MORE than a quarter of government-owned sites have “major defects” or are “not operating as intended”, the first report on the condition of the public estate since 2011 has found.
And the Infrastructure Minister has said that the “significant amount of maintenance work” needed across the portfolio was a priority for him and the Jersey Property Holdings team.
The State of the Estate 2023 report sets out how the government is meeting objectives in the Island Public Estate Strategy 2021 to 2035, and how its 867 sites across Jersey performed last year.
The full condition survey found that 19% of the properties were marked C (fair), meaning they showed “major defects and/or were not operating as intended”.
A further 7% were marked D (poor), which meant that there was “significant wear, damage or dysfunction” and that “repairs or restoration may be necessary to bring the item or property to an acceptable standard”.
A total of 40% were marked B/C (between good and fair’), while 32% were marked B (good), indicating the property showed signs of wear but was “generally well-maintained and functional”.
The report said that a “significant backlog maintenance requirement” had been identified, and that the work needed to be undertaken in the next two years. In the longer term, additional funds would be required to cover future maintenance costs, it added.
The amount needed to clear the backlog was “currently beyond the current annual property maintenance budget” and “will need to be addressed in future Government Plans and the longer-term capital programme”, the report continued.
Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan said: “There is a significant amount of maintenance work needed across our estate, particularly in the next few years. Ensuring our buildings remain safe to use, both for the public and those who work in them, is clearly a priority for me and the Jersey Property Holdings team.
“It’s important to remember that most of our sites are rated as in excellent, good or between good and fair condition.”
He added: “We continue to work closely with colleagues in Treasury to find ways of meeting the remaining challenges across the estate, with increased regulatory requirements. I also want to engage more closely with other departments, with clearer agreements about where maintenance responsibilities lie and how we can take better ongoing care of our buildings on a daily basis.”
The total annual Jersey Property Holdings maintenance budget in 2023 was £7 million, with Education and Health sites accounting for just over 70% of the total spend.
According to the report, the total budget has fallen in real terms since 2015 when the annual budget was £8.5 million. To address this shortfall, officials are looking to move “legacy maintenance budgets” to Jersey Property Holdings.
The State of the Estate report also found some “information gaps”, including detail on environmental performance indicators, such as building energy ratings, which are still being developed and are scheduled to be completed in time for future annual reports.
In 2019, the Public Accounts Committee discovered that no major condition survey of publicly-owned buildings held within the Jersey Property Holdings portfolio had been carried out since 2011.
The committee further said that there had been an “unacceptable lack of foresight of planning” and criticised the body for “haphazard” management of the portfolio.
The first Island Public Estate Strategy, published in 2021, set the objectives to guide all property management and ensure that this is undertaken professionally, transparently and with a proper understanding of the impact on the local community.
