Social Housing in Jersey at an unsocial cost - will the "affordable housing shortage" ever end?

Andium Homes the "arms length" company that has taken over the role of social housing provider for Jersey Government has just refurbished a small block of two bedroom maisonettes at Clos de Sables, St Brelade
Originally built in the 1960s the block had major structural faults and Andium has made the building look better than it ever did - but the flats do not offer "lifetime homes" standards and at over £300 per week rent they are hardly "affordable" to many.

A few hundred metres away on the other side of Route Orange are some of the Island's more expensive private properties including the stylish 1930s Les Lumieres - alongside which a very large private dwelling is now being constructed.

So there is no shortage of money available in Jersey for new housing or to pay for old properties and this area of St Brelade could be  further developed or redeveloped to provide many housing units. But who should enjoy them....

Here Deputy Tadier discusses some of the many and complex issues relating to this area and other matters that can apply across the Island

PART ONE

PART TWO

Social housing and other "social" decisions in the Jersey Planning system...

The Planning Panel was in a generous mood towards developers today.

Senator Ozouf and his family’s “Highstead” farm development in Green Zone St Saviour was approved without dissent but none of the 19 new homes plus the restored 18^th century, listed farmhouse – will be put on the “Gateway” list for social housing.

This is up-market housing and different standards apply in such rural areas of Jersey.

The developers will though contribute towards a pathway connection to Rue des Pres and road improvements including improved road sight lines…

 

Earlier in the day Andium Homes had revealed that there are currently 1,092 families waiting for social housing accommodation on that list alone and that is one of the reasons why they are to be allowed to cram another 100% of units (145 flats) on the redeveloped Le Squez Phase IV site.

This is within the built up zone of course in St Clement where almost anything goes.

Desperate needs must etc…

 

The Planning Officer explained that this was a high density proposal because that is what the previous Minister and the Island Plan required although it was admitted that there would be some “impact” on existing neighbours’ properties…but everybody (apart from a protesting neighbour) agreed that the Architects had achieved “an Excellent standard of design” and it was in line with UK standards so far as space between blocks are concerned – better even that Hammersmith or Fulham!

Nevertheless, some window would have to be fitted with permanent louvres to prevent the occupiers from looking out and spoiling the privacy of their neighbours or overlooking the communal amenity areas.

 

No such restrictions were mentioned by the Architect regarding “Highstead.”

Presumably different design standards were applied there where a similar – but very low-rise – courtyard plan was proposed.

 

Strangely, “excellent design” is a fickle creature because Andium is currently proposing to demolish and redevelop the Green Street low rise blocks (whilst retaining a sole high-rise block there) which were also considered to be of a high standard of design and are still listed.

Yet again, because the Island Plan requires it, these 50 years old flats in the “built-up zone” are be redeveloped with a 300% increase in numbers of homes. Now they are of course considered as no longer fit for habitation and the tenants are to be “decanted” elsewhere …but not with the same care afforded to vintage wines. The listing of such buildings counts for little in St Helier.

 

Green Street low-rise is now degenerating into what used to be categorized as “slums” in the past and were presumably built to house people “decanted” from even earlier “sub-standard accommodation” in the town. Shall this cycle never be stopped?

 

And how odd it is that Architects and Planners created both the Le Squez and Green Street developments just 50 or so years ago and both are now only fit for demolition, just like so much other post-war “social housing “ in Jersey. On the other hand, the 300 year old “Highstead” farmhouse is still going strong, was not designed by an Architect nor created in line with an “Island Plan” and the new houses on this site are to be in a similar 18^th century style, using granite etc.

 

What does this really say about the achievement of architects and planners since the war in Jersey?

In September there is a week of self-praise and award giving among the professionals but have they anything to be proud of when it comes to providing “social housing” in Jersey?

Now we are cramming accommodation in wherever a “built – up zone” space allows.

Although “Parker Morris” minimum space standards were introduced in the 1950’s during more enlightened times these have never been fully achieved and the ludicrously high densities now being permitted are just a formula for future problems.

How can professionally trained designers allow this to happen? Whose interests do they serve?

 

It is not just about housing accommodation either because so much commercial, office and hotel accommodation built in the recent past is not longer “fit for purpose” and the call is for new “A Class” facilities.

Yet the same call is to convert much of these redundant “sub-standard” buildings into housing accommodation, which must inevitably fail to achieve the highest quality.

 

Another development that achieved the nod of the Planning Panel today was that for a two part plan to move metal recycling and organic waste disposal to La Collette. It was inevitably approved because “the Island Plan” required it but this was a really blatant example of the divided Island, Ghetto creating, NIMBY attitude towards “social” or “public” provision of services and facilities.

