Affordable homes plan ‘will destroy building industry’
Wednesday 7th April 2010, 3:00PM BST.
The IoD are critical of some aspects of the draft plan, but support more high-rise in town
THE building industry will crash if developers have to set aside 40 per cent of each project for affordable homes, the Institute of Directors has warned.
A week after the draft Island Plan consultation period ended, the organisation of business leaders has criticised the plan, saying that proposals would kill off the construction business.
In a statement, the organisation said: ‘The IoD argues that this [proposal] would bring construction to a crashing halt unless developers are heavily incentivised through tax breaks or other benefits.’
The IoD want the 40 per cent allocation reduced, but do support high-rise development in town and more development on ‘brownfield’ sites.
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It’s a double edged sword, no affordable homes, no people can live here affordably. Get Polish firms in.
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It’s about time the building industry collapses before this Island becomes like Hong Kong.
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I.O.D. No it won’t…it may thin them out a bit and given some of the cowboys here on a wing and a prayer,that would be a good thing.
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OK so I don’t claim to be the brightest bulb in the box. But are the Developer’s saying they can only build houses at a profit that no one can aford to buy? That can only be n accounta’s answer.
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So the developers don’t want to sell their properties then? If they are not affordable they won’t sell.
What the Chamber of Commerce is trying to say is the developers don’t want to be forced to make less money.
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Some firms have been creaming it for years IMHO. If they can’t provide basic housing get some european firms in I’m sure they could build for less, especially if they brought their materials in with them.
It would be nice to have some european builders in and the ones I’ve seen seem better at building than many over here.
It is about time all builders built up to a price not down to one IMHO.
How many times do we have to tell you? No more flats they are just a means to an even bigger profit (creaming it as I call it), it is time this was stopped.
And another thing when are the workers going to be heavily incentivised through tax breaks or other benefits? it is getting to expensive to live now for the vast majority, so much for a low tax, low cost island.
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Oh my god,pity the poor builder,i work in the building trade,and have never known a poor builder.tradesmen yes,[not all]builders NO.just look at some of their cars/house.etc.i know one builder who goes around the sites in a porche,and has more at home.they are by far becoming to greedy.
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Let the market determine who lives here. Just because someone was born here shouldn’t give them automatic rights to buy property. To force affordable housing only creates laziness. If you want to buy property on the island, work hard and earn money – it isn’t just going to be given on a plate!
Thankfully the States rightly will also agree with the IoD and refuse this proposal in the end.
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Back in the 1970′s a relative bought a new home on a States Loan. It required interior decorating throughout; appart from a kitchen sink, it had no fitted kitchen, no central heating, and no double glazing. However, my relative was very happy with her purchase, as it enabled her and her husband to get on the property ladder, finish off the interior, and two years later start a family.
The builder, incidentally is still in business, though I guess he no longer builds ‘affordable’ homes. However, these basic States Loan homes were quickly improved and sold on at vast profits.
Anyone remember that Don Farm, St Brelade was basically a Self Build project ? More help for young families, which is no longer available in the persuit of greed and proffit !
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Yer gorra larf aint yer, but don’t worry – soon we won’t have to worry there won’t be anybody left able to buy!!!
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Raise it to 50% that lot have been ripping Jersey of for years.
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I see.
The Institute of Directors (which I was a member of for more years than I care to recall) wants a continuation of the appalling social divide that plagues Jersey.
It seems that it is perfectly in order to build so-called “luxury” houses and apartments for K-class occupation.
But ‘les sans-culottes’ can safely be left to live in less than ideal rented apartments that sometimes resemble third-world hovels.
Builders’ personal profits are to take precedence over an acute need for homes for ordinary, working ‘crapauds’.
This is truly scandalous!
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Goodbye Dandara – you won’t be missed
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The real answer of course is STOP letting more people in..
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SeekTheTruth post 8.
I am Jersey born, I work hard and have worked since the day I left school. I have a good job earning just slightly below the so called average wage and despite having saved for a deposit and getting on the property ladder I am only able to afford a flat where I can hear everything from the flats around me. That is snoring at night, weeing from upstairs, tv noise, talking noise etc etc.
Do you think that I should have worked harder, should not have done courses in my own time to enable me to get a better job because only those able to afford a property should be welcome here in my home land.
