Deputy Anne Pryke has also backed plans to build hundreds of affordable homes at Warwick Farm and Samarès Nurseries and said that the States needs to find other potential sites to develop within their property portfolio in order to cope with demand.
Her comments come after social housing provider Andium Homes said that it was ‘overwhelmed’ by the number of people who attended a recent home-buy open day.
Recently, planning approval has been granted for a 200-home development at Samarès Nurseries in St Clement, while Andium and Chief Minister Ian Gorst have both shown support for a potential first-time buyer scheme at Warwick Farm on Grande Route de St Jean, which would deliver a similar number of units.
Andium says that it wants to build three-bedroom homes in the £325,000 to £330,000 price range for first-time buyers on the sites.
Senator Sarah Ferguson asked Deputy Pryke during this week’s States sitting whether she thought it had been ‘prudent’ for planning permission to be granted at Samarès Nurseries, despite the fact that the development is to be built on marshlands and that issues such as drainage arrangement and connection to sewers still needed to be addressed.
Deputy Pryke said, however, that she ‘congratulated’ the Planning Committee on approving the site.
‘It will deliver 200 affordable homes for rent, as well as purchase. I know it was a difficult site but this site was re-zoned in the Island Plan in 2012 purposely for that,’ she said.
‘Regarding planning permission, that is something for the developer, Andium, and the parish to sort out. But the principle is following up on the Island Plan. It will deliver those houses which we desperately need.’
Deputy Jackie Hilton asked whether the minister was ‘confident’ there are enough housing sites in Jersey to meet demand for affordable housing.
The minister said that the recent attendance at the Andium open day indicated that there was still a shortage.
‘If the question is are we meeting the needs of the 600 families who want homes within the 2020 timeline, the answer has got to be no,’ said Deputy Pryke.
‘We need to look with Jersey Property Holdings at our own sites and how we can make best use of them and instead of prevaricating, get on with it and make a difference.’