 

As Bob Le Brocq pointed out (protesting in a personal capacity), Constable Gallichan of St Mary (who chaired the session), had previously rejected the organic facility in her Parish.

Bob thought that the facilities should be shared among 3 centres but the decision was to approve La Collette in spite of the nearly 600 vehicles per day (7 days a week) that will deliver there travelling via Commercial Building or Havre De Pas.

 

Whether that was 600 in and 600 out again was not made clear but it would have made no difference.

Nobody wanted the facility in their patch of Jersey so dump it in St Helier was the foregone conclusion.

Only one objection had been made against it – by the St Helier Roads Committee and the two St Helier Deputies on the Panel (Labey and Wickenden) recused  (absented)  the themselves for the discussion, as is the policy.

 

Who can resist such a flawed process?

Evelyn's progress report - May 2015

From time to time we catch up with Evelyn who is ill, not fit for work and trapped into the Jersey Social Security, Health and  Social Housing systems.

We try to present her situation accurately as she experiences it and several previous interviews can be found on this blog.

Because Evelyn experiences a great deal of pain she  smokes cannabis when it is available . This is the best treatment she has discovered because it relieves her symptoms and gives her an appetite but of course it is illegal.

The official policy is that she must take prescribed  morphine and other opiates but these actually add to her physical problems and do not give her the relief she needs.

Evelyn has petitioned the States of Jersey seeking permission to have cannabis prescribed by her doctors for her own personal use but this was rejected.

Sometimes she is visited by the Police and has been arrested/charged for possession of cannabis etc. on occasions.
Even her aged parents have had their car taken apart by the Customs at St Helier when returning from France - presumably looking for cannabis.

We try not to judge the situation by Evelyn clearly has enough problems to deal with arising from her poor heath  and she does receive official help BUT it just appears to be so inadequate and uncaring at times.

We offer the following interview in 3 parts of about 6 or 7 minutes each;

Sandra's New Flat!!!! Jersey Housing Department's seasonal joke in 4 parts...

Sandra  and her daughter have featured in several previous blog postings and even the JEP and other "accredited media" have reported on her housing and related problems.

The "black mould" of condensation was the most recent focus of attention but her difficulties are even more profound because Sandra has disabilities which require her to have specially adapted accommodation.
It's quite simple really. For example,  if you cannot open  windows  because they cannot be reached or are too stiff to operate - then good ventilation cannot be achieved and condensation results....

There is no point in blaming the tenant - the simple fact is that the flat is poorly designed for her specific needs - and after all, we all need to have windows that can be opened whether we are classed as "disabled" or otherwise....

Yet there are more specific design needs that follow from disability - such as grab handles in appropriate places - especially around toilets and baths - and there is a need for extra space to accommodate wheelchairs or other disability aids...and to use the toilet or bath or even to move around other rooms.

As we say now,  its not rocket science - but you would think that the Jersey Housing Department has never had to consider such matters before  because they have offered Sandra the key to the door of the flat as shown on the videos that follow...
The departmental staff seem to think that it's an improvement but in fact it offers worse accommodation than Sandra's current flat in Liberation Court (which is less than 20 years old).

As can be seen the latest flat is just simply not suitable for a person with her severe disabilities and as we have already told  Minister  Deputy Green many times before ( and he has personal knowledge of disability in his own family) - standard issue flats are just simply not suitable for this tenant or others with similar needs.

What is Sandra supposed to do with her (two) disability scooters - where can they be parked and charged from the electricity supply?
They are her legs after all so cannot be dispensed with at a whim....and they are very heavy and her daughter has already injured her back by trying to move them about ....and we have already complained to the Fire Department about the danger of parking these to block escape routes because there is nowhere else...

So  please look at these fours parts of our video and try to put yourself in Sandra's seat....

...and bear in mind that "Social Housing" is soon to be handed over to the private company called Andium from July and that Deputy Green the Housing Minister has already announced his intention to quit this office with his eyes on the Health Department - where the declared new policy is that people should care for themselves "in their own homes"...!

With Andium under the Chair of a UK resident receiving £40,000 for  his 30 hours annual attention to the problems of Sandra and thousands of others with real housing needs and the Health service already reeling from shortages and inadequacies and a similar planned "user pays" policy - the future looks ever more grim for those with specific needs and limited resources of their own....

And whilst we have your attention - why is Sandra's  18 years old daughter not treated as her carer and rewarded financially and given the appropriate support too...?