As I say, Jersey born, with Jersey ancestors yet I cannot get a decent place of my own. It makes me feel sadder that many people cant even get what I have. Whereas you, seem to ake delight in the fact that you have obviously got what you want and others are pushed asside whilst the developers and the rich external investors take the micky out of us.
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less builders = less need for houses/flats – sorted!
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@ Comment 8
how cruel that would be… the ‘market’ already determines too much in our lives, what about a state giving its citizens security?
developers have plenty of opportunity to make massive profits to sate their already full bellys. regulation like this is good for everyone, surely? how would we function as a society if it’s even harder for ‘normal’ workers (nurses, teachers, tradesmen)? who would do all the WORK?
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one thing we have forgotten, was price control , that was abolished, totaly to the detriment of young people , who are not so young , these days.
and sold our souls to the money god, and spit on our neighbour.
(9) (10) (12) (14) how true.
(8)you will be the first to moan when someone puts a tent up in your garden.
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(8) the person putting up the tent , was also unemployed , due to total unchecked immigration.
even in india, they are wanting to remove foreign actresses from bollywood, in favour of their own local people, a country so vast, looking after its own.
yet in jersey the doors are wide open, still, with a growing unemployment line.
we are only 9×5 miles.
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Call me simple but if 40% of the houses are “affordable” (presumably available to people who meet a particular criteria of relative poverty) that will reduce the long term housing stock for everyone else who doesn’t meet that criteria by 40%, pushing prices up….economics supply and demand lesson one.
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No the REAL answer is don’t buy an overpriced flat or house! No buyers = falling prices.
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Wasn’t April Fool’s Dat last week ??!!
These developers don’t want to build affordable houses?
What??!!
They don’t want to build houses that anyone can afford to buy?
How thick (or more likely…greedy) are these people?
Maybe the states should create their very own construction industry……local jobs for local residents and all that. Perhaps then we would get better quality for the £1/2 million or so we are expected to fork out for an average family home to live in these days
Could this help towards the diversification you’re after Adrian?
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….. I would go as far as to say the building industry has destroyed the quality of life for many a person in Jersey!
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I’d have to completely disagree with you here, Jersey people should have first dibs on any property build in their island. Thanks to all the foreigners your island is looking like a mini-city, I just hope the development in Guernsey doesn’t go this far. (Gsyman)
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JJ 15 –
I am Jersey born, I work hard and have worked since the day I left school. I have a good job earning just slightly below the so called average wage and despite having saved for a deposit and getting on the property ladder I am only able to afford a flat where I can hear everything from the flats around me. That is snoring at night, weeing from upstairs, tv noise, talking noise etc etc.
Do you think that I should have worked harder, should not have done courses in my own time to enable me to get a better job because only those able to afford a property should be welcome here in my home land.
As I say, Jersey born, with Jersey ancestors yet I cannot get a decent place of my own. It makes me feel sadder that many people cant even get what I have. Whereas you, seem to ake delight in the fact that you have obviously got what you want and others are pushed asside whilst the developers and the rich external investors take the micky out of us.
You seem to think that by birthright you have an automatic right to own property in Jersey, No8 Seek The Truth is right, this is market driven. Property costs so much in Jersey because it is in finite supply and Jersey is a desireable place to live, simple economics. Many people in the UK find themselves in the same situation unable to buy in their home town/city. The only difference is you can buy anywhere in the UK without waiting the 20 years that I had to wait for residential qualification.
You were born with the right to buy, it took me 20 years to earn it. That said I spent 20 years in overpriced sub standard accommodation and saved like hell and now own a house.
You don’t have the right to own anything else of high value, why a house. Do you expect housing to be subsidised so that locals can afford to buy, if so by who? You are already privelaged and have a 20 year head start on me, if you don’t like it there’s a boat out in the morning ( as I’ve so often been told )
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Why not just expand the Island like what we did at Elizabeth Harbour?
They could fill in the coves behind St. Catherine’s breakwater to Gorey Castle, that would create a massive area of land to create new homes on. We could call it the Parish of Cathrey or Gorine?
Rose x
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I am Jersey born and bred and cannot believe that even 60% of our rezoned land will be “unaffordable housing”. If the new immigration laws are approved J cats (who have just stepped foot in our Island) will be able to purchase properties in that rezoned land!
We need to up it to 100% affordable!
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Can somebody please explain what sort of selling price is classed as “affordable”. If the prcies are going to be £455,000 as per the Dandara La Providence Development than I would say they are actually “unaffordable”.
