Select a region
The President of Policy & Resources has lamented the difficulty the younger generation has in getting on the housing ladder, while suggesting several ways he thinks the situation could be alleviated.
During a discussion with Express, Deputy Peter Ferbrache revisited his ‘housing task force’ idea while discussing ways to reduce the pressure on first time buyers.
His long-term plan has always been to build a professional task force to go around the island identifying plots prime for development.
“I'd have a group of people, some States members, some environmentalists, some estate agents, some architects; I’d go around the island and say, ‘that site, that site and that site for housing’.”
Despite industry support for the idea earlier this year, the idea hasn’t picked up any traction yet.
Pictured: Deputy Ferbrache spoke about housing during a conversation that touched on a broad range of issues.
Deputy Ferbrache also suggested scrapping GP11 entirely: “It hasn't worked the way I thought it would work. I voted for it, but it hasn't worked.
“I would bring in the old policy or a variety of policies, one of which would be that you'didentify some land, and you say, ‘okay, that's for first time buyers’.
“That's the young people who either want to get a contract trying to build a property, or – like in the old days - [they could] get together an electrician, a plumber, or whatever. And they build a property. They can't do that now [because] buying a plot of land is so extortionate, so very expensive.”
He said he looks at properties “in the paper or in the estate agent's window, and I think...I'm glad I'm the age that I am”.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.