Island Plan 2011: revised draft revision – approval (P.37/2014) – third amendment.

STATES OF JERSEY

ISLAND PLAN 2011: REVISED DRAFT REVISION – APPROVAL (P.37/2014) – THIRD AMENDMENT

Lodged au Greffe on 1st May 2014 by the Deputy of St. Martin

STATES GREFFE

2014   Price code: B  P.37 Amd.(3)

ISLAND PLAN 2011: REVISED DRAFT REVISION – APPROVAL (P.37/2014) – THIRD AMENDMENT

PAGE 2 –

After the words "the revised draft revision to the Island Plan 2011" insert the words –

"except that –

1. in the preamble to Policy H5, at paragraph 6.117 (on page 250), after the words the States of Jersey Affordable Housing Gateway' there  be  inserted  the  words  , with  the  exception  of  F.402, St. Martin .';
2. for  Policy H5  (on  pages  251  and 252)  there be  substituted the following policy –

Policy H5

Affordable housing in rural centres

The Minister will support the provision of affordable housing to support the viability and vitality of Jersey's rural settlements.

The site listed below and shown on the Island Proposals Map, is zoned for the purpose of providing 80% Category A social rent affordable housing and 20% Category A affordable housing for purchase. This will be regulated through the award of planning permission  and  planning  obligation  agreements.  Planning permission for other forms of development will not be approved.

1. Glasshouse site, Field 785, St. Ouen (1.5 acres/3.5 vergées);

Access to Category A affordable homes provided on this site shall be controlled and managed though the States of Jersey Affordable Housing Gateway and all social rent affordable homes shall be managed by a States of Jersey approved registered social landlord.

Where necessary, the site will be acquired by the States on behalf of the public, if needs be by compulsory purchase, in order to ensure  that  it  is  brought  forward  for  the  development  of Category A affordable homes.

The site listed below and shown on the Island Proposals Map, is zoned  for  the  purposes  of  providing  affordable  housing  for purchase, subject to the preparation and adoption of a village plan (including a full consideration of alternative sites) by the Minister for Planning and Environment:

2. Field 402, St. Martin (1.5 acres/3.5 vergées);

Access  to  affordable  homes  provided  on  this  site  shall  be controlled  and  managed  through  The   St. Martin 's  Housing Association.

The potential number and type of homes that could be provided on these sites will be considered in development briefs to be issued, as

supplementary planning guidance, by the Minister for Planning and Environment.

Other housing development proposals to support the viability and vitality of Jersey's rural settlements will be permitted, provided that the development:

1. is appropriate relative to the existing character of the village; and
2. is well-related  to the  existing  Built-up  Area  and  local facilities, services and infrastructure and where provision for education,  leisure,  recreation,  local  shopping,  and  other community facilities is adequate or can be provided, where required, to meet the needs arising from the proposals.'

3. the revised draft Island Plan 2011 and the Proposals Map be further amended in such respects as may be necessary consequent upon the adoption of (b);".

DEPUTY OF ST. MARTIN

REPORT

This amendment is proposed in order to allow the Parish of St. Martin to maintain their record of providing affordable houses and, with parish assistance, help more young people to realise a dream of owning their own home.

As a relatively small parish, St. Martin is proud of its record of providing affordable, retirement and lifelong homes. In recent years, the parish has built 31 first-time buyer homes for young couples, and 27 sheltered homes for older people associated with the parish. Although first conceived back in the 1990s, it was in 2006 that a new scheme was initiated that envisaged the building of another tranche of affordable homes for young people with Parish links. That scheme was based on Field 402 ( St. Martin ).

In the 2002 Island Plan, Field 402 was identified for housing and zoned accordingly. The 2002 Island Plan also stated that St. Martin was a "rural settlement that had evolved  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Parish  Church"  and  that  "existing  plans  for  the settlement at St. Martin would be updated". It further accepted that the key rural settlements have an important rôle for administration and services in their respective parishes,  and  have  a  clear  concentration  of  housing  and  community  facilities. St. Martin 's Village was considered as an "important settlement", with a "full range of facilities including a primary school, church, community/parish hall, public house and local shop". It was against that background that the St. Martin 's Housing Association decided to initiate the development of Field 402.

In the Island Plan 2002 the Minister for Planning and Environment indicated that he wished the northern parishes to share the burden of a growing housing need across the Island. The then Minister wanted some 100 new homes distributed across the north of the Island, and St. Martin indicated that it was prepared to "do its bit". Consequently, plans were drawn up for Field 402. Despite the fact that St. Martin had an application ready to submit, and that the plans and model had been completely redrawn for a second time to reflect changes in the by-law regulations, it was indicated to the Parish in early 2011 that the application to build in Field 402 would stand a much better chance of approval after the new (2011) Island Plan was approved. What a surprise it was for the Parish when the new Plan was agreed in the summer of 2011 and Field 402 was not even any longer zoned for housing. The Housing Association had by this time spent many tens of thousands of pounds on professional fees, and Members had devoted many hundreds of hours of free time, all to no avail.

Jersey has a fantastic tradition of honorary service, and the parish of St. Martin is no different. We rely on young people entering our Municipality, our Honorary Police force, and our many and various groups, Panels and Committees. The annual Gorey Fête and St. Martin 's Bonfire are events that are known across the whole Island and produce large sums of money for local charities, but there are also many other groups in  the  Parish  that  do  equally  good  work.  All  these  Parish  events  are  staffed  by parishioners at no cost ... a fantastic achievement, and one that the Parish is rightly proud of. However, to maintain these many honorary traditions we need more young people, and young families. To assist those families, St. Martin is prepared to sell houses at cost price, with shared equity, as a way of providing homes that young people can afford. To be clear, these houses will not ever be sold on the open market because  it  the  intention  of  the  Association  to  retain  their  third  equity  share  in perpetuity. The houses will also be sold to young families that, without this scheme, would not otherwise be able to afford to purchase properties of this type.

It has always been the intention, as in the past, that the emphasis of recipients would firstly be people with St. Martin connections, and that is still the same today. That does not mean that this scheme would not be open to all, but just that young Parish couples would have first option. St. Martin wants to help anyone who needs a home of this type, it just seems sensible that (should they wish to) young families should be able to stay near to their roots, with the obvious benefits that close proximity might give. For those, and other reasons, the Parish doesn't see the need to use the Housing Gateway. We have, over the years since this scheme was first mooted, built up a considerable list of people looking for a home to purchase, with many of those people applying from outside of the Parish. St. Martin has more than enough names to fill these homes without requiring any further input from the Gateway lists, although the Gateway could be used if required.

The St. Martin Housing Association has a proven track record, and experience of providing rural type homes in a country parish. The Association has also learned much from their previous projects. They can be relied upon to deliver a fair and equitable scheme that will genuinely deliver homes in a way that young people can afford to purchase. The Association have constantly relied on Field 402 for their next project

and, until very recently, have always worked on the basis that they would be allowed to  continue  as  such.  In  the  traditional  honorary  way,  the  Housing  Association Members all give freely of their time. This proposal just requests the Assembly to allow St. Martin to continue this honorary tradition, one that has served everyone so well in the past.

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial or manpower implications for the States arising from this amendment.

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