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Does this mean that the other 60% are unaffordable
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Bert 24 Seek The Truth.
“I’d have to completely disagree with you here, Jersey people should have first dibs on any property build in their island. Thanks to all the foreigners your island is looking like a mini-city, I just hope the development in Guernsey doesn’t go this far. (Gsyman)”
Jersey people do have first dibs, the rest of us have to wait the qualifying period for Res quals, currently 11 years, I also waited 20 years. What are you saying that having waited the 11 years to qualify to buy we should only be allowed to buy properties locals don’t want?
Maybe this should extend to everything else, cars, food, clothes, we can have what the locals throw out?
I know why don’t we catch that boat home and just send our rent cheques and tax over to Jersey.
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Mustapha, did you read my comment or were you so wanting to put in a comment about jersey people thinking they have an automatic right to own property that you just skimmed through it.
I do not say I have an automatic right to own a property. However, if homes werent being sold to outside investors so much then perhaps I could afford to buy, yes buy a decent home.
Actually I think you have completely ignored the subject matter in order to get your little dig across so I wont comment further on your response.
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I and my partner have a professional qualification but earn under average wages and cannot afford to buy an average house. House prices have gone up so much due to the finance industry paying so many such ridiculously over inflated wages and bonuses. Now this is the result and I’ve predicted it for years. They’re losing jobs and the average person cant afford to buy a house. And yes locals should be helped first. We get no help at all nowadays and we were here first and we wont be the ones leaving this island when finance falls flat on its feet, I suspect most finance workers will!
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This whole property market scam has been manipulated by those who profit from it….the average house price in U,K is £160k…Polish firms I have approached will build well insulated homes here for £85K each…so there you have it folks the rest is profiteering ……and that is why more people are being let in to everyone elses and the environments detriment…
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On the subject of afforability, one cannot but help notice the sheer number of new builds in the £800k to £1.2m bracket which remain unsold. There is one at Trinity, was £1,150,000 now down to £1,075,000 and it has THREE agents boards outside ! Another one near the Rugby Club – £895k I think – Been on the market for 6 months plus !
A decent surveyor should be able to work out what these properties actually cost to build, add site and developers proffit !
Back in the days of developments such as Clos du Rivage, Gorey, these were virtually all sold before they were completed !
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MLP I am local and had to do 20 years in my own country before my own government saw fit to allow me to buy whereas a 1.1k can buy immediately they get off the plane.
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8. Seek The Truth
“Just because someone was born here shouldn’t give them automatic rights to buy property. To force affordable housing only creates laziness. If you want to buy property on the island, work hard and earn money”
There are many of us who have worked very hard throughout our lives, and received an average or thereabouts wage, yet are still not in a position to buy.
Do you expect us to all aspire to be the greedy capitalists that run the financial services businesses over here? Sorry but I have morals.
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#30 The Jersey people having first dibs issue falls down with rental properties.
We’ve had 4 people look at our flat so far, none with quallies, 2 French, 1 Guernsey and 1 UK. Yet buying to rent still affects supply and demand.
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Regarding TRADESMANS comment at number 7.
“Surely”nobody drives a Porsche or Bmw these days.
Wasnt that the 1980,s?? Well maybe Willy Wonka!
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Adrian 35 – MLP I am local and had to do 20 years in my own country before my own government saw fit to allow me to buy whereas a 1.1k can buy immediately they get off the plane.
I assume that you mean you could not buy until you were 20 years old, I struggle to imagine that many children are homeowners therefore the point is moot – you were born with the right in effect.
As for 1.1K’s I take your point but how many can there be, does it really affect the market, after all they are not looking for 3 bed semi’s are they.
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jj – what car do you drive? Do you go out? Do you go on nice holidays?
I earn just below the average wage as well, yet I have managed to buy a detached house in the countryside. This is what all you moaners don’t seem to be able to put your finger on: you want to be given the property without having to lose the lifestyle you have at the moment. I’ve got a newsflash for you. You can’t continue if you want to progress with property. When I bought my house I had been renting and my monthly outlay TRIPLED. It means I have very little money spare each month but it is my choice to BUY A HOUSE.
If these houses are made “affordable” can we assume that there will not be any way the buysers can sell them for full market value?
