La Motte Street eyed for affordable homes

Tuesday 10 December 2019

The Customer and Local Services building in La Motte Street is being earmarked for affordable housing, the government's Chief Executive has said.

Charlie Parker made the comment as he was grilled on the government's new 'downsizing' strategy by a panel of politicians at a Public Accounts Committee Scrutiny hearing yesterday.

Unveiled last month, the project will see 1,600 employees moved to a new 11,000sqm HQ as the government disposes of a number of former sites, raising an estimated £28m in the process.

Pictured: Charlie Parker, Chief Executive, said Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondré wanted the La Motte Street site to be used for affordable housing.

During yesterday's discussion, Mr Parker explained that no decision has been made yet on whether Philip Le Feuvre House - the official name of the Customer and Local Services building - will be released to the market, or for housing, but added that the Chief Minister had indicated a preference for disposing of the site for affordable housing through Andium Homes.

Mr Parker said the same commitment had been made in regards to the Le Bas site, where a number of health services are based, including the contraception and cervical screening clinic. 

Elsewhere in the hearing, Mr Parker explained that a Corporate Property Strategy is currently being developed, with an implementation plan covering corporate landlord responsibility and an asset management plan due to follow, among other things. The implementation already forms part of the 2020 operational business plan for Growth, Housing and Environment.

Pictured: Le Bas site could be used for housing.

Meanwhile, the framework for the Office Modernisation Business Case has been published.

In addition, the planning frameworks for Cyril Le Marquand House and the South Hill building, former home of the Planning Department, have been approved.

One of the buildings will be used for accommodation and commercial purposes whilst the other will be sold privately for housing, although Mr Parker didn’t specify which one would be what.

The funds generated by the sale will be used towards other investment projects.

Pictued: South Hill could soon be turned into accommodation and commercial, or sold into the private market.

No plans have yet been made for the other buildings on La Motte Street, but Mr Parker said this would be done by 2023 when the government expects to vacate them.

“The expectation is that buildings will not sit vacant for years and there will be a plan for disposal or otherwise for each site,” he said.

Over the next three years, the government will be leaving 20 sites. 

Pictured: Maritime House should also be vacated by 2023. (IslandWiki)

Questioned about the future of Maritime House, the Chief Executive said it would be vacated by 2023. The government has, however, not determined what to do with it yet due to the fact it houses part of the Customs services and part of the Growth, Housing and Environment team.

While GHE will come into the single development the government is proposing to move into, Customs would be moving as part of the redevelopment of the port.

The future of Maritime House, Mr Parker said, is therefore dependent on Ports of Jersey (POJ) bringing forward proposals for the development of the port and harbour area.