Environment and Infrastructure/ Development and Planning

Housing

I would like to see policy investigated and brought forward to speed up the house building cycle. Guernsey has seen a significant increase in housing demand, but no corresponding policy from government to identify processes that could be changed to speed up the process.

This seems to be changing under the new DPA, but also needs changes at all levels of policy.

I believe a fast track process for house building is needed. I have an idea on how this could be done but would be open to discussion and debate on this topic with builders, planners and Deputies.

  • My idea borrows from the way financial services is regulated. In this regard, the regulator regulates the market participants, rather than scrutinizing every single financial product built.

    In the same way, it should be possible to regulate locally domiciled house builders on a risk based approach (like the GFSC PRISM approach), determine types of houses and land that can be built on (using the existing frameworks such as development framework, strategic land usage plan and island development plan), and remove States oversight on each individual build. Each licensed builder would be subject to (a) fines and (b) public censure (c) removal of license if they fail to comply. The existing building control function would develop regulations and oversight on the licensed builders on a risk based approach.

    Non regulated house building would continue in tandem. Licensed builders would be responsible for any off island labor brought on island to ensure they comply with the regulations.

Underwriting of Sea Defenses

There is an overwhelming scientific conclusion that global warming will lead to rising sea levels. Given the overshoot on global warming targets at the current time with global temperatures at 1.35 degrees above pre-industrial levels (and an upward trend).  If the trend of increasing temperature is not reversed, sea levels by 2100 could rise by as much as 80cm. This would result in Guernsey facing flooding in St Sampsons and St Peter Port that used to be once in a generation on a regular basis.

I believe that the cost of paying for sea defenses to protect against this needs to start to be saved for and plans, based on demonstrable trend patterns, drawn up to ensure Guernsey is prepared for this as a possibility.

This does not means just saving money. That money can be cycled in and out of the system. It means developing a framework for growing capital to expend, should the need arise. It means recognizing this as a possibility and starting to plan for it.

I would look to E&I to acknowledge this and set out an initial management action plan for mitigating this risk.