Plans to save Guernsey hospital field from housing defeated

Deputies approved the potential building of key worker houses opposite its Princess Elizabeth Hospital

Proposals to save a stretch of farmland next to a Guernsey hospital have been defeated.

Deputies debated the proposed building of key worker houses on a stretch of farmland next to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital on Friday.

The new scheme from Deputy Neil Inder means the building of about 150 key worker houses could now take place.

If building happens, the States will have to purchase a brownfield site and return it to farmland.

The field could provide up to 150 key worker homes

Plans have not yet been published for what the scheme on the farmland site would look like.

Deputy Steve Falla, who led the proposals to save the field, said "this plan fails to address the problem" of losing agricultural land.

Deputy Inder, who proposed the change to Deputy Falla's requete, said his plan would "give us a chance to improve some of the land we've already lost" and provide important "key worker housing" for nurses.

Follow BBC Guernsey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].