I said in an earlier blog post that I would provide an update if there was a decision about the new hospital, so here are my thoughts now that Deputy Young has approved the planning application.
The first thing to say is that as I noted earlier, I was an objector to the planning application for the hospital. I am on record as opposing the Overdale planning application because of its massive scale, effect on the skyline and the island’s heritage.
The second things to say is that the process of getting here has been a disaster. The government’s “ends justify the means” approach has been immensely damaging to confidence in the whole political system. By getting “in principle” approval for Overdale as the site for the hospital without revealing the scale of the building that would be required they eventually got their way, but we will all pay the price in terms of loss of trust in government. The building we are getting is going to be a terrible scar on the landscape.
I pay tribute to those who fought against this planning application. It was a good fight.
However, the third thing to say is that in my previous blog post I said I was a believer in process. The planning inspector has reported. His conclusion was unambiguous. The ministers has followed the inspector’s recommendation. Therefore my view is that if elected, I cannot envisage circumstances in which I would support re-opening the hospital location debate.
There comes a point when we all have to move on.
Jonathan Renouf 
You would have to revisit the project management golden triangle of Scope, Cost, Quality and Schedule. Scope is the centre of the triangle, and ask is the scope now too ambitious, and if so, what areas could be delivered elsewhere…and at what opportunity cost. The reality is the original scope was probably far too ambitious and no one wanted to say ‘no you can’t have that’. The other major failing was the lack of contingency planning at an early stage….what if economic conditions change and cost suddenly start to increase, plan B, C, D etc….there wasn’t one. When cost reaches set trigger points certain actions would / will be required but it is a tricky decision because these kinds of major public infrastructure (hospitals) more than nearly any other are emotive and have long and term considerations for society, especially an island like Jersey…good question Alastair.
LikeLike