
- Built on a large, flat site "free of obstruction" and unlikely to need the extra £250 million that has suddenly appeared for "contingencies" in addition to £550 million!
- Located in town crucially with "excellent access for vehicles and pedestrians" next to main roads
- "A site which lies in the highest priority location" .... near current Hospital
- "With existing offsite assets"
- Planning more acceptable and straightforward
- Only 94 health workers were consulted but all preferred this site, surely important?
- An extra storey for disabled/staff parking?
- Parade Gardens, West Park Gardens, Lower Park Gardens all surround the People's Park and are also currently underused! Once built, green space from current Hospital site
- Single ownership
There is only one reported problem with People's Park - time taken for any challenge - but Overdale will need so much extra time for difficult construction on a challenging site and complicated
Planning - should we really lose the best, far cheaper and convenient site for most Islanders for just this reason after all these years??!
Helen Balston 22, Mont Pelle Tower Road St Helier
JE2 3LW