The idea has come from the Policy & Resources Committee, which wants to provide accommodation for contractors and sub-contractors supporting major development projects. So far possible sites include Les Ozouets and the Coutanchez.
But the GBTEA have raised concerns about the idea.
‘While the notion of our government encouraging and facilitating companies to employ temporary off-island labour is concerning, slightly ironically, we believe the reality is that this proposed 50-bedroom temporary village of "sleeper units" will be under-utilised and could ultimately be a financial failure, funded by the taxpayer,’ said association president Tom Whitmore.
‘We are told the £5m. facility is intended to service the pipeline of States projects and the housebuilding our island desperately needs, and will pay for itself through charges to contractors using the facility to accommodate their personnel. While the concept of boosting industry capacity via a construction village was perhaps well-intentioned, our concern is that the timeline of large States capital projects and housing developments simply doesn’t require that level of labour influx.’
The association has instead called for better support for training young islanders.
‘Guernsey’s economy will collapse if we do not retain our young people here,’ Mr Whitmore said.
‘The financial services sector is the foundation of our economy, but it doesn’t suit everybody, so we need thriving employment opportunities in other sectors. The GBTEA is therefore concerned and disappointed that our government is actively progressing the establishment a temporary ‘construction village’ for housing off-island workers, instead of supporting the employment of local people.’
The association said once large infrastructure and house-building projects were under way, the association would support the concept of allowing contractors – whether they be local or off-island contractors – to establish temporary worker villages at their own expense, but only if there was a clear project-specific requirement for skills which do not exist in the island, or a spike in labour needed which was impossible to meet through the local workforce.
‘In the meantime, the focus should be on growing local capability organically, as recommended by GPEG in their January 2021 report titled Capital Expenditure in Guernsey – an Introduction, to use local expertise and contractors as much as possible,’ Mr Whitmore said. ‘Whenever we don’t do this, we effectively export our wealth.’
The States’ Property Unit was approached for comment.
Housing village ‘makes sense’
The politician attempting to drive the development of a construction village to house workers from outside the island has insisted it is a ‘genuine attempt to make things happen’.
Policy & Resources Committee president Lyndon Trott said that the idea ‘made complete sense’ but accepted that it would introduce more competition into the construction sector.
He said that a negative reaction to the prospect was ‘a natural reaction’ but said that the committee still intended to press ahead with the concept ‘at full speed’.
‘I’m told by our procurement people that we’ve had a very strong response which is very pleasing, because clearly there are a number of people who want to come forward with their ideas which will hopefully drive that initial cost down.
‘But this is for the long-term benefit of this community.’
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