Push to end "rabbit hutch apartments"

Friday 27 October 2023

A town politician wants to do away with what he calls "new rabbit hutch" accommodation by increasing the minimum size of apartments.

Reform Deputy Tom Coles has lodged a proposition asking the Environment Minister to increase the minimum internal areas of new one and two-bedroom apartments by 10% and remove the smallest categories of one and two-bedroom apartments from the latest planning guidance.

“With high targets to build enough new homes for our islanders' needs, we have allowed developers to fill these numbers with rabbit hutch-sized apartments," Deputy Coles said.

"While we must accept that we cannot build everyone a house to call home and, for some, apartment living is exactly what they want, we can expect that every home is built to a good standard and size. This proposition will take us a step forward for improved standards of living that we should all expect to have," he added.

Pictured: Deputy Tom Coles, who represents St Helier South.

Earlier this year, Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf issued new planning guidance for consultation, updating guidance that has been in place for almost 30 years with minor changes introduced in 2009. Deputy Renouf issued the new version of the supplementary planning guidance earlier this month.

Deputy Coles said he was pleased that some of the minister's amendments "took a step in the right direction" – in particular, relating to circulation space not taking up any of the living space – but he said the guidance still allowed for units that were too small and could easily become overcrowded.

“Furthermore, with the ever-increasing cost of housing, we are seeing children living with parents longer. With the smaller category of two-bedroom three-person occupancy apartment being built, we will see more young people living in single bedrooms into adolescence and beyond,” he said.

Deputy Coles' proposition acknowledges the challenge facing the island in building new housing without irreversible impact on the countryside. His concern is that developers might be led comply with minimum density standards by using the smaller category of one and two-bedroom apartments. "This would be beneficial to developers albeit not to the people who will call these apartments 'home'," his proposition states.

"You only need to look at the Horizon development to see that, of all the 119 one-bedroom apartments built, they only meet the minimum standard for single occupancy,” he said.

Why are the space standards creating 'hutches'?

According to Deputy Coles, it is not right that transitional or unusable space – such as corridors or spaces that doors swing into – currently count as "liveable space".

"A liveable space should be defined as an area that the occupant can use freely and for their own choice," he said.

"This area should not include transitional pathway or corridors, to access other rooms, or unusable spaces, i.e. door swings."

Pictured: Deputy Coles created a diagram showing areas which "are not free to use" – with transitional space highlighted in yellow, and door swinging areas highlighted in red.

As such, Deputy Coles is proposing that "corridors and passageways should be clearly indicated on drawing and plans", and "note that these areas cannot be utilised with the minimum liveable space".

He is also proposing the addition of 10% to the total area of bedroom(s) and living, dining and kitchen space.

Deputy Coles said that this would allow the applicant to "decide where they wish to add this extra space, however it will always be to the benefit of the occupant".