The States backed out of any deal with the developer of the site back in April.
But several election candidates have told the Guernsey Press that decision should be reviewed and a bid made to start again on a project which would have secured 90 apartments for less than £35m. and set off the process of building a further 220 homes on the site.
A deputy who asked formal questions of the committee last month has described P&R’s decision as ‘missing out on a huge opportunity’.
‘We have to take a long look at ourselves and ask how we are planning to fulfil what the States agreed unanimously as our most important objectives?’ said Deputy Chris Blin.
‘Housing is our most urgent objective. If we had proceeded, we would have had over 300 units, 220 for the private market and 90 for key workers. The income from the rentals would have easily contributed towards the payments, and strategically, we would have opened up the Bridge and started regenerating the area.
‘Yet we have come to the end of the term, and rather than focusing on our more urgent objective, we’ve stopped it.
‘This hasn’t been postponed, it’s been cancelled. How many years have we been doing this for now?’
Deputy Blin said that he was hoping to uncover what the issues were that caused the States to withdraw from the process after years of discussions. He said that transparency was required, and said it would not encourage the private sector to work with the States on any future schemes.
‘We need to know what on earth could stop a project which was superior to anything else, to build a large quantity of homes at the most critical time, which could also regenerate the Bridge and heat up the economy,’ he said.
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