Uncertain future for first-time buyers
ELECTIONS are coming and candidates will be trying to get your vote and one big issue will be the first-time buyers' housing market. The first step has always been difficult but is now almost impossible for a large number of young islanders. In the 70s my wife and I, after renting for a few years, bought our run-down cottage and renovated it. At that time there were places to renovate, plots to buy, small builders selling, estate agents, rentals and States housing. Many small clos were being built rather than the large-scale development of today.
My brother was one who bought a plot and did it the Guernsey way, doing the donkey work, getting family, friends and professionals to help. This enabled him, like so many others of that time, to have an 'affordable home', something which seems denied at present to young couples.
Mortgages then were easier to obtain and property prices were going up yearly and doubling in value.
Have we the same choices now or is it different?
The situation up to now is that we have no small sites for plots and not much property to renovate – with estate agents, developers controlling large sites and GHA building for a select social percentage.
I went to the Guernsey Tomorrow workshops to try to see what was needed for the future. One suggestion was for specially zoned sites for first-time buyers, so that some can build their own.
Another was to use redundant buildings/offices and their 'footprints' rather than use more open land. I believe if we continue to use more land, we face environmental damage – and this is now starting to happen in some areas.
In my opinion, present planning laws – and more so the new ones when passed – will favour building GHA housing for the selected few.
This will exclude large numbers of islanders and make it even more difficult for those who do not qualify.
At the moment the GHA can build as it receives huge funding from the taxpayer but others do not receive these benefits.
Since their accounts are not to my knowledge published, I believe they have the site for £1, millions to build and loans guaranteed by us. They sell up to 25% partial ownership and rent the rest to States Housing tenants.
I have a personal interest in the use of redundant buildings, submitting a representation at the first St Martin's planning inquiry and also at Les Cotils.
My belief is the laws are too restrictive in this area and should be more flexible, allowing more to be used for housing, self-catering, workshops and other uses.
Some of these buildings have passed their intended use, and if demolished and rebuilt could be affordable environmentally friendly homes.
The present restrictive RCE14 stops most of these from being made into accommodation or used for other purposes. The RH1 policy which allows demolishing and rebuilding should be used in conjunction with RCE14.
Perhaps it would be fairer to go through the process and say, 'we would allow all this, so go ahead'. Unless some choices are given back to all islanders their aspirations to own a home will never be achieved.
If they are not jointly earning £50,000 or more per year and have the deposit to get a mortgage, some will have to live at home, helped by relations, rent or join the growing exodus from Guernsey.
Rather than consider bringing 8,000 more people in, we should do more to help our own, who have gone through the educational system and will help pay for Guernsey's future needs.
DAVE GORVEL,
davidgorvel@yahoo.co.uk