Why should Joe Complainalot be able to buy at a reduced rate and then sell it at the normal going rate when he decides to move on?
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Oh, just thought I would like to point out that I have seen some of the people who have commented here (not mentioning any names Adrian) on other threads and they are normally complaining about the rising population, influx of foreigners and lack of jobs because of this. Yet here you are recommending that we get European building firms in to build instead of the firms that are here already? Do we quickly forget the “close the door” policy that you have been screaming for for so long just because this particular rant gives you purpose to?
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So no/little sympathy for the building profession here then…
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Comment 40 Michael – absolutely right, I saved like hell for 8 years to afford a house. I drove an 18 year old car and didn’t have a holiday. I still don’t have much disposable income now but I own a house and one day will live rent free when the mortgage is paid.
If you want a house save and go without for it, but don’t expect it to be given to you or worse still subsidised by the state = taxpayer = me.
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Why is nobody talking about the cost of the land, the increase from a field to building plots. If Jersey wants affordable homes, start with selling YOUR land cheaper and then cap the sell price.
At the moment its about £125,000 a plot for a piece of land big enough to put a 2 bed house on it. Planning will rezone average to poor agricultural land, what is its value now and what is its value after rezoning?
1 acre site can get maybe 12 starter (smallish) homes on it, thats a minimum £1.5 million. Much better than working the field, lets say the homes are sold at £350,000 at 20% profit thats £840,000 against the Jersey landowners profit of £1.5million.
The landowner also hasn’t had any outgoings or finance charges while the houses are being built (18 to 24 months) before he sees a return on his investment, nice work eh!
So maybe the blame should not be laid totally at the nasty developers, or builders. After all, if they didn’t take the risk and build them, who would, the States?
@33 Truthseeker.
£85k to build, lets take that as true.
£85k + £125K = £210,000 then add to that, legal fees, design fees, financing fees, infrastructure (roads, drainage, water, telecoms etc) costs, estate agent fees. Soon all adds up.
And your polish builder will need to finance the build until the house/houses are sold. Sounds like a very charitable builder.
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MLP 39
“I assume that you mean you could not buy until you were 20 years old, I struggle to imagine that many children are homeowners therefore the point is moot – you were born with the right in effect.”
Not quite…..if for some reason a Jersey born person were to leave the island for a period of time within this 20 year limit they would have lost their quallies!
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Rozel joe your figures do not stack up against the average house price U.K. £160k how can you possibly rack up an additional two hundred and seventy odd thousand on top of your figure for ancillaries…..just palin profiteering including outrageous legal fees.
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Has anyone wondered why a house can be built for 85k? I suggest one of you shell out your cash and see what sort of job you get.Thats not to say all locals are top class tradesmen, you get what you pay for to a large degree. Just seems that some local firms take pricing to the extreme!
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Perhaps we should start at the beginning and look at the Planning fees! To build a two bed cottage, with planning, building control and architects you wouldn’t get any change out of £5,000 and that’s before you’ve laid a brick and actually purchased the land!
You couldn’t build this in Jersey for less than £150K and plots are around £140K so you are up to 300K before you start layng a floor or putting on a tile.
Nothing in life is cheap and the “user pays” policy is being used to top up Departmental budgets!
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45 BS Deluxe “Not quite…..if for some reason a Jersey born person were to leave the island for a period of time within this 20 year limit they would have lost their quallies”
Yes completely unfair this but also applies to a non local who has waited to qualify. That said I believe the time period is 5 years so it would be quite an absence and education is not counted. I agree though it’s wrong and should be abolished, can’t see the point in it as it’s punitive without reason.
What perhaps is more unfair is that if a person is building towards qualifying ( as my friend was ) and was at 9 years and then left for a couple of years, they go back to zero – now that’s unfair.
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@ 46 Truthseeker
We do not live in the UK, you can get a plot of land for £50k to build a 2 bed house on, even lower depending on the area. The Uk government set a competition to the major house builders, to build a house for £60k. It produced a lot of innovative design and construction methods.
It easy to rack up additional costs in Jersey, just factor in the cost of the land. We have a limited supply of building land and larger demand for owned housing. There is a lot more costs in building than people realise, just look at TV programmes where people try to develop their own houses, so many run well over budget because they do not know all that is involved to establish a true cost.
Truthseeker, one simple question – Have you ever actually built a house or a housing estate?
