Obvious to all – but nothing done
THERE IS always an answer to a problem (you might not like it, but you will get an answer). The problem is as follows, which is obvious to all and mentioned by all, but nothing gets done. Shortage of land, price of land, building costs.
Land
Around my area there is acres of vegetation growing over old greenhouses.
Price of land
The States should use compulsory purchase to buy this land at, let’s say, £25,000 per plot, if the site has more than 10 plots. A bit more per plot if there are fewer.
Building costs
Can be kept down by the States employing individual sub-contractors directly and using an existing civil servant to manage the project. There would be no major building firms involved – that would be no loss to them because these plots were never available to them.
The plots would be social housing, or sold off at realistic prices once built by the States. If or when sold on, the profit must be capped to a certain percentage in relation to the cost.
Money
Am I right that the States has £300m., which Deputy Gavin St Pier acquired for us through a bond, available? Use that.
I would like to see someone above my pay grade make some sense of the above and get something done.
JOHN CUMMINS