Planning and development – the proposed suspension of Policy GP11

A petition has been laid before the States of Guernsey proposing the Policy GP11 be suspended or removed.

What is Policy GP11?

Policy GP11 covers the provision of affordable housing as set out in the Island Development Plan (2016) (IDP) and sets out Guernsey’s Development and Planning Authority’s (DPA) policy for the provision of affordable housing.

The Policy requires any new developments with 20 or more dwellings to provide, free of charge, from 26 to 30 per cent of the developable land to the Guernsey Housing Association to be allocated for affordable housing.

What is affordable housing?

Affordable housing means property that’s reserved for certain groups of people who can’t afford to rent or buy property on the private market. It can mean social rental housing, intermediate housing (for example partial ownership), or extra care housing, and it is provided through the States of Guernsey or registered housing associations such as the Guernsey Housing Association.

Why might it be suspended?

Since adoption of the IDP in 2016, Policy GP11 has yet to be relevant to any planning application, with no land or units provided for affordable housing as a direct result of it. From this, it would appear to be clear that Policy GP11 is not achieving its intended purpose.

In particular, Guernsey developers and builders are supporting these proposed planning policy changes, including the suspension of GP11, stating that the policy is preventing the private sector increasing the supply of new homes and therefore enabling them to tackle the ongoing lack of housing.

What might suspension mean?

Critics warn that suspending GP11 could have unintended consequences on affordable housing and taxpayers’ money. This is because private developers will not be required to provide either plots or cash, and as a result much more taxpayers’ money will be needed for affordable housing.