P&R wants to delay debate on creating a housing committee
The senior States committee wants to push back debate on the establishment of a dedicated housing committee until after the States has confirmed the 2025 Budget.
Policy & Resources president Lyndon Trott and vice-president Heidi Soulsby have lodged a sursis to the proposal from Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller for debate by the States next week.
The deputies said that the advantages of a delay were two-fold – that States members would be fully informed on the financial pressures and ramifications of a new committee, and that they would have extra relevant information, including the update on the Guernsey Housing Plan, published last week, and a planning inquiry for the local planning brief for the Harbour Action Areas
‘The committee is already facing very challenging decisions as it prepares recommendations for the States and there are many choices that the States must make before it can reasonably, in good faith, consider the affordability of the proposals presented in the requete,’ they said.
‘Our system of government recognises that strategic housing policy is a form of infrastructure, and it is currently considered alongside the development of all strategic land use policy including national infrastructure, transport management and strategic planning of the natural and built environment. There is considerable benefit in more fully understanding the volume of infrastructure planning and construction ahead, and assessing the impact of political and operational separation, before determining that housing and infrastructure committees deliberating in isolation best serves the community.’
P&R said that otherwise the sursis would have little impact on the proposal as Deputy Kazantseva-Miller is only seeking to establish the Housing Committee after the election in June 2025.
The committee said it was important that the States could consider all financing and resource demands for 2025 and any sustained increases in operating costs before considering proposals to re-organise a part of government.
‘This is a complex matter potentially with cost implications additional to those identified given an infrastructure team will need to be created,’ it said in its letter of comment on the requete.
‘The committee strongly believes that the Assembly needs the full picture of the extensive challenges and choices ahead through an affordability lens, and therefore unanimously has decided to bring forward this proposal for a short delay before the requete is considered.’
