Unused government sites are ‘not suitable for housing’

Former Planning Dept offices at South Hill, extensively boarded up and huge car parking area left unused Picture: ROB CURRIE

Deputy Kevin Lewis said the ‘most significant sites that could contribute to new housing supply from current government-owned sites’ had been identified and published in the bridging Island Plan.

These include the Ambulance Station, Le Bas, part of St Saviour’s Hospital, Westaway Court and offices in La Motte Street.

The draft plan estimates that up to 425 affordable homes will be delivered from government-owned sites over the three-year bridging period.

Deputy Lewis also cited the former Limes nursing home in Green Street and the former Planning Department offices at South Hill as examples of two ‘government-owned surplus sites’ recently transferred to Andium and the States Development Company, to be developed for both affordable and open-market housing.

Of the 44 government-owned units categorised as ‘vacant’, Deputy Lewis said most of the sites, which include spaces at Fort Regent, were ‘not suitable for residential development, as they are temporary voids’.

Other vacant sites not suitable for housing included those identified for non-residential development such as Overdale, which is earmarked for the new hospital, or commercial sites such as a shop at 12 Burrard Street.

Deputy Lewis was responding to a written question from Deputy Kirsten Morel, who asked how many unused properties the government owned and whether any could be used for affordable housing ‘either as empty sites or via property conversion’.

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