Lindsay de Sausmarez also acts as the chair of the GDA’s Political Oversight Group. She admitted that a lack of clear direction from the States had tied the GDA’s hands behind its back.
But she said that her Policy & Resources Committee was being ‘relentless in dragging this issue off the back burner’.
The oversight group wrote to the GDA last week with an update on progress within the States and to invite its members for a discussion. The meeting has now been arranged, she said, though Mr Watson will not be involved.
‘We understand and very much share the frustrations of the GDA,’ Deputy de Saumarez said in a statement issued over the weekend in response to the Guernsey Press.
‘It is the job of the States Assembly to decide strategic direction and, once that’s agreed, a development agency can deliver on it. The lack of a strategic decision over our future harbour requirements has really tied the GDA’s hands behind its back – progress along the eastern seaboard depends to a considerable extent on how we intend to use St Peter Port and St Sampson’s harbours over the coming years and decades.
‘That is why we have made that strategic decision a super priority in the Government Work Plan.
'This P&R has been relentless in dragging this issue off the back burner where it had sadly been languishing and giving it the focus it deserves.
‘It’s immensely frustrating that more progress on the Future Harbours work has not been made in the last four years, but I know all of the committees involved are hard at work this term to move it forward, alongside a number of other related issues.
‘For example, E&I is making good progress on flood defences in the area and on the island’s fuel importation and storage strategy, and, with the STSB, they are also progressing the case for additional electricity interconnection – all factors affecting what can be developed where by the GDA.
‘The political oversight group wrote to the GDA last week to update them and invite them for a discussion, recognising these constraints. That meeting has now been arranged.
‘They have done a lot of valuable work, which has really underscored these interdependencies, and we are keen to find the most effective next steps.’
In his letter of resignation, Mr Watson has called for the GDA to be given a mandate that ‘aligns with physical, financial and political reality’.
He said that the agency needed a full mandate, including custodianship of the relevant land assets, a suitable degree of autonomy and delegated authority to act; consistent and appropriate funding; and better political standing.
‘In an ideal world, the GDA would have shovel-ready, commercial projects to progress with private finance, the profits from which would support the development of public infrastructure,’ he said.
‘In reality, there is a significant pipeline of complex public works that must be delivered regardless – both to address historic dilapidations and to prepare for commercially funded opportunities. Moreover, the challenges of delivering housing targets – especially mixed-use and social housing – are such that commercial delivery must be viewed as an end in itself, with any resultant profit and capital release seen as an upside.
‘The GDA can be an efficient and effective body for master planning and delivery of public infrastructure under funding support from the government.’