Housing has been flagged as one of Guernsey’s most pressing issues by both the previous States and the current Assembly.
It has led to a flurry of land purchases by the GHA and the States to prepare for building over the last four years.
But developer Infinity said that it understood that there were significant infrastructure challenges with some sites, which was likely to delay their development.
The developer was speaking at meeting with Forest parishioners about an outline planning application to build 85 new homes on the land around the Mallard complex, which houses the island’s main cinema, are currently being considered by planners.
Current Housing president Steve Williams headed up the GHA until 2023 and was involved in many of the recent land purchases.
He said all parties were conscious that some sites were more complex and took longer to deliver.
‘This is one of the reasons it is important the island is progressing a variety of sites, small and large, public and private,’ he said.
‘The Mallard site appears to be a good opportunity to deliver a significant amount of housing within a comparatively swift timeline.
'Through the affordable housing development programme, our committee will be engaging with Guernsey Housing Association and the Policy & Resources Committee, working together to ensure other identified sites are progressed as a priority.’
Recent land purchases included Kenilworth Vinery in 2021, the former CI Tyres site in 2022, the Data Park in 2022, Duval Vinery in 2022, a field at Oberlands in 2023 and most of Leale’s Yard this year.
Cliff stabilisation work ahead of construction of 65 affordable flats and four affordable dwellings is already under way on the former CI Tyres site in La Charroterie, and construction work is well progressed on public/private partnership between the GHA and Infinity to create more than 20 homes on a field near the back of the hospital.
But other sites have faced difficulties too.
The Mallard development would be built under a partnership between the GHA and private developer Infinity.
GHA chief operating officer Lisa de Kooker, said unlike the association’s other sites, the Mallard site was without significant infrastructure requirements.
‘Together with the development package approach with Infinity that is already proving successful at the Oberlands [where key worker housing is being built primarily for workers at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital], it provides further confidence in the speed and quality of housing delivery that we can achieve,’ she said.
She added that the Mallard site offered a valuable opportunity to deliver much-needed homes, both private housing and affordable housing, more quickly than would be possible on larger sites the GHA owned.
‘The outline planning application must follow the proper process and, while it’s not for us to pre-empt decisions, we were encouraged to see residents engaging with the proposals, and we welcome continued constructive dialogue as plans evolve.’
The GHA website notes that its staff are working with developers to identify more, smaller sites for joint ventures, making best use of their skills for site searches and viability assessments.
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