16 June 2011
The Minister for Planning and Environment, Senator Freddie Cohen, has provided further details on how affordable housing will be achieved through a new policy in the Island Plan.
The policy expects developers to provide affordable housing on all large housing sites and so removes the necessity to re-zone land in the countryside. The plan also proposes that the States uses its own land to provide affordable housing for families.
The affordable housing mechanism will be phased in over a number of years and will be consulted upon annually with the development industry and other interested stakeholders.
The annual consultation will maintain flexibility, react to changing market conditions, and ensure that a viable construction industry in Jersey is maintained and encouraged. This policy complements the use of States-owned land for affordable housing and has been supported by the independent planning inspectors.
The plan will also include a trigger that will ensure that if States-owned sites do not come forward quickly enough, the plan will be reviewed. Previous Island Plans have involved the loss of countryside and added land value where fields have been re-zoned. This Island Plan delivers both affordable and open market housing, expects more from developers and land owners, uses land that has been already developed and protects the Island's countryside.
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