In Jersey we have two suppliers of concrete, one supplier of tarmac, one supplier of mains electricity, water and telephone infrastructure with no one really checking their prices.
And yes, we do have the most expensive lawyers in the world. Have you noticed that lawyers and Estate agents fees are based on the SALE price of the house and not what it COST to build. Architects, Engineers etc fees are calculated on the COST of the house, or a time spent rate. The pressure is to reduce the cost of a build, so the fees get reduced, on the other end of the scale, the sale of the house is pushed up to maximise profit, so the legal and estate fees go up too.
@ 48 Cathy. Yep, totally agree.
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On rezoned land, we should only build properties that there are a shortage of. Have you seen how many houses are for sale for around the £800,000 mark? Nobody can afford them (other than J cats of course)! Obviously builders make the most profit on houses in that priceband. They need to be stopped now!
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The problem is that builders are required to sell 40% of houses on each development at below building cost on the shared equity scheme (affordable housing).
Before this they were required to sell this 40% (at below cost) to a Housing Association for rental.
So how is this financed? By the landowner getting less for their field, the builder getting less than cost for 40% of the houses and the 60% being charged more to make up some of the difference otherwise it would not be economic to build at all. The only winner here is the States who will get the subsidy back – yes they keep the profit when the house sells, it doesn’t go back to pay for more affordable housing.
The States themselves have made First Times Buyers houses too expensive through these (and previous) policies and Freddie wants to change this to 60% “affordable” housing on each development.
Bring back the States Loan scheme or a proper shared equity scheme like they do in the UK and stop the States interfering with house prices.
The “rich money grabbing” developer is always blamed for house prices – is this the only job where you are not allowed to make a profit?
PS we live in a normal house, not a mansion, kids go to states schools and we don’t own a posh car.
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Go Freddie – 60%is definietly better then 40%!
Perhaps the answer is to stop population growth now before all houses are over £1 million and nobody can afford them!
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“Perhaps the answer is to stop population growth now before all houses are over £1 million and nobody can afford them”!
Nah carry on as is, as soon as my house is worth a million I’ll sell up and catch that boat you keep talking about and leave you all to it. Buy a nice 3 bed detached for £160K and give up work.
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Seb: “Go Freddie – 60%is definietly better then 40%!”
Why do you think that is a good idea?
At 60% Freddie will not have any houses at all as no one will bother to build at a loss.
Have you missed the point that having to sell 40% of houses at below cost the other 60% have to be sold at a higher price and this is therefore pushing all the house prices up?
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I don’t like the fact that comment 54 was written by Retirement Imminent. Do I have to wait till retirement to sell my huge house for a massive fortune to these complainers and go and live in luxury?
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Michael
I drive an old car, I go out once a blue moon, In ten years I have been on three holidays and even then I checked how much it would cost when at the destination for food etc. And my holidays were all revolving around outdoor free activities such as walking. So dont try to pretend I am giving it the, I can spend what I like but should be able to afford a house because it simply is not true.
When did you buy your place, how much was it and how much was your deposit and did the bank give you a mortgage for 5 times salary? If they did you must have saved up a hell of a lot of money in which case I think you have done really well. Seeing as I have answered your uestions I hope you will answer mine.
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MLP
I agree that was unfair….but why did he leave for a prolonged amount of time if he was building up his quallies?
I know of people who nearly lost their quallies for similar reasons but managed to persuade the authorities otherwise and kept them.
Maybe your friend could see what options he has?
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BS Deluxe 58 agree that was unfair….but why did he leave for a prolonged amount of time if he was building up his quallies?
Death in the family, younger brother messed up on drugs, took a couple of years to get him straight. Came back and found his 9 years were lost and back the the beginning.
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Nightmare…..I would like to think the States would be a little empathetic and take this into consideration.
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I don’t know any poor builders. What happened to the 4×4 road tax! Weak government and failure to implement strong policies has left us in this mess.
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I was born here. The problem with people like me and other regular posters, is island life makes ones mindset very insular. I left Jersey for 2 years and went to live in Brighton & then Bournemouth. It gave me a great sense of perspective, it made me appreciate Jersey more, but also made me realise there’s a great life away from here. I loved it in the UK and only came back for family reasons. All residents who love to regurgitate the ‘there’s a boat in the morning’ line, should include themselves in that.
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I never understood why there was tax relief on mortgages – it just helped push up the prices and encouraged people to get deeper in debt.
