A STATES-OWNED property bordering the lower access road to the Princess Elizabeth Hospital is to be sold. It bought Le Vauquiedor Farm in 1934 in a deal that included the hospital and dairy sites.

Treasury and Resources head of estate management John Silvester said the sale marked the start of a property-rationalisation process.

‘When our paper went to the States a few months ago to centralise property, we talked about rationalisation and this is the start of a process that will go on for some time to bring the estate down to the size we need,’ he said.

He added that the States was a property owner primarily to enable it to meet its objectives in terms of the provision of public services and facilities. The rationalisation strategy aimed to ensure that value for money was achieved.

Le Vauquiedor Farm was the responsibility of the Board of Health until the early 1970s, when it was closed due to its deterioration. It was then gifted to the States Housing Authority, which spent a considerable sum refurbishing it and converting it from two units of accommodation into five.

In 1996 the authority deemed it no longer compatible with its stock and it was handed back to the Board of Health when the units were vacated. The property was handed over to Health and Social Services in 2004. Various options were considered for its use, including staff accommodation, a day nursery and use by other services within the department.

But the potential use of the property as a day nursery attracted only one party with adequate funding and consultation with planners revealed that the change of use would be contrary to the Rural Area Plan.

The newly-formed States Property Services assessed the options for the building’s use and confirmed the opinions of the Housing Authority and Health that it was not compatible with the States property portfolio.

The property will now be advertised for sale and it is anticipated that its value will be determined by the current market value for such an unusual property, which includes agricultural land to the rear.

Prospective purchasers will need to liaise with the Environment Department to clarify that any development potential would be within the conditions of the Rural Area Plan.