The JEP asked industry leaders whether a decommissioned cruise liner could help companies overcome the ‘barrier to business’ that housing overseas workers presents. Kelly Frost reports
JERSEY has long struggled to attract and retain workers from the UK and further afield.
The Island is small, with relatively few available properties – and those which are on the market often come with an eye-watering monthly rent.
But Jersey is not alone in facing this problem – and other jurisdictions have thought outside the box (or at least outside their land mass) to try to ease the pain.
And the recently released Barriers to Business report has suggested that the Island should consider joining them – by housing overseas workers on a decommissioned cruise ship.
The report, commissioned by Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel, put forward a raft of short-, medium- and long-term recommendations to government to make it easier to conduct business in Jersey.
These included an overhaul of employment licensing and removing restrictions on opening hours before the end of next year. But one of the more intriguing medium-term recommendations was to look into creating temporary accommodation for seasonal workers by repurposing offices or using a decommissioned cruise ship. The report said this should be done by 2026.
The Bibby Stockholm barge, which floats off the Dorset coast and is designed to house asylum seekers, may come to mind. But other jurisdictions have found success in using vessels to accommodate workers.
In Shetland, energy company Petrofac hired as many as six cruise ships to house thousands of construction workers employed to build a gas plant which brought in millions per month to the local economy.
Meanwhile, Gibraltar uses an ex-cruise ship docked in its harbour to provide accommodation for conferences when hotel space is limited, and European port cities such as Copenhagen have successfully used modern designs to add mini floating districts where urban development is constrained by lack of space.
The “rigger community” has 72 apartments in the harbour of Copenhagen, and transforms a largely undeveloped waterfront ten minutes from the city centre into affordable, sustainable housing.
Over 235 Island businesses were surveyed for the Barriers to Business report, which was carried out by government-funded arms-length agency Jersey Business. Some said that building or sourcing accommodation for seasonal staff was “hampered by legislation and planning controls which can limit the ability to build and convert outbuildings for lodging houses”. The lack of staff then resulted in limited opening times, some respondents said.
Gavin Reid, managing director of Randalls, which owns more than ten pubs and restaurants around the Island, said “thinking outside the box” for short-term accommodation solutions with initiatives such as a decommissioned cruise ship would be welcomed by the industry.
Mr Reid said that he suggested the possibility of leasing a cruise ship over a year ago, but the idea was not taken up.
He continued: “Randalls were fortunate to be able to buy a guest house two years ago which has provided accommodation for many of our seasonal workers, in addition to the other residential units we own across the Island, so this has helped mitigate and ease Randalls’ ability to provide accommodation for our seasonal workers.
“However, most independent operators don’t have the resources to be able to address their problem in the same way.
“I know of many operators who can secure experienced staff but they just can’t find suitable or affordable accommodation for them.”
Gerald Voisin, owner of Voisins department store, said using an ex-cruise ship could help ease Jersey’s accommodation issues.
Retail is among the sectors which have been worst hit by labour shortages, with some shops having to cut opening times because of a lack of staff.
“Mooring up a cruise ship alongside the Harbour has all sorts of connotations considering the barges used to house asylum seekers in the UK.
“That said, I would support anything that provides decent accommodation for workers in Jersey. It is disappointing to see that the Constable of St Helier wants to use a commercial site to extend the town park, when that could be a much-needed site for accommodation.”
Mr Voisin added: “The ex-cruise-ship idea would have to be looked at, but if it is quality accommodation that would bring down the price of housing, then I am happy with it.
“Of course, the price of housing is one of the largest drivers of inflation, so anything we can do to bring that down.”
Natalie Duffy, owner of the Salty Dog Bar & Bistro in St Aubin and employer of around six seasonal staff during the peak summer season, said that hiring workers from abroad was “extremely difficult” and it was an “absolute priority” that a solution was found.
She said: “Any initiative is going to be useful in terms of creating accommodation for our visiting staff, as long as the ideas are viable and provide a standard of living that is suitable, comfortable, safe and clean.
“I don’t know how realistic a cruise ship is, but it’s an innovative idea. We would have to ask where it would be parked, what would happen at low tide, etc.
“Converting office space is also a brilliant idea, but we should just get on with it and stop talking about it. These have been discussed for a number of years, but we need some action.
“Hospitality and trade businesses desperately need accommodation for non-qualified staff – or [the Island should] scrap qualification entirely.
“The lodging houses and hotels in town are being turned into flats which are [for] qualified [tenants], so we can’t use them. Now we’re having to look at becoming landlords and finding accommodation for our staff, but if there are entrepreneurs out there or investors willing to set up an operation like the decommissioned cruise ship, then we welcome that.”
Some Islanders, such as Lee Madden, of GR8 Recruitment, were less convinced by the idea.
He described it as “impractical” and said that previous attempts to get a cruise ship project off the ground had quickly sunk.
“The insurance was horrendous, as were the associated costs, and we couldn’t make it work,” he said.
He continued: “But repurposing empty or derelict office blocks is a perfect idea. We could renovate them into staff accommodation in the short term and then it could be returned to residents when a long-term solution was found.”
