Development levy - industry views wanted

The Minister for the Environment, Deputy Steve Luce, announced at the start of the year that he wanted to explore the possibility of introducing a charge known in the UK as a community infrastructure levy (CIL).

Regenerate town

A CIL could be levied on all new developments to enable improvements in public infrastructure, to provide affordable homes as directed by the States Assembly, and to support the States strategic aim to regenerate St Helier.

Funds raised can be used by local communities to offset the impact of new development in their neighbourhood.

Arup, and HDH Planning and Development, and local surveyors, will carry out a viability assessment of a levy and they want to hear the views of the development industry before producing a report by the end of this year. If the report shows the levy is workable, it could be in place by the end of 2017.

Views wanted

The Department of the Environment is holding a stakeholder consultation event. Anyone with an interest in the development or related sectors is invited to attend.

Deputy Luce, who is working with the Housing Minister, Deputy Anne Pryke on the proposals, has committed to working closely with construction and related industries to ensure that any charge is viable, wouldn’t restrict appropriate development, and could provide more certainty and clarity.

Deputy Luce said "Key to our understanding of whether a development levy would work in Jersey is industry input on the workings of the Jersey property markets – that’s why we’re engaging the industry at these very early stages. I’d urge anyone in the development or property sectors to come along and give us a realistic appraisal of what will, or won’t work."

The seminar is being held on Monday 17 October, 11 am - 2 pm in the Don Theatre at Fort Regent.