Housing company has £160 million for new town homes

Tuesday 25 February 2014

The States have set aside a £160 million budget for new housing sites and are appealing for landowners to come forward.

Andium, the rebranded States Housing department, has advertised in the JEP for landowners with sites that could be used for development to get in touch with them. Housing Minister Andrew Green said that with some of the company’s starting £250 million capital already allocated for renovations and development proposed in the Island Plan, there was still £160 million left in the bank for fresh acquisitions.

In July, Deputy Green’s department is set to become a 100% States-owned company called Andium Homes, to give it more freedom and financial flexibility. Its starting capital comes from a loan of a quarter of a billion pounds that has been agreed by politicians.

He says that they are looking for development sites – including sites that are currently being used for offices.

“We are looking for sites in town because we want to develop in town rather than on green fields,” said the Deputy.

“I see that as regeneration, as the middle phase of the work that we are doing.

“Sites like green house sites, provided that they get through the States, we can get going on those later this year. The point of the adverts is to find out who has got sites that they want to sell.

“You see some exciting developments in London where they take old buildings, with old features and three-meter high ceilings, and convert them. Those would be fine, if we can get permission for ‘change of use’. With others, if the buildings are shot we might need to knock them down.”

The advert placed by Andium states: “Andium homes is now looking for potential development sites in and around town to help to meet Jersey’s current and future housing needs.”

It invites anyone interested to contact them at HSGdevelopments@gov.je.