Genâts tenants 'not surprised' development delayed

Tenants at Guernsey's largest social housing estate say they are "not surprised" plans to redevelop the site are on hold indefinitely.

Marina Gallienne said her house at Les Genâts, was "very windy and cold, the windows aren't great", while other residents complained their houses were extremely susceptible to damp and needed upgrading.

Last year, the new Committee for Housing took over responsibility for social housing and Vice-President Sasha Kazantseva-Miller said "a decision will need to be made in due course about works that need to be done on the estate in the absence of redevelopment".

She said: "I can assure those living there, they will be the first to know about any changes."

When I visited Les Genâts on a cold wet February morning, I found Nathan Murphy cleaning the damp - following the recent wet weather - off the walls of his daughter's room.

He said: "The worst bit is the damp. It's very draughty and all the window seals have gone, so it's very hard to keep hot.

"The plus side is the kids like the estate, the neighbours are decent, it's quite a good little area – the beach is close."

Murphy welcomed the redevelopment plans when they were publicly announced in 2022: "It was a good idea; we need some better housing here."

However, when the States announced the plans had been put on hold in a letter through everyone's door, he said he "wasn't surprised" but was disappointed.

Currently the estate has 138 homes - 11 of those properties are three-bedroom - alongside a family centre.

Employment and Social Security's redevelopment plans included an extra 50 homes.

Peter Roffey, head of that committee in the last political term, said: "Firstly, the current estate is an example of the very worst in urban design.

"We knew a key point was being reached where, if the estate wasn't redeveloped, then many millions would need to be spent on roof work to the existing properties."

He expressed a sense of disappointment that the plans were shelved in 2023.

Roffey said: "Although there would have eventually been a big net gain in the number of units, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, and, during the redevelopment work, there would have been a temporary reduction in the number of social housing units.

"Those displaced would have had to be rehoused elsewhere and, frankly, we couldn't justify that, given the huge pressures on the waiting list and the fact that the properties, while badly designed, were structurally sound, so we had to reluctantly put the project on hold.

"It is a matter of deep regret to me, but I think it was the only logical decision in the circumstances."

New Committee for Housing President Steve Williams agreed: "We cannot lose homes being demolished and then waiting the two to three years it would take to build the new homes and rehouse people.

"Redeveloping the Genâts would make the wait for social housing worse for a decent period of time.

"Hence, until we get more homes built and the waiting lists down, it's on hold."

Neil Shepherd has lived on the estate for more than a decade and had nothing but praise for staff at the States Housing Committee.

He praised the work they did maintaining all the properties and said he was one of many people who were not pleased about plans to redevelop the area.

Donna Le Cras said she was "over the moon" when she heard about the redevelopment, after living on the estate for more than a decade.

She said that, alongside problems with anti-social behaviour on the estate, the issues with properties were the biggest she faced in her daily life.

Le Cras said: "I thought: 'Brilliant, I'm going to have a nice place to live,' but, unfortunately, they lied.

"It was devastating to hear the project had been shelved. I've been asking to move for the last nine years.

"I feel uncomfortable, disgusted and discriminated against."

When I visited her house, she showed me issues with damp and cracked concrete, which she said had been reported to the authorities on numerous occasions but not fixed.

To deal with the damp in her house she uses a dehumidifier, which she said cost her £15 a week to keep on.

"I've got damp in my bedroom, my bathroom, my hallway, I've got damp in the lounge and I'm asthmatic.

"So I've been neglected by the States when it comes to my medical health and now I'm being neglected with my housing."

One tenant who did not want to be named, said she was "delighted" when she found out the site was being redeveloped.

When she got the letter through her door in May 2023 telling her it had been paused, she said she had never felt so disappointed in her life.

She said: "I just want a nice, safe place to live, with a community of people my age. Is that too much to ask?"

Ed Ashton, director of operations for social security, States housing and inclusion, said: "If any States housing tenants discover an issue with their property that requires attention, we'd ask them to contact our property team who will carry out an inspection and address matters as soon as possible.

"Any reports of damp are inspected promptly by the team, who will also arrange for any remedial work to be carried out where this is caused by a maintenance issue.

"We also offer advice, including leaflets, to tenants where required to help keep their homes free from damp caused by condensation.

"This includes encouraging tenants to use the heating provided, to dry cold surfaces where condensation forms, helping to avoid mould developing."

He continued: "Managing 1,650 properties means that there will always be matters to address.

"Storm Goretti on its own added approximately 300 maintenance issues requiring attention, which the team are working through."

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