Lefroy House, the seniors home in Sandys, is not expected to be relocated “in the near future”, according to the Ministry of Health.

The move, which came up in the House of Assembly last week, will go to its design and requirements phase in the 2019-20 fiscal year, but building is expected to take four to five years, a spokeswoman said.

She added: “The Government has identified an available and suitable parcel of land in Southampton in the Rockaway / Morgan's Point area close to public transport, ferry and bus routes and removed from traffic noise and pollution. The site is government-owned and adequately zoned.

“The site has proximity to the established safe neighbourhoods of Rockaway and Dr Cann Park and there are other shops and facilities including a community physician's office and the fire station in the neighbourhood.”

The site offers better protection from storms than the present location, where the listed historic building, built as a hospital by the Royal Navy in 1890, has suffered hurricane damage.

The ministry has scheduled a meeting with family members of Lefroy House regarding its plans.