The Development & Planning Authority has said this week that more homes were being built in the island than at any time in the past five years, 10% more than the 10-year average, and that last year the highest number of new homes were approved by planners since 2016.
But developer Paul Nobes from developers Infinity said that the numbers of potential plots were ‘skewed’. He said that the Island Development Plan had led to failure through ‘under delivery’.
‘The planning department will point to the amount of current “live” planning permissions and have stated in the past that there is more than enough allocation to cover the housing shortfall,’ he said.
‘But when we investigate the specifics of the sites with existing permissions, we uncover the true reality of the situation.’
Mr Nobes said that larger sites such as Leale’s Yard, the Data Park, La Vrangue, and Kenilworth Vinery took up a significant amount of the designated land for housing.
‘And we know these won’t commence for years due to clearance, financing, flood defence and infrastructure requirements,’ he said.
‘We anticipate that it will be six to 10 years before any meaningful start occurs.’
He added that for a number of other existing sites, any house-building in the near term was very unlikely.
‘Some will lapse or have simple viability constraints, but we are also aware of several sites with permission that have been purchased by neighbours simply to prevent development from occurring. This leaves us with a serious situation that only a small number of sites from the existing permissions can be counted as likely to be brought forward.’
Historically, he said that politicians had been remote from the industry but this seemed to now be changing.
‘We understand the laws and policies that the planning department have to work to, but we find ourselves in a situation where, even with a buffer, there may be much less than 50% of land required allocated to build on,’ he said.
‘Limited sites equals inflated land values, more often than not preventing development. Fundamentally, it is clear that not enough land has been allocated for development over the next eight years.’
Mr Nobes said he had written to DPA president Neil Inder with a list of proposals to boost home-building and ease the housing crisis. This included the ‘call for sites’ to have a reserve list of 10-20 additional sites which could be brought forward if any of the seven current sites are not developed in a timely fashion.
And that the seven existing sites should have a two year deadline from allocation, to gaining planning permission, to work starting, to ensure that development was going ahead.
He also backed the idea of incentives, suggested in consultants’ reports on house-building, that had not been implemented.
Ideas included incentives for first-time buyers, those buying to let, government-backed grants or financing at low interest rates for developers, and reduced fees for sites with multiple housing permissions, especially if those were being built by the GHA, or included affordable units.
‘These changes would make a huge difference to the industry,’ he said.
‘But what is fundamentally required is continued engagement between the industry, Planning, the Housing Committee and the DPA.
‘We are grateful for the engagement we have already had from Deputy Inder and hope that continues.
‘Ultimately, we all want the same outcome and there is a total belief that we can deliver if given the land required, under the proviso that collaboration and assistance is in place.’
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