Minister rules out public inquiry on hospital plan

Deputy Steve Luce said that the proposals would be considered by Jersey's Planning Committee, and not by an independent inspector

Jersey's environment minister has announced he will not be calling a public inquiry into plans to build a £710m inpatient hospital at Overdale.

The government submitted a formal planning application for the acute facility in September, and published the details the following month.

An independent inspector has examined previous hospital planning applications - including in 2017, 2018 and 2022 - before making a recommendation to the minister.

Deputy Steve Luce said the latest proposals would instead be "determined in accordance with the usual departmental and planning committee processes and procedures."

Jersey's government submitted a formal planning application in September 2024 for an acute hospital at Overdale

Plans for a single-site hospital at Overdale were approved in May 2022 by Deputy John Young, a predecessor of Luce, following the recommendations of an independent inspector.

Luce said those events had informed his decision not to call a public inquiry this time around.

He said: "At the time, the planning inspector’s report to the minister for the environment confirmed the proposal accorded in principle with the Bridging Island Plan Spatial Strategy, and that the site was the right site for the hospital development as confirmed in policy CI3 of the plan, approved by the States Assembly.

"The built form of the newly proposed acute hospital will be constructed wholly within the confines of the existing Overdale site, and results in the retention of Westmount Road and the Jersey Bowls Club, while Fields H1550 and H1552 will be utilised for surface car parking."

‘Thoughtfully developed’

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Tom Binet said: "I would like to thank Deputy Steve Luce for his careful consideration of the planning process for the Acute Hospital at Overdale.

"In his independent role as environment minister, I am pleased that he has concluded that the planning application should be reviewed by the Planning Committee.

"The submission demonstrates how the scheme has been thoughtfully developed to deliver the best possible hospital while making the most efficient use of the site.

"I am confident that the committee members will recognise this and make the right decision regarding the application."

In July, the States Assembly rejected calls for a separate debate to be held on the government's plans to pay for the new acute hospital.

Politicians will instead vote on ministers' funding proposals during the debate on the 2025 budget, which is due to begin on Tuesday 26 November.