LARGE affordable housing projects could be “let off” from a requirement to contribute around 1% of construction costs towards public art to ensure they are “as affordable as they possibly can be”, the Environment Minister has said.
Deputy Steve Luce told politicians there were no current plans to reform the Bridging Island Plan’s “percentage for art” policy, which places an obligation on developers of large-scale projects.
But the policy – which was described as having “flexibility” – has exemptions which were also highlighted in the States this week.
Responding to a question from Deputy Hilary Jeune, the minister said that all policies – including GD10 – in the Bridging Island Plan would be assessed to see how effective they had been as part of a review ahead of a new Islandwide planning document being published and debated.
But he did commit to looking at the issue in the “short time” he has left as a minister ahead of next year’s general election.
Deputy Lucy Stephenson asked what message was sent out that government departments were seeking to have developments exempted from the public art policy, highlighting the case of the new multi-million pound new Oakfield Sports Centre.
The minister said he believed that in this case it was felt “it was important to put as much money as possible” into sporting facilities at the centre.
“It may well be that other applications for things like affordable housing, for example, and large schemes which might attract a percentage for art contribution would again be let off,” he said, adding that it was “important” to make the houses “as affordable as they possibly can be”.
Deputy Stephenson asked whether the ministers would consider looking at repackaging the policy to also incorporate sport or play provision for the area surrounding a development.
She added: “It seems to me, certainly that while it may have been effective in its own way over the years, we’ve had a number of decades of this policy, and perhaps it’s a way to look at it in a different way.”
Deputy Luce said there would be “lots of things” to consider when the policy was reviewed.
The minister highlighted that he had tried to bring community levies to the Assembly before – as a way of getting developers to contribute to community infrastructure – and had “failed miserably”.
He added: “There’s scope to look at this policy and this guidance again.”
Deputy Luce finished his speech by stressing that there was “no doubt” in his mind that the policy had delivered some “fantastic” and “very visible” pieces of art, including, he said, a £250,000 steel sculpture at the Waterfront called Sail by Chinese artist Zheng Lu.
The seven-metre tall sculpture was part of the percentage for art obligation on Jersey Development Company for its Horizon apartments.