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MLP, sorry to hear about your friend but surely he would have known the score before he left? What would have happened had he emmigrated to Oz for example? He would have lost his quallies as well wouldn’t he? He would then have to reapply costing yet more money and he may not have got in a second time around.
People coming in to Jersey are lucky in that they can get in regardless of whether they are of benefit to the island or not. No such luck in Oz or other places who expect you to pay your way before they will even consider you as a viable migrant to be allowed in. I believe it is about time Jersey followed the same policy if it is to remain outside of the EU.
At the end of the day people need to think am I going to live in place x? If yes then what are the requirements for access and what are the requirements to continue to stay there? If you are likely not to be able to adhere to the terms then I for one wouldn’t go. Mind you I live in a decent place unlike the many who clamber to get here, so I suppose that could colour a person’s opinion, couldn’t it?
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If you only knew the ACTUAL cost of building materials and how much mark up appears on the bills you’d all realise just what a rip off is going on and how the public are paying through the nose for the greed of the industry.
Someone to investigate this. JEP, are you up to it?
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Adrian 64 – “MLP, sorry to hear about your friend but surely he would have known the score before he left?”
Sure he did but what do you suggest, not attend your father’s funeral and upon discovering that your brother is a drug addict do nothing to help him? He knew the score and accepts that he has lost 9 years towards his quals, doesn’t make it right though. For such a vociferous campaigner for equal rights you appear hard hearted on this subject, perhaps because it’s the Jersey human rights issue relating to non locals?
“People coming in to Jersey are lucky in that they can get in regardless of whether they are of benefit to the island or not”
It’s not that they are lucky, it is a deliberate policy by the island’s government to extract as much tax & social as possible whilst hoping that the people will not stay and reap the benefits. This policy has failed miserably as a means of population control and I wholeheartedly agree that a policy like that used in OZ should be adopted whereby the island cherry picks those that would benefit it. You might say that if such a policy were in place then I’d never have got in, then again I wouldn’t miss what I’d never had would I.
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There are plenty of flats/apartments available to buy in Jersey. The limited amount of space to build houses with gardens/garages is the main reason. It is rediculous to expect cheap houses to enter the housing market.
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If you want cheap housing, move to India. People who think they have a right because they are Jersey born are living in cuckoo land. A successful accountant, who has saved, and worked hard regardless of where they are from, have every right to have the freedom to move based on their hard work. Thankfully the quallies are lowering. I am from New Zealand, did my time here, and saved hard over the thirteen years it took me to serve the qual period, and qas a result, had close to 800k (part mortgage, part savings) to buy a house, and now at all bothered that some lazy Jersey man can’t afford one, or thinks they deserve to be given a house automatically. Thankfully, my house is now worth well over £1.2mk. Work hard, and the same will happen, or as I said – move to somewhere you can afford to.
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I have read most if not all of the comments so far, my answer is use the rainy day fund to build a bridge across to France off st cathrines, that way even us poor islanders can move over there and find resonable housing at a reasonable cost, this then lets French and other European builders come in, also when that has been built and the gate way is open would the last person to leave turn off the lights.
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Who is going to pay for the cheap housing? I hoep nto my taxes? The people who shoudl pay for a hosue are those who live in it – subsidised housing is unfair. I provide cheap housing, by renting out three apartments at a monthly cost below that which the occupants coudl reasonabel afford with a mortgage – so I provide this to them at an affordable amount, which is market determined. Win – Win. This is what we call affordable housing.
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Agreed DEL (number 65) this need investigating by FairPlay
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No. 69 Service Guy If you are so disgruntled with your lot, there is nothing to stop you from relocating to France and there is a boat from St. Helier harbour never mind travelling to St. Catherine.
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Seek the truth – our society is not built (sorry that should read, SHOULD NOT be built) and structured on capitalism. A friend of mine is paying £1000 a month for a bedsit in town (how is that affordable)? When he was recently made redundant after 14 years of paying his taxes, social etc, the tax office refused to put his tax rate down and said “paying rent or a mortgage is a lifestyle choice”!!!! Ummmm how is that a choice, and what’s the alternative, remembering he has self respect!?
