This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mollet

DEMAND for Housing Association homes is exceeding supply. Hundreds of islanders have already put their name forward as prospective tenants.

Following the completion of the Delancey scheme, the redevelopment of the Bouet is taking shape.

People could move in by Christmas with the completion of the first phase of a £9.3m. scheme which will provide 82 homes in total.

Phase one will provide three flats and 21 houses and is due to be completed by the end of November.

The second phase is scheduled to be finished next March and will consist of nine houses and 16 flats.

Completion of the third phase - 12 houses and 21 flats - should take place at the end of July 2005.

‘We are very pleased with the progress and things are going very well,’ said Peter Jones, chief executive of the association.

‘We are very pleased with the standard of finish that was achieved there [at Delancey] and want to make sure that becomes par for the course for all our developments,’ he said.

Mr Jones said that it was important that the Bouet development, where the Rue des Lierres/Rue des Marais States houses used to stand, would give people a pride in where they live.

Piling has been completed and work is ahead of schedule.

‘We are going to be completely out of the ground before next winter which bodes well for completing the project on time and budget. It’s heartening to see the whole site taking shape,’ said Mr Jones.

‘I think we are creating an opportunity for new residents to enjoy good quality housing. I’m pleased with what I’m seeing here and it’s working very well.’

Demand for the new homes is likely to be high. States tenants will take up 75% of the properties, with the remainder drawn from the association’s waiting list, which also includes some States tenants.

‘Nominations are not on a first come, first served basis. There is an assessment of housing need for each applicant,’ said Mr Jones.

‘All the research indicated that there would be a high level of demand for the properties we are building and that has been borne out by the number of applicants coming forward who were keen to improve their housing position.’

Article posted on 11th August, 2004 - 12.00am