The project, designed in 2019, was finally completed in the summer. But the extension has not yet been occupied.
On completion of the work the Connaught Board commissioned an external company to review various aspects of the build, in particular the compliance with new fire regulations that came into force in 2023, following a review of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The island’s General Services Committee has said that, as a responsible landlord, it has agreed additional works and drawn up a schedule which will enable a building control officer to sign off the premises and enable officers from Health & Social Care in Guernsey to sign off the building for its use as a care home.
It is now expected that the work will be finished by the end of the year.
‘Members of our community will be disappointed that the Connaught extension is still not finished, especially after achieving project completion in the summer,’ said Iain MacFarlane, chairman of the General Services Committee.
‘But we are responsible landlords and in light of the recent information being provided, we want to make sure that we provide a building that is fit for purpose, fully compliant and will obtain a building completion certificate. We are working at pace to get this work finished to the right standard as quickly as possible.’
The Connaught’s operations executive director, Liz Bowskill, added: ‘We are pleased about how positively the States of Alderney have taken the recommendations to improve fire safety in the building and we can’t wait to be able to open our doors to new residents in the new year – hopefully we’re on the home stretch.’
The project was originally budgeted at £1.29m. but this rose to nearly £2.3m. An independent inquiry was commissioned into the progress of the work earlier this year.
During the course of the project five of the six board members of the home were removed from office or resigned.
When the work is finished and the extension opened it will also allow some occupants to move from the island’s Jubilee Home so that work can begin on repairing the Jubilee roof.
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