Guernsey Press

Open market sales stalled as many stay away

TREASURY'S plan to have some States property listed on the open market has been blocked by the House.

Published

TREASURY'S plan to have some States property listed on the open market has been blocked by the House. In a controversial vote members instead voted 19-18 in favour of the Housing Department's amendment calling for a review into the advantages and disadvantages of putting States-owned properties onto the open market.

Belvedere House can still be inscribed on the register, but only in place of another States property, Longacre.

However, the vote could have gone the other way had all States members been at yesterday's afternoon sitting.

Treasury members Jonathan Le Tocq and Graham Guille were absent, as were Commerce and Employment minister Stuart Falla and deputies Charles Parkinson and Francis Quin.

Treasury wanted to put four properties onto the open market - Belvedere House, Fort Richmond, Granville House and Grange House - before selling them.

Treasury minister Lyndon Trott was not happy at the outcome. Before the vote he reminded members that the report had been 18 months in the making.

He and the department were planning that any proceeds from the sales would go to the capital reserve and be earmarked for a major project for either Education or Health.

But this will now have to wait until the findings and any recommended policy changes contained in the report that is planned to come back to the States no later than September.

'This is a classic example in my mind that the outcome of the debate would have been different if all members had been present.'

Housing minister Dave Jones said the department took very seriously its responsibility for administering the housing control law.

'While I would not go so far as saying that these proposals would drive a coach and horses through the existing law, there are clear signs that a crowbar is being used to try and prise open the lid of this piece of legislation in order to make it fit a certain set of circumstances and by doing so it attempts to strike at the very integrity of the law and, it could be said, the very integrity of the States,' he said.

He added that Treasury's proposals would expand the open market without any prior political debate.

'If T&R want a proper grown-up debate about expanding the open market, fine. It should bring a report to the House, but not try and use some back door method.'

Deputy Jones described Housing's approach as a pragmatic way forward.

Until it comes back with its report, no more States property can be put onto the open market.

HM Procureur Nik van Leuven told the House that under the existing legislation the States could inscribe its dwellings on the open market - it would not be left open to challenges from the public or charities wanting to do the same.

But three of the buildings would need to have change

of use before that could happen.

Deputies Bernard Flouquet and Ron Le Moignan spoke in support of the amendment.

However, Deputy Charles Parkinson rallied behind Treasury, saying that the same result could be achieved by long leases - as States-owned properties, there would be no housing requirements.

Members should not, therefore, be too concerned about putting the properties onto the open market.

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