Temporary villages – realistic or a mirage?

Reference to the proposal, tacked on to a Budget report which lost much of its legitimacy when its anchor proposal, 2p on income tax, was rejected by deputies, seemed like one of those additional bright ideas you sometimes find in election manifestos, and are never to be seen or heard of again.

Yet we see the States going out to tender. There is, apparently, £5m. set aside for such work. Meanwhile the construction industry doesn’t have a clue what’s going on and is, bluntly, not too happy about it.

Is the industry being protectionist, as is being claimed? It does feel like Policy & Resources could be calling it out – get on with it before we bring other builders in. But construction companies have come to Guernsey before. They’ve been housed appropriately. In fact, they are being so at this very moment.

But none of us outside the States know exactly what this proposal is for, and how it might work. Construction industry questions are valid, challenging, and one suspects, might never get answered.

It’s positive to hear Policy & Resources say it means business and wants to get houses built. This could prove an acid test of how government could work optimally. But the chances must also be pretty high that with so far still to go, this initiative, like so many others, will just fade away.