Builders have been brought on board to help keep track of what development sites there are across Guernsey and what stage each one is at.
A new ‘Housing Site Availability Framework’ has been created by the Committee for Housing, working in partnership with the Guernsey Building Trades Employers Association
Together they’ve collated data on housing sites across Guernsey into a single document.
It shows there are more than 1700 properties that could be built across the island.
Five of the sites named in the document have not got a specific number of new homes allocated to them yet.
They include the Castel and King Edward hospital sites so hundreds more potential new homes could be added to the list.
The largest site included in the new Framework is Leale’s Yard where more than 300 new residential units are intended to be built.
The smallest sites will offer just two new homes – they’re at Rozel Court and behind Le Petit Tertre in the north of the island and at College Terrace in St Peter Port.
The sites vary from ‘potential sites’ to those with planning permission granted already.
The Framework has been created using information taken from the planning process and other publicly available sources and shows sites that have already been allocated for housing or are at various stages of the development process.
For each site, the Framework provides:
- An indicative breakdown of the number of homes by size and tenure (Affordable and private market housing);
- The site’s current development stage, based on information available through the planning process, including whether planning permission has been granted and whether construction has commenced.
The Framework can be viewed at gov.gg/housingsites.
The plan is to update the Framework at least twice annually said Deputy Steve Williams, President of the Committee for Housing.
“Until now, there has not been a single, joined-up picture of housing delivery across the island, which has made planning and coordination harder for both industry and Government. The Housing Site Availability Framework changes that. It provides a shared view of the development pipeline that everyone can work from, using the same information, and assumptions. This will make it easier to plan ahead, identify issues early and work together to keep sites moving to deliver housing.”
The creation of the new Housing Site Availability Framework follows feedback from the Guernsey Construction Forum, prior to its amalgamation with the GBTEA, where industry partners highlighted the need for clear, consistent information to make it easier for businesses to plan ahead, schedule projects and undertake workforce planning.
John Bampkin, Lead of the Guernsey Building Trades Employer’s Association Government Liaison Subcommittee, said: “This Framework is a really important step forward because it creates a shared, practical picture of the development pipeline for the whole island. We’re very pleased to be working with the Committee for Housing and will continue to engage with them as this work is developed further.”
“We’re grateful to the GBTEA for their constructive engagement,” added Deputy Williams.