School and hospital can go ahead at same time, construction industry says

Friday 13 October 2023

Policy & Resources’ concerns that the construction industry would not be able to cope with work on the hospital and school at the same time have been answered.

Next week the States will decide what major projects it should press ahead with, as well as how to fund them.

When it first announced its initial ideas, P&R said it wanted to flatten the spikes in expenditure with large projects being scheduled at the same time, but also “to make sure the island as a whole has the capacity to deliver all the capital projects the Assembly has identified as essential”.

It was one of the strands of the argument it was making to press on with the post-16 education work before the next phase of the hospital project.

But after States officers spoke to industry, including the island’s largest contractor JW Rihoy & Son, P&R now believes both can go ahead if the States wants.

“There has been concern that regardless of the States’ decision in the upcoming debate, industry capacity would mean the full programme of essential infrastructure development couldn’t go ahead,” said P&R President Peter Ferbrache.

Pictured: Deputy Peter Ferbrache.

“It’s a valid concern, which is why we have been discussing with industry and reviewing what is really possible," continued Deputy Ferbrache.

“I’m very pleased to have the reassurance from industry leaders that we can proceed with the full programme if that is what the States decides to support.

"Investing in our infrastructure is becoming increasingly urgent and the longer we delay, the more it will cost in the long-run. It makes financial sense because we have under-invested for too many years, but more than that, we have a chance now to provide the kind of infrastructure our community deserves and we should take it.”

Gavin Rihoy, Chairman of JW Rihoy & Son, said: “We have been working with the States on the first phase of the hospital and have a very good understanding of what would be involved in delivering phase 2 and the wider capital programme, including the proposed programme at Les Ozouets campus.

"We are confident that both projects are deliverable through the local supply chain having had the opportunity to extensively review the programme timelines of each.

"We encourage the States to progress both of these projects without delay and to maintain investment in critical infrastructure for our community.”