Guernsey chief minister's scorn for Castel Hospital listing

The chief minister has called for a debate on the decision to list the site.

Guernsey's chief minister has branded a decision by the States to list Castel Hospital as "truly appalling".

The site on La Neuve Rue had been earmarked by leaders for demolition to make way for homes.

In an email to all deputies Peter Ferbrache called for a debate on its new protected status, which he said disregarded the housing crisis.

The States of Guernsey said the site's "partial listing" recognised it is as a "rare, surviving hospital complex".

In the report outlining its decision, Guernsey's Development and Planning Authority (DPA), said the protection order extended to "some of the buildings' exteriors and a small number of interior features, along with some outdoor features".

It added: "The Authority also agreed that many of the other buildings on the site should be wholly excluded, therefore limiting the extent of the listing."

Referring to its "statutory duty" to make decisions objectively under planning law, it said the decision did not "prevent future development of the site".

'Truly appalling'

In an email seen by the BBC, Deputy Ferbrache said: "The spin cannot hide a truly appalling decision

"It defies any kind of regard in my view to the realities of our desperate housing situation and although I doubt legally we can do much I think it ought to debated in the States."

"In all of my time in the States I have rarely come up against a poorer decision."

The DPA voted to approve the move to list part of the site in July, following a recommendation by officers to make it a protected building.

Earlier this year, the Policy and Resources Committee (P&R) announced it wanted to demolish the building to build houses.

P&R had said if a decision was made to list the building there could still be potential for some accommodation on site, but it would be for far fewer units than if the site could be demolished.

The Castel Hospital site is still used by some staff within Health and Social Care, mainly from the community care team.

It was previously used as a facility for treating people with mental health problems.

In January 2022, Deputy David Mahoney, Property lead on P&R, cited his intention to use the land around the site at the Castel Hospital to build 90 new homes.

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