On the fourth day of a public planning inquiry into the Future Hospital project, concerns were raised about proposals to shut a section of Kensington Place by the exit from Patriotic Street car park and reroute cars along Lewis Street.
Yesterday Paul Battrick, funeral director at Pitcher and Le Quesne, which is based in Lewis Street, told the inquiry that many vulnerable residents lived on the road and increased traffic could lead to an accident.
At present, vehicles coming out of the car park have to turn right towards the Parade to leave the area. Under the temporary plans, traffic would turn left as far as Lewis Street, just before the Food Hall.
‘There is a care home here, and there is the Grace Trust. We regularly have vulnerable people in the street and have to move them for their safety.
‘Given the vulnerable people in the community, someone could get killed or seriously hurt,’ Mr Battrick said after yesterday’s meeting.
At the hearing, he called for an independent investigation into the possible impact of the proposed changes, as he said that the work of the Future Hospital team to date had been ‘biased and flawed’.
He also asked that an independent representative be appointed with whom residents and businesses could liaise while construction took place.
Robert Panelli, managing director of Aston Services, which has been based in Lewis Street for 12 years, said that dozens of vehicles had to stop outside his premises to make deliveries.
‘My concern is that if we have a delivery, cars have to mount the pavement to get by. There is no solution. It will have a serious effect on residents who live there,’ said Mr Panelli, who lives in nearby Peirson Road.
Both Mr Battrick and Mr Panelli said that they were supportive of the need for a new hospital but that they had concerns about the building phase.
Mr Battrick said in the meeting: ‘When there is an event in the People’s Park people use Patriotic Street [car park] to park in and this puts great pressure on the area, as people walk through Kensington Place and Lewis Street, and regularly you see people walking in the roads. The proposed plan will pose a greater risk to pedestrians and motorists.’
He added: ‘Recently, Kensington Place was closed and traffic was diverted up Lewis Street and it caused absolute chaos.’
Barrister Christian Zwart, who was representing Jersey Property Holdings at the inquiry, said that in the light of residents’ and business owners’ concerns the applicant was looking to establish a group which would liaise further with businesses and residents in the area.
The public inquiry was due to finish on Friday.
