Mistakes were made in the construction process which mean that a number of balconies across a total of eight blocks of flats now have to be replaced due to the safety risk.
Two weeks ago, States Members voted in favour of a £600,000 loan scheme put forward by the Housing Minister, Deputy Russell Labey, which would allow residents to get loans of up to £14,000 to fix their balconies.
But St. Brelade representative Deputy Montfort Tadier, who was not present for the vote, now says that plan should be scrapped.
Pictured: St. Brelade representative, Deputy Montfort Tadier.
Since then, he says that he has met 17 flat owners – many of whom are concerned about the affordability of the loans and the period for repayment. They were also upset about having to pick up the tab, despite feeling that the fault lay with the Housing Department of the day.
“Some owners explained that they would struggle to afford the loan repayments, some were elderly and were worried about having debt having over them for potentially a further ten years,” explained Deputy Tadier.
“…A question was asked about why interest needed to be charged at all, or at such a rate; some said that they were not eligible for the loan as their income was ‘too high’, but said that gross income and disposable income are not the same thing; and that it was ultimately the States fault for allowing incorrect construction methods to be used which resulted in faulty balconies to be built.”
Pictured: Defects have been identified in the balconies of the upper floors at Les Quennevais Park Flats.
Deputy Tadier said parishioners had also made representations to Parish Deputy Graham Truscott, and their former Constable, Senator Steve Pallett.
He is therefore asking States Members to agree to rescind the proposal, to allow for the terms of the loan to be changed and to consider whether the Government should itself fund the costs of the work by way of a one-off grant.
The proposal is due to be debated in the States Assembly on 29 June.