Sale of public land (FOI)

​Request

I understand that the States is duty bound to dispose of land and buildings for the best possible price and to this extent normally goes out to tender.

A 
Under what legislation or Ministerial Order is land sold to Andium at below best price?

B
Do other "Social housing" bodies have the same consideration and if so please name them, along with the land sold.

Response

A 
The Public transferred a number of properties at nil cost to Andium Homes Limited as described in the “Social Housing (Transfer) (Jersey) Regulations 2014”.

The Law can be accessed via the following link:

Social Housing (Transfer) (Jersey) regulations 2014

The Public has also sold properties to Andium Homes Limited under the States of Jersey “Standing Order 168 Land Transactions”, which provides the Minister for Infrastructure with delegated authority, inter alia, for approving the disposal of land.

“Standing Order 168 Land Transactions” can be accessed via the following link, on page 93:

Standing orders of the States of Jersey

Terms for such disposals are determined for individual transactions as set out and recommended in a report that accompanies the Ministerial Decision of the Minister for Infrastructure under Standing Order 168. The consideration will reflect the nature of the land or property disposed, its future use and any relevant States policy, including compliance with specific housing supply policies within Island Plans (1986, 2002 and 2011/14).

Various former publicly owned land holdings have been transferred to Andium Homes Limited and other social housing providers, to assemble such sites for residential development, on the basis of an agreed methodology for determining a valuation of the residual site value and, where relevant, in accordance with a development agreement.

Where a publicly owned site has been identified for affordable housing development, or where land has been re-zoned specifically for affordable housing, the Minister for Housing, in consultation with the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for Treasury and Resources, will determine the most appropriate social housing provider to develop the land, having taken into consideration issues such as their finances and capacity to deliver new affordable housing developments.

Objective 1 of the Strategic Housing Unit’s Housing Strategy March 2016 (R29/2016) is to “Ensure the supply of homes meets the identified needs of the Island”. One way, that has been agreed, to meet this objective is “Action 1.4 - Using States-owned land, assets and existing housing portfolio to build more affordable homes”.

Housing strategy

B 
The requirements of Standing Order 168 apply equally to all property disposal transactions, irrespective of who the purchaser is.

Recorded below are Royal Court transaction dates for the various sites that have been sold by the Public of the Island to the six social housing bodies that exist in addition to Andium Homes Limited:

CTJ Housing Trust
01/03/2002   8 & 12 Lempriere Street
03/09/2004   Bas du Mont Flats
11/08/2006   Hodge Nurseries Site (La Benefice)

Douglas Haig Memorial Trust
05/11/2004   Haig Memorial Homes

FB Cottages Housing Trust
20/06/1997   FB Cottages

Jersey Homes Trust
06/06/1997   St Paul’s Gate
13/11/1998   Belle Vue Plots 1, 3 and 4
11/12/1998   Kent Lodge
24/12/1999   Berkshire Hotel & La Motte Garage (Public Party as Housing provided subsidy)
30/06/2000   Former Postal HQ (La Benefice)
20/10/2000   Prince Edward Flats & Parade Place (John Wesley Apartments)
02/02/2001   La Motte Ford Grouville Site (Jardin Fleuri)
08/06/2001   3, 5, 7 & 7A Ann St (Clement Court) (Public Party as Housing provided subsidy)
28/09/2001   Former Town Park Hotel (Parkside) (Public Party as Housing provided subsidy)
08/11/2002   5 St Clement’s Road - small part of site (Public Party as Housing provided subsidy)
06/06/2003   1-78 Victoria Place
28/07/2006   Le Coie Site

Les Vaux Housing Trust
27/05/1994   Former Pentagon Belvedere Site (Leonard Norman Close)
02/12/1994   Berry House
02/04/2004   Philip’s House (John Le Fondre Court)
29/09/2006   Former Aquila Youth Centre (David Moon House)
17/10/2008   1 & 2 La Mabonnerie (Mourant Lodge & La Mabonnerie)
17/10/2008   12 Le Clos de la Ville

Scott Gibaut Housing Trust
30/11/2007   Former Clearview Street Centre Point Resource Centre (Scott Gibaut Court)

All disposals to Andium Homes Limited, as well as other social housing bodies, are fully recorded. Copies of all the relevant sale contracts can be found in the Public Registry. The “Public Registry Index and Document Enrolment” (PRIDE) online system can be accessed either at the Judicial Greffe Public Registry, in the basement of the States Building, or at the Jersey Archive.  For contact details for the Judicial Greffe please see:

Public registry records