Roffey: Les Genats estate should be redeveloped

Deputy Peter Roffey, the new president of Employment & Social Security, said some of the States housing estates were tired, cold, and no longer fit for purpose. While several of the estates are thought to be in need of an ‘upgrade’, Deputy Roffey said Les Genats, in particular, needed a transformation.

‘I think some significant redevelopment is needed, whether it’s total demolition or partial demolition. I think the late Dave Jones finally took the bull by the horns and he did that at the Bouet. One that I would certainly like to take a very close look at is Les Genats and there are good things about Les Genats.

‘There’s quite a lot of community spirit in some ways, but the design is awful frankly, there are little blind alleyways, there’s far too many three-bedroom properties, all identical and in long rows. So I think I’d like to take a really close look at that one to see if we could do something similar. It maybe wouldn’t be a complete demolition like the Bouet was but certainly a total redesign and changing the housing stock because we’ve got far too many three-bedroom properties and not nearly enough one- or two-bedroom properties.’

Les Genats was built in the late 1960s into the early 1970s and consists of 138 properties over 7.5 acres.

So far Deputy Roffey said he had heard promising sounds from the new Policy & Resources committee because the construction work could be a valuable part of the revive and thrive post-Covid economic strategy, and he was hopeful the ‘stars would align’ for the project.

Affordable housing was the first thing he mentioned when asked about priorities. A solution, he said, was ‘multi-layered’ and he was keen to look at the Fontaine Vinery site, which is already in States ownership, along with other areas of land that could be bought by the States, although the exact locations are subject to sensitive commercial negotiations.

The old Castel and King Edward VII hospitals have been earmarked for a possible island university, but if that plan fell through the ESS would express an interest.

The States property portfolio is extensive, and the rationalisation programme along with increased home-working could also release more sites for ESS.

Away from the housing issue, Deputy Roffey highlighted that the island’s social insurance funds were unsustainable. An actuarial five-year review of these funds is due to be completed soon, and Deputy Roffey predicted that it would make grim reading.

‘Absolutely, something will have to be done about that and it probably won’t be politically popular. It will be looked as part of the more general fiscal review led by P&R, but personally I can’t see any way of avoiding contribution increases to those funds.’

Another priority for Deputy Roffey was getting the equalities legislation into the law books, and he was anticipating that some States members could try to tinker with it in the final drive towards the finish line.