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Fred, this highlights my points exactly! The government here have forced the problems of high cost rentals for bedsits by NOT allowing market forces. Instead the government have meddled with the market by forcing people who woudl not otherwise rent into renting (because they have yet to reach their qualificaiton period), thereby resulting in a higher demand than woudl otherwise be the case for rental property. This then results in higher prices. I feel sorry for your friend in this position, but this is a direct result of market forces. The sooner the States get rid of the qualification period the better – it is not subsidised housing that will help.
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Seek the Truth
At last, an intelligent poster who lacks the narrow minded Jersey mentality
I’ve lived in Jersey 40 years. Over those years I’ve grown increasingly convinced that removing quallies completely will actually benefit all residents
Sadly, the average Jersey Bean is like a racehorse that wears blinkers. Seeing the big picture is beyond their capability
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MLP a funeral needn’t cost anyone their quallies. Also since this person decided to take on their mother’s role i.e. parenting, then why didn’t he bring his sibling over to Jersey? Your friend then could have kept his quallies couldn’t he?
Jean blame the government, I do, they never do what I want them to do, and they don’t represent me either!
Jersey needs to sort itself out. This halfway house is unsustainable and will end in tears.
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Thanks Jean x
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seek the truth, sadly its not as easy as you say, to take up residence in india.
visa requirements for one.
and the right to own land, with clear title.
there is a investigation, into foreign land purchase, and foreigners visas ect.
some will find the visa will not be renewed and who knows what will happen to the land that has been purchased and built on.
foreigners are also not permitted to buy farmland.
i am talking about do it all above board here and not paying the basksheesh.
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“Jean
Posted April 13, 2010 at 6:01 pm
I’ve lived in Jersey 40 years. Over those years I’ve grown increasingly convinced that removing quallies completely will actually benefit all residents
Sadly, the average Jersey Bean is like a racehorse that wears blinkers. Seeing the big picture is beyond their capability ”
You have lived here 40 years but consider it perfectly acceptable to casually and publically racially abuse the indigenous population?
Please explain yourself, Jean. Or apologise.
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I have heard of tribute bands before,which are due one assumes to the popularity of the originals..and catch a free ride on the original bands hits,they presumably make a living and fair play to them..however I detect a new and rather strange phenomenon here…Tribute posters…. those who use copying pseudonyms like “seek the truth” and “the real truthseeker” it makes me smile as those who have been posting here for a while know the truth is out there ..and so is the original….Ha Ha.Perhaps the Real Truthseeker will bring out an album.or perhaps the others will seek out their own new Nom de plume and truthseeker will be left once more in splendid isolation..who knows.
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‘It’s about time the building industry collapses before this Island becomes like Hong Kong.’
I quite like Hong Kong, its a very funky city combined with some great countryside and has a darn more prosperous future ahead of it economically than Jersey does.
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‘It’s about time the building industry collapses before this Island becomes like Hong Kong.’
I’d love it to become like Hong Kong. Hong Kong is one of the coolest cities in the world and has some amazing countryside as well.
Crucially, unlike Jersey, it has a very promising future as well.
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80 “I quite like Hong Kong, its a very funky city combined with some great countryside and has a darn more prosperous future ahead of it economically than Jersey does.”
All fine and dandy, James but does the world need two Hong Kongs?
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Some interesting points raised. Affordable houses could be built – Re- zone some land, or use a brown field site, and put in an application for basic 3 bedroomed houses. No fancy bits and pieces.
However, these would be classed as Category A houses, and the nearby residents would soon oppose the plans on the grounds of extra traffic / noise / children / etc. (This is what happened with the recent application behind Channel TV’s site)
Lets face it that starter home developments have ALLWAYS attracted opposition. Economies of scale and the fact that you are building 100 identical houses reduces fees. It could be possible to put up a 1000 square foot house on a site for £300,000 but the truth is that the population of Jersey at large and the planning authorities no longer want that sort of thing in Jersey.
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A wonderful case study in free market failure. If there is more short-term money in selling half the high-value properties you build and borrowing against the rest, than there is in selling all your low-value properties, then, if that is the only consideration, it is what developers will do. But, as a community and society, we require a suitable housing stock, which the free market approach is failing to deliver. We need the Planning process to force developers to concentrate on family homes, as that is where the need is. And if there is not enough profit in it for the present generation of developers, I am sure that there are slightly less greedy ones waiting to grab the business.
It may be all the same to a developer whether he makes £5m from four executive homes or an estate of twelve semis, but housing another eight families is a better outcome for society.
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