Environment 'is doing all it can' to encourage developers
ENVIRONMENT cannot do any more to encourage developers to act on planning approvals, its minister has said.
The department exceeded its target for granting permission for new homes last year, approving 736 additional dwellings, but a lack of uptake has contributed to the island falling well short of its needs.
Just 171 new units were created last year, compared to the States' current target of 300 per annum.
Now back from Australia, Environment minister Roger Domaille, pictured, said his department had been looking at the reasons why so few approvals had been acted upon.
It had also asked the construction industry why its members thought this was.
'Their response was that it is down to confidence and funding. If that's the case then that is out of our control and there's nothing we can do about that.'
