Scrapping housing for States HQ “could save millions”

Tuesday 04 December 2018

Plans for 165 units of affordable housing in town could get torn up to make way for a new States HQ, the Chief Minister has admitted – but doing so could mean savings worth millions.

Grilled over why Andium Homes had been forced to halt development on £30million housing at Ann Court, Senator John Le Fondré confirmed that speculation he had been eyeing the site for a new States Headquarters was true.

He said that the site had first been considered when he previously held a Ministerial position around 10 years ago and was tasked with reviewing areas for a new base for States workers.

At the time, he said that the preferred site had been the Ann Court area. However, the “office consolidation strategy” – as it was then known – was never delivered. The Chief Minister said he was still “deeply committed” to achieving it in his term.

Pictured: The Council of Ministers is currently looking for a new main building to replace Cyril Le Marquand House.

Given that savings of £10million yearly were expected at the time, Senator Le Fondré commented that £100million of savings had therefore been lost “through not achieving on the strategy”.

Having recently learned that the site could still work as a potential headquarters site, the Chief Minister explained that he had therefore asked for a “pause” rather than a “halt” on the development in order to consider the implications of building there – something he said so far was looking “beneficial”.

Asked whether the “pause” on the Andium development would incur costs, the Senator advised that these would be minimal and should be “considered in the context of annual savings achieved” through accelerating the office project.

He added that many of the costs, such as site enabling works, would be incurred in the building of the headquarters anyway.

Pictured: Until a long-term solution for a States HQ can be found, the majority of States workers are set to move into a premises on Broad Street.

Senator Kristina Moore queried whether the impact of the lack of new housing on islanders had been considered, Senator Le Fondré stated that housing and supply remained at the “forefront” of his mind.

He later explained that his government would still be able to deliver the same amount of social housing units as per Andium’s previous commitments – or maybe even more. 

The Chief Minister also said that considering a States headquarters in that area of town would help with his wider plans for “urban regeneration”, which would include revitalising the high street and tackling empty shops, as well as protecting the “jewel in the crown” of the Central Market.

He said that the Council of Ministers were due to discuss the States' office strategy next week.

Earlier this year, Express revealed that Broad Street's former RBC Headquarters was a frontrunner to become the temporary new States headquarters. This was confirmed over summer, with States officials announcing that it would become the main building over the next five years until a suitable premises for the long-term could be found.