As Guernsey grapples with a housing crisis, its senior political committee has claimed a number of successes in how it’s dealt with demand for new residential developments over the past four years.
Policy and Resources has published the Government Work Plan Monitoring Report and End of Term Committee Reports.
It’s intended to act as a ‘roadmap’ for the next States to follow, to continue work that has already been started and to see what other priorities have been set.
The ‘end-of-term’ report contains individual reports from each States Committee, Board, and Authority outlining what work they’ve done since the first island wide election in October 2020. They’ve also each flagged “the key and emerging issues” they say will need tackling by the next States.
P&R’s individual report starts with a focus on housing that may surprise some with its positivity.
“Increasing the supply and affordability of housing is the top domestic priority for the States and the Committee has taken several steps to lead in this work as custodian of States property,” says P&R.
The achievements P&R is claiming relating to housing are:
P&R acknowledges that much more needs to be done to increase the number of housing units being built in the island – which was recently described as “woeful” by Deputy Peter Roffey.
It says this must be a priority for the next States, to be elected in June.
“While increasing the number of homes and fostering affordability will remain the priority for the next Assembly, this recent work lays the foundations for accelerated housing delivery in the next term, coordinated with the work across other Committees of the States and captured in the Guernsey Housing Plan.
“With housing supply and affordability as an ongoing priority, the new Committee will need to ensure that States-owned land and property assets are put to best use. It will be very important that the next Assembly establishes a pipeline of funded projects in order that the construction sector can scale up capacity to meet a steady building programme.”
Other achievements
P&R is claiming other achievements during this term of office – which has seen two different committees, headed up by two different Presidents, leading the States.
Following the October 2020 election, Deputy Peter Ferbrache was appointed the President of P&R with Deputy Mark Helyar Vice-President.
Deputies Bob Murray, Jonathan Le Tocq, and David Mahoney were also on P&R until a vote of no confidence in 2023 saw them removed from office.
Deputy Lyndon Trott was elected President of P&R, with Deputy Heidi Soulsby his Vice-President.
The States then re-elected Deputies Murray and Le Tocq to the senior committee, and added Deputy John Gollop to its ranks.
That P&R committee has published the ‘roadmap’ for the next States, which also claims successes in modernising legislation, exploring opportunities for using renewable energy, ‘Infrastructure and regeneration’, The Supported Living and Ageing Well Strategy (SLAWS).
P&R says the current States should be commended for accelerating funding for new sea defences, while the next States will need to phase in the work for this investment.
The Supported Living and Ageing Well Strategy (SLAWS) also remains on the next States priority list with P&R saying that “agreeing a new model for community long-term care will be among the most urgent domestic tasks for the next Assembly and must be considered within the broader context of States finances and alongside the intended changes to make our health and care services sustainable, in line with the agreed strategic direction as outlined in the Partnership of Purpose”.
GST, Income Tax, and the fiscal deficit
As the senior States committee, P&R is responsible for the island’s finances, and as has been widely reported, they are not looking healthy.
“Simply put, government revenue is not sufficient to pay for what many islanders expect their government to do,” warns P&R.
GST is due to be introduced by the next States in 2027.
The current P&R says the next States must prioritise work to manage that while working to manage the impact of the existing financial deficit.
The wider world
P&R is responsible for international relations as well as relationships with other islands within the Bailiwick.
It recently announced plans to look at the relationships Guernsey has with both Alderney and Sark, before the States makes any further decisions on funding the majority of the work needed to future proof Alderney’s runway and airport buildings.
P&R is also suggesting the next States prioritise international relationships as an ongoing result of changes elsewhere in the world.
“Brexit changes, new international negotiations and compliance requirements for our leading industry sectors will need to continue in the new political term and will continue to influence the domestic policy agenda in the Government Work Plan and absorb Civil Service capacity if we are to enjoy the access and trade relationships to better support our economy. It will be important to continue to find the proportionate and pragmatic responses to the demands this small jurisdiction will face as a consequence.”
