Work starts on 22 new keyworker homes

Tuesday 17 April 2018

Guernsey Housing Association (GHA) is working in partnership with Health & Social Care (HSC) and Employment & Social Security (ESS) to build 22 new flats and houses for keyworkers employed by HSC.

Work on the GHA managed project started yesterday, and now the plans are for the site to be owned, managed and maintained by the GHA, who will rent them out to the HSC staff.

The land, at Beauville, Ville au Roi, has previously been occupied by some old HSC buildings, what used to be the Priaulx garage and an Island Wide Shop shop that closed many years ago.

GHA has been working on the design with HSC and ESS to provide high-quality accommodation in order to help recruit and retain much-needed keyworkers. The mix of accommodation being provided is 14 one-bed flats, two two-bed houses and six three-bed houses.

Deputy Heidi Soulsby, President of the Committee for Health & Social Care, said: “I am delighted to see the start of the construction of these properties for keyworkers which will play its part in attracting quality staff to work for HSC.

"I am really happy with how everything has worked out. HSC used to own this land and by working in partnership we have been able to pass the responsibility of being a landlord on to the GHA, who do work like that day in day out, so we can focus on doing what we are mandated to do providing Health & Social Care.

Following a tender process RG Falla won the contract and will commence building work in April. The development is expected to be completed by July 2019 and it will cost circa £3.4m.  The land has been provided at a discounted price by the States of Guernsey, which helps the financing of the project and keeps the rents down.

Pictured: Deputy Heidi Soulsby demolishes the first piece of one of the buildings on the land, in her first time using a digger.

Deputy Michelle Le Clerc, President of the Committee for Employment & Social Security, said that more projects like this would be on the way in the future.

"I’m pleased to be working with the GHA and HSC on this much-needed development. As part of the Committee’s mandate for affordable housing, I recognise how important it is to provide suitable accommodation for key workers.

"Employment & Social Security are responsible for key worker housing on the island, and this is the first one that we have started since the mandate moved to us. Projects like this are essential to getting the right staff on the island, and while we work closely with HSC, we are looking to get more projects like this off the ground with other committees like Education and also the Home committee."

"This is just a start for us now, we have a few hundred staff who could benefit from similar accommodation, so we aren't going to stop here," Deputy Soulsby added.

Pictured top: Deputies Michelle Le Clerc and Heidi Soulsby, Presidents of Employment & Social Security and Health & Social Care, GHA Chairman Chris Hill and GHA Chief Executive Steve Williams.