North is not a dustbin

I was recently taken back and disappointed when reading Deputy Roffey’s press article on Guernsey’s housing crisis [Solving housing crisis means bad news for homeowners, 13 October]. I would like to state I support the building of more affordable housing to give my grandchildren and all first-time buyers a chance of getting on the property ladder. For many decades northern parishes have been the workhorse of the island and bearing most of the heavy industries and utility sites and of course much more than their fair share of housing – and now we are called upon to solve the island’s housing crisis.

Deputy Roffey suggests the Island Development Plan is correct in concentrating development in this area and that complaints about congestion are overstated. ‘Concentrate’, – ‘congestion’, I suggest the word ‘saturation’ would be more appropriate. Yes we are all aware of the multiple houses squeezed into back gardens and on small green fields, (nature breaks), in built-up areas. We are well aware of the numerous housing estates springing up everywhere and many more in the pipeline with prices starting at half a million pounds – so much for affordable housing.

There was even one application to build a house on a 10ft wide driveway, I’m not sure if that was opportunism or desperation.

I applaud the recent decision to reject the Pointues Rocques application – I have noticed there does seem to be one or two brave individuals on the planning committee who can see the damage of over-development and will legally do their best to minimise it.

So I ask the question, why the thousand or so houses needed cannot be built in the upper parishes? St Peter’s, St Saviour’s and Torteval, they could easily take 300-plus houses each by expanding their existing social centres and rezoning agricultural sites. Of course this will never happen – we will hear the same old excuses, pristine, unspoilt green lungs, or perhaps the real reason is because this is where the affluent people in our society live.

Multimilliion-pound houses occupied by lawyers, bank managers, developers and, should I say it?, a sprinkling of deputies with the selfish mindset of ‘don’t quarry near me or could we move the airport to L’Ancresse’.

So is there anyone or anything we can blame for overdevelopment in the north? We cannot blame the developers, they are just doing their job. They will build and develop anything and everything if they are given permission. We cannot blame the planning committee, they have the unenviable job of interpreting the Island Development Plan and I should imagine the constant pressure from many different groups must be horrendous. The problem must lie with the development plan itself.

So, what can we do about this terrible situation? I urge all disgruntled parishioners to voice their concerns to Mr Roffey and their deputies and tell them we are fed up with being looked upon as ugly and used as the island dustbin. The Island Development Plan is not working and needs fixing now.

P. S. I do not want my grandsons coming up to me in years to come and giving me a clip around the ear and saying ‘Pops, you should have done more’.

RICK LE NOURY

Melandra

L’Ancresse

Vale

GY3 5AR