The redevelopment of Convent and Caesarea Courts and number and type of replacement accommodation

1240/5(3251)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOUSING BY DEPUTY S. PITMAN OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 27th MARCH 2007

Question

1. W o uld the Minister informmembershowmanynewunits will replace Convent Court and Caesarea Court (high rise), once they are demolished?Furthermore, would healso confirm thenumberand type ofthese units i.e. 1, 2, 3 bedroom and sheltered housing accommodation?
2. F o llowing the Minister'sstatementon 27th February 2007 that each individual residentofConventand Caesarea Court would be visited this year' to assess their need andrequirements with regard to the newly built units, would the Minister inform members how soon these visits will take place?
3. W o uld the Minister informMemberswhen the concretedegradation of Caesarea and ConventCourtswas identified as a serious concernby his Department?
4. I n anansweron 27th February 2007, regarding the elderly residents of CaesareaCourt,theMinister informed members that he will be working very closely with the Planning Minister to try to identify land that wedesperatelyneed to producemore sheltered homes for theelderly'. Would the Minister clarify for Memberswhether he was only referring to the elderly residents currently living atCaesarea Court and, if not, would he explain to which elderly' people hewas actually referring?

Answer

1. C o n v ent Court and Caesarea Court will be demolished if the States Assemblyapprove the Social

Housing Property Plan, to be debated on 19th June 2007.  The Planning Minister will only allow the demolition to proceed when he has approved a replacement scheme of suitable Town Houses and

sheltered type accommodation.  It would be presumptuous to say how many at this stage, save that a new scheme will greatly enhance the area and will provide the type of homes our tenants have every right to expect.  The future for States Tenants has never been brighter.

2. T h e SocialHousing Property Plan details a numberofrefurbishmentprojects. Thoseresidents affected in 2007 and 2008willbe visited this year. The HousingDepartmentis a very smalldepartment with limited staff resources.  These visits will  therefore take timetoarrangeand for obvious reasons will not take place until the States have made a decision in June. However, I amconfidentresidentsofCaesareaCourt and ConventCourt will have been visited by the endofAugust 2007.
3. C o n c retedegradationwas identified as a problem in 2001. In 2003 the building was scaffolded and remediation worksundertaken. Thisisan on-going requirement.
4. I a m  delighted we are all living longer!  However in ordertocaterforan ageing society,we need toensure wehavetheright type andquantityofhomes. Eventoday, the greatestdemand for social housing is in the one bedroom category. By 2030 some 30% ofJersey's population will be over normal retirement age. I amworking closely with the Planning Minister toensure an adequate supply of sheltered housing is available soonandofcoursetomeetthecontinuingdemands into the future.  TheSocialHousing Property Plan is very muchabout realigning the current States Rentalstock to meet this very need.