New Homes Target Set

A target has been set to build 4,300 new homes in Jersey by the end of 2025.

1,650 will be defined as 'affordable' for rent and purchase.

It's estimated that around 600 affordable homes would be built on green fields.

When the Bridging Island Plan was first published, an overall target of 4,150 new homes was set.

But that was increased following a recommendation from an independent inspector.

"If this is done, we believe that the additional housing supply should be for affordable housing because of the critical need for affordable housing in the island and the backlog of need that has built up." - Keith Holland, Lead Inspector.

Environment Minister Deputy John Young says it's an important change.

"What I've asked to do in this amendment, is before the States start to decide and discuss the individual options by the sites that we've got and put forward, to adopt these new targets.

I think we should do our best to avoid a significant undersupply and I think it would be easier to manage if we get ourselves into an oversupply situation."

The targets were approved by 33 votes to 9.

On government-owned land in town, they want to deliver 425 affordable homes and 150 'open market' homes.

The extra 150 homes, taking the total to 4,300, will be built on rezoned land.

Deputy Rob Ward, who opposed this, says only affordable homes should be built on States-owned property.

"States-owned property is exactly that - it is owned by the people of Jersey, but we are willing in this assembly to say it's OK, build something that the people of Jersey can't afford to live in and that to me is an utter disgrace.

It is the wrong thing to do, it is the wrong principle, and if there's one thing the Bridging Island Plan needs to have it is clear principles as to what we're going to be doing. The principle, therefore, is wrong."

His Reform Jersey colleague, Senator Sam Mézec, echoed his comments and called the proposal 'a complete and absolute mess.'

He says open market basically means unaffordable - and doing that on land that the government owns is a disgrace.

"That number in that chart should be zero. We should only be building homes on the land we own that actually match the profile of need that there is out in the community.

Let's look at the private sites in town. 600 for unaffordable. How many for affordable? Zero. Not one. On those private sites, we won't be asking private developers to even make a token gesture to our affordable housing contribution to say that if you are going to take these sites and make lots of money out of them, which is absolutely fine, but in the midst of a housing crisis they should be required to contribute at least a proportion."

Deputy Kirsten Morel says he has serious doubts they'll reach the targets set - and he feels the Environment Minister 'has just leaped to greenfield sites.'

The St Lawrence politician also accused Deputy Young of 'just making up numbers' and not doing his homework.

Deputy Gregory Guida, the Assistant Minister to Deputy Young, hit back and says he found that criticism unbelievable.

"This is a summary of the Island Plan. A summary of thousands of pages of reports of three years of work that we have done on the whole island. We have left no stone unturned, we've looked behind every blade of grass.

The list of sites that were first presented were looked at for two years. They were selected extremely carefully.

So to tell us that oh my god, there's still a greenhouse that you haven't considered or there's still a brownfield somewhere that could be developed or acquired to be turned into housing. No, those have been done, these have been considered."

Deputy Geoff Southern described the plan as a 'bidding war' - speculating that deals are being done between some States members on what green fields to build on.

Senator Kristina Moore, who had a proposal to build affordable homes on derelict glasshouse sites rejected, says decisions are being made without evidence in the lack of census data, but it's clear that affordable homes are very much needed.

The Chief Minister accused some States members of 'making an awful lot of mountains over very small molehills', but the Constable of St Saviour, Sadie Le-Sueur Rennard, called the targets 'lip service' and says the government can't keep building on green fields.

"We cannot keep doing this. We're 9x5.

Why can't somebody come up with something really sensible? Because this isn't sensible.

This is making sure that people are going to be thrilled, we're going to have these homes. Where are you going to put them?

Are we going to have compulsory purchase on the green fields if people don't want to sell them?

I am very heartbroken as to where my island is going with no sensibility at all."

Deputy Lindsay Ash says some form of target has to be set, so it can try to be achieved.

The targets were approved by 33 votes to 9.

Those who voted against were:

Senator Mézec, Constable of Grouville, Deputy Southern, Deputy Tadier, Deputy Morel, Deputy Le Hegarat, Deputy Ahier, Deputy Ward, Constable of St Saviour.

The States Assembly will move on to debating what green fields to build new homes on.