113 new homes to be built in 2013

20 December 2012

Following ministerial decisions signed this week, work is due to start in January 2013 on 113 new social rented homes. Three development schemes will provide affordable homes, supporting the Island’s construction industry and securing jobs for Islanders.

The schemes are:

80 new homes at Langtry Gardens on St Saviour’s Hill, at a cost of £8 million. When complete in 2015, 48 of the homes will be added to the Housing Department’s social housing portfolio. The remaining 32 Lifetime Homes will be owned and managed by the Parish of St Saviour, 30 of which will be provided to the parish at no cost as part of the planning obligation
24 new homes (three of which have been designed for people with disabilities) in the next phase of the Le Squez development, costing £4 million. This forms part of the master plan for regeneration of the area.
Nine new Lifetime Homes units in Journeaux Street, costing £1 million. This development has already seen the demolition of two unoccupied buildings.

The funds come from the £27 million of fiscal stimulus agreed by the States earlier this year. These funds are allocated on a project by project basis to enable social housing projects to be advanced ahead of schedule.

The developments support the Housing Minister’s policy of delivering new affordable homes and ensuring compliance with Decent Homes Standards within ten years. Deputy Andrew Green said “We are delighted to be able to start work on these three very important projects, which will improve standards for many tenants and provide a significant number of new homes.”

The Treasury and Resources Minister, Senator Philip Ozouf, said “These projects will provide much needed social housing, while also giving a welcome boost to the construction industry. We are working with the industry to ensure that locally qualified, unemployed people are able to make the most of the job opportunities that these projects are creating.

“The Fiscal Policy Panel recommended that we should accelerate fiscal support for the economy through increased short-term capital expenditure this year and next. We are in an almost unique position to be able to achieve this level of economic stimulus without incurring debt and while maintaining our key reserves.

“We are pleased to be able to support the construction of new social housing which will improve the lives of many Islanders.”

The contracts for the Le Squez and Journeaux Street projects were signed this week, with work on all three projects expected to start early in 2013.