The Future Hospital Review Panel has, today, published its review of the Council of Ministers’ proposed preferred access route to Overdale hospital, a week earlier than the anticipated date of Friday 5 February.
The revised timeline is a result of the additional States Meeting requisitioned for Monday, 1 February, when the Council of Ministers will ask States Members to approve Westmount Road as Overdale’s primary access route.
The Panel has found the process leading to this decision to be lacking in detail, echoing the selection process which resulted in the choice of Overdale as the main hospital site.
Senator Kristina Moore, the Panel’s Chair, said; “This review identifies a continuing pattern of behaviour highlighted in our report which looked at the site selection process; once again, time has been put ahead of good governance and sound decision making. We understand the need to deliver a hospital for Jersey, but we are very concerned that a commitment to spend almost £40m of public money is being forced upon States Members without revealing the impact that the access road will have upon the local residents, the landscape, environment, traffic or sustainable transport plans.”
During Monday’s States Meeting, the Panel will propose an amendment to the proposition, asking to delay final approval of the Westmount Road access route until:
- A preliminary design of the preferred access route; and
- A proposition seeking the Assembly’s approval of this design, prior to any work being undertaken The Panel will ask these be presented to the Assembly for debate on 2 March.
Scrutiny Press Release.