Ferbrache confident on States housing decisions with GWP
GUERNSEY’S chief minister is confident that States votes for action on housing during the States meeting on the Government Work Plan for the next 12 months will have a positive impact on the island’s problems.
Housing, and potential solutions to the island’s problems, was to the fore during most of the debate.
The topic attracted a number of amendments including some with Deputy Ferbrache’s name attached.
While there were many other important issues addressed in the plan, housing affected many aspects of society, he said.
Earlier this year he had said how the States had failed ‘ordinary working families’ through a lack of action on housing.
‘Health have got terrible problems housing their staff. And if those people rent somewhere on the local market, it’s a prodigious cost.
‘Housing affects so many aspects. It affects people wanting to get on the housing ladder, people who want to get rented accommodation for a reasonable amount. It permeates everything.’
Deputy Ferbrache was involved in one amendment seeking to give developers of major housing sites a choice on how to fulfil the obligation to provide affordable accommodation under the controversial planning policy GP11.
There were concerns that this move could lead to delays, as the amendment changed and contradicted the guidance notes attached to the policy.
Deputy Ferbrache did not believe they should create a problem.
‘The policy remains unchanged,’ he said. ‘This supplemental planning guidance replaces the previous one.’
The policy applies only to larger, multi-home developments, which were not being built.
‘They weren’t getting built because of GP11, at least that’s what the developers told us.
‘So it was better to get something done.
‘This was just trying to say “We have all the theory in the world, but if people aren’t actually building houses or apartments, it doesn’t do us much good”.’
A further move to allow States house and social housing tenants to be able to buy their rented homes at a 25% discount of the market price was also supported.
Deputy Ferbrache said his move was based on the view that some people were aspirational and wanted to own their own property, and it did not matter if it was a social house.
It would not be open to people who had just moved in, but to those living in the house for ‘a reasonably lengthy period of time’.
A few members were sceptical of enthusiasm from tenants to be able or willing to buy.
‘It’s just common sense that some people will want to do it. And if they don’t, what’s the harm?
‘If I’m right and people take it up, I think there’s a social benefit and the GHA will get that money they can invest in a new property.’
