GE staff occupying houses next to power station ‘a possibility’

Some deputies who want to see the properties rented out, led by Neil Inder, recently appeared to have been knocked back after Environment Health officials said that standards on noise and vibration which have forced the properties to remain unoccupied since 2015 would need to be applied to all types of tenant.

This was after Employment & Social Security president Peter Roffey told the Assembly there might be a loophole which would allow the houses to be occupied again – but only by Guernsey Electricity employees.

Deputy Roffey has written to States members to clear up the confusion.

‘Environmental Health conditions include a requirement for Guernsey Electricity to move the occupants out of that housing – presumably into hotels – whenever on-island generation causes the nuisance,’ he said.

‘My understanding is that this is quite rare, as not all the thermal generators create this problem.

‘What Guernsey Electricity had been saying was that this was completely impractical if the cottages were to be used for general housing, but might conceivably be possible, in some circumstances, if the tenants were Guernsey Electricity employees who had accepted the housing on that basis.’

He apologised to colleagues for not having all the information available when he first answered questions from Deputy Inder in the States.

‘I take my responsibility to never knowingly mislead the States in any way incredibly seriously. I was honestly informing the States of what had been told to me by Guernsey Electricity. I have now had a chance to look into this matter in further depth,’ said Deputy Roffey.

Guernsey Electricity chief executive Alan Bates said that approving a new draft electricity strategy published last week by the Environment & Infrastructure Committee could one day allow the power station to be moved from North Side, possibly to Longue Hougue.

Deputy Roffey said yesterday that he agreed with that idea.