Binet plays down hospital project concerns

The health minister has said he remains confident the project to build an acute hospital will be finished on time and within budget, after politicians raised several concerns.

Senator Tom Binet signed the £710m construction contract for the Overdale project with Bouygues UK days before June's general election.

The head of the corporate services scrutiny panel, Deputy Lyndsay Feltham, felt he lacked a "tangible plan" to house the hundreds of builders who would come from Europe and the UK.

As well as answering concerns about traffic and transparency, Binet said his department was looking at various accommodation options and that they "should find a way".

Binet said preparatory work continued at Overdale, and the teams hoped to start putting deep foundations in the ground before Christmas.

In the States Assembly, he explained that people would be working on the site during the peak of construction in summer 2028.

Some would be local, with work due to finish in 2030.

Binet expected 450 builders to regularly commute to and from Jersey, and 150 people to move to the island for the project.

He said there had been discussions with the private sector, Andium Homes and a review of empty accommodation the health department already paid for.

He did not expect rents to be impacted, though in a letter to scrutiny, the housing minister said the project's impact on the market would have to be considered.

Feltham said workers would need "secure, comfortable and safe accommodation".

"It is really concerning... it's important the lack of accommodation doesn't delay the project and ultimately cost the island more money," she added.

Residents who live on or near the route lorries and construction vehicles have been taking to the Overdale site, said they had concerns about additional disruption as the project develops.

Melina Syred lives at the junction of Queen's Road and St John's Road and said she was worried about safety, given it was already "very busy" with many schoolchildren.

Another resident, Alison Marshall, thought safety would also be a problem for people being taken to hospital from the north of the island.

"Are we putting them at risk? Are they having a heart attack or a stroke and they have to wait behind traffic?", she said.

Residents have also expressed concerns about plans for 59 homes in a field nearby, and roadworks to upgrade the sewer system.

Binet said there was a traffic management plan "under constant development" to minimise disruption.

In the States Assembly, the Infrastructure Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf said there was "no question" the project would be "disruptive" and "difficult".

He said there would be a "dynamic response" to issues.

The campaign group, the Friends of Our New Hospital Committee, have said it was "not very realistic" for the site to be operational by 2030.

The chair, Mary Venturini, said "everyone is aware that this is not going to be an easy ride", referencing concerns about traffic, as well as transporting workers and freight.

She called for the contract between the government and Bouygues to be made public and for "absolute transparency".

"We're not all stupid, we want to know what's going on," she said.

Binet said: "We have tried to be as transparent as we can.

"I'm quite happy to publish what we can, but nothing, obviously, that's going to compromise the contractor or the contract."

Speaking in the States Assembly, the Treasury Minister Senator Alan Maclean agreed transparency was important.

He said there was £40m budgeted for contingencies, and highlighted the risks global conflicts placed on construction supply chains.

Binet said he was confident of keeping to the 2030 timeline and the £710m budget "to the fullest extent that it's possible to be".

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