Affordable housing sites down the drain?

November 2023 saw the long-awaited publication of supplementary planning guidance comprising development briefs for each of the 15 sites in Jersey that have been re-zoned for development of affordable housing in St John, St Martin, St Mary, St Ouen, St Peter, St Saviour and Trinity.

The brief outlined how prospective developers should ensure that homes on such sites are "affordable" and with the average cost of a three bedroom house in Jersey now £823,000, clearly delivery of affordable schemes for Jersey families is welcomed.

However, whilst the development briefs aim to encourage developers to get these schemes out of the ground, many have complained that sites are uncommercial due to inadequate public drainage systems.

Local press reports outline frustrations from architects and developers citing that significant underfunding and lack of maintenance in the public sewerage system means that many of the identified sites require substantial – and costly – drainage works in order to be viable.

This, coupled with a lack of enough drainage experts on the Island, leaves developers at something of a stalemate. Whilst keen to get on and build houses, lack of clarity around such drainage capacity and who pays to upgrade them leaves many unprepared to commit.

So, whilst demand for affordable housing rises, identifying 15 sites for development is obviously good news, but unless the required capacity of the relevant sewerage systems can be resolved quickly, families' hopes for a new home in the near future may be down the drain.