Children and families hub being planned for Raymond Falla House

The site on Burnt Lane in St Martin’s is used by a variety of services, but the main office building is vacant.

Now tender documents have been issued, with the States Property Unit seeking expressions of interest from design and architectural services to support the redevelopment of the site and a change of use.

‘The expressions of interest tender aims to find a partner to appraise options for a Children & Families Hub at Raymond Falla House,’ an SPU spokesman said.

‘These options include the potential to co-locate Health & Social Care services that support children and their families. The project is in initiation stage, so it’s too early to provide timescales, which will vary depending on the options proposed and the preferred way forward.’

Currently these type of services are spread across a number of sites.

In 2022 it was announced that Lukis House on the Grange, along with Swissville and Garden Hill in the Rohais, would all be sold and their services moved to Raymond Falla House for an adults and children’s hub. At that time it was said the plan was to demolish the building and creating a custom-built property.

Raymond Falla House, named after one of the island’s Occupation heroes, used to be the base for services like Traffic & Highway Services, the Commerce & Employment Department and Guernsey Biological Records Office, but services were moved out in 2022, and since then it has only been used as a temporary site for Covid vaccinations and a base for compulsory motorcycle training.

Its was flagged for change as part of a property rationalisation exercise as far back as 2019.

Several States services still operate from other buildings on the site, including the Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation.

The SPU spokesman said there are no plans to move those services at this point. Tenders need to be submitted by 4 September.