Andium vows to press on with £30m housing plans – but CM wants review

Tuesday 13 November 2018

Andium has vowed to press ahead with £30million plans for 165 affordable homes and will be signing a building contract this week – despite lukewarm support from the Chief Minister.

Expected to be completed by 2021, the former Ann Court site – located behind the Arts Centre – is set to host a mixture of one and two-bedroom social rented apartments, retail units and underground parking for over 130 cars to meet shopper demand.

The build is being carried out by States social housing provider Andium, who told Express that the plans were well on their way, with £6.5million having already been spent on the project – more than a fifth of its £30million budget – and a building contract due to be signed this week.

But, despite approvals being secured for the project as many as 12 months ago, the future of the site now appears to have been thrown into uncertainty.

Pictured: A model of the proposed Ann Court development.

It is unclear whether the Treasury Minister will approve a vital loan needed for the construction of the project, with a States spokesperson saying that the development is being evaluated in line with plans for the overall regeneration of town.

“Ann Court is a major development, and the Chief Minister wants to ensure it forms part of a coherent approach to the redevelopment and regeneration of our town. That approach incorporates better housing, investment in public service delivery, amenities like Fort Regent, and the States’ office strategy. These matters are being reviewed,” they said.

Asked twice by Express, they declined to confirm whether the Chief Minister would be stepping in to halt the signing of the building contract with Camerons, which was agreed in early October, this week.

This sudden cooling in enthusiasm towards the plans does not appear to have been communicated to Andium, however.

Pictured: The proposed Ann Court development from another angle.

Chief Executive Ian Gallichan said that the housing provider had not been officially requested to halt their plans or made aware of “an alternative use for Ann Court.” 

Despite describing the site as the previous “subject of much debate”, he said that plans to use Ann Court as a social housing site were endorsed in the 2014 Island Plan.  

He added that significant work had already been completed to progress the development to create one and two-bedroom homes that a recent government report revealed to have been the type “in the greatest need.”

“Andium Homes has developed plans for the site, consulting all stakeholders, including the Parish of St Helier, district politicians and nearby residents.  This resulted in obtaining a Planning Permit for 165 affordable homes, associated facilities and significant public realm improvements.

“Enabling and demolition works have now been undertaken.  Costs incurred thus far in terms of property acquisitions, enabling works, fees, JEC sub-station and loss of existing homes stand at £6.5 million,” he explained.

The next step will be signing contracts with Camerons, after the Board of Andium Homes approved the final building sum during a meeting on 3 October. 

All that remains is to secure loan approval for the development from the Treasury Department. Once this has been done, Mr Gallichan said the project “will commence immediately thereafter.”

However, with the States declining to confirm whether they will support the signing of the contract, or indeed whether the Treasury Minister will be instructed not to approve the loan, the fate of the 165 homes remains uncertain.