Wednesday 24 April 2024
General Update
Thank you, Sir,
At the risk of sounding like the "I&I" Committee, I am pleased to focus first on the significant amount of infrastructure work that we are progressing, supporting and enabling.
Implementation of the electricity strategy is materialising in many ways, one of which is work to upgrade our distribution network infrastructure to power our homes and businesses. In the last year, over 10,000 metres of high and low voltage cable plus an additional 5,000 metres of ducting has been installed across the island. This work helps to improve resilience on the network and to meet increasing demands for electricity by islanders, including in the further electrification of heating and transport.
During 2023, the new fibre-optic broadband infrastructure passed 8,286 properties and a vast 137.4 kilometres of cables have been installed across the Island. By the end of this year, a further 8,400 properties are anticipated to benefit from fibre connectivity.
Infrastructure improvements like these enhance the Island's resilience. However, the work itself does have some negative effects.
There has been a significant increase recently in the demand for roadworks and the like which, in an island with an already-constrained road network, high traffic volumes and few diversion routes, is stretching our hard-working team and having a notable impact on the travelling public. In 2023, Traffic and Highway Services handled around 4,500 inquiries and applications for work requiring temporary traffic management, which through a lot of co-ordination they condensed into 2,889 permits. Notwithstanding those efficiencies, last year was a 20%-25% increase on the preceding two years, and one in ten were unplanned emergency works - more than double the average of the preceding two years, and itself a telling indicator of just how necessary it is to invest in and upgrade our critical utilities infrastructure now.
Utility excavations and wet weather accelerate the deterioration of our road infrastructure, but the investment in our resurfacing programme significantly reduces the number of short-term repairs that are required, and therefore delivers much better value for taxpayers' money as well. This rolling maintenance programme is based on survey evidence of road surface quality and resurfaced an impressive 13,000 metres of road length last year.
As part of this resurfacing work, we have upgraded footpaths to support people with disabilities at Ruettes Brayes, Longstore, and St George's Esplanade, with further accessibility improvements to our infrastructure due to be installed in main and local centres this year.
We'll soon be publishing the Better Transport Plan for the north of the island - a key enabler for the significant volume of new homes expected to be developed in an area around the Bridge. We all know how urgently those homes are needed, but more homes mean even more pressure on our roads - unless we do transport differently.
Put simply, our current transport system cannot just scale up to that extent: space is too limited and our infrastructure too inherently constrained to add that much traffic into a road network that already struggles to cope with current levels of vehicle use. We need to give people more viable options around how they travel, so that those that want to make some or more of their journeys by bus or foot or bike can do so.
The Better Transport Plan develops a more comprehensive, convenient and safer network of footpaths and bike paths, including an extension to the existing one-way system with contraflows; more bus shelters, better bus routes and schedules; targeted road widening and junction improvements; the introduction of Ruettes des Habitants (which enable access to properties but remove through traffic from streets where that causes a particular problem); better signage; a travel app; and support for car clubs.
More choice means more people can choose different ways of getting around more often, creating more space on the road, including for those who still want or need to drive, and creating a more attractive environment for people to work and live in.
With our support, the Guernsey Development Agency is also looking at developing a mobility hub for the area, which could provide parking, EV charging, car clubs, secure bike storage, a bus interchange and the possibility of a wider range of services such as a concierge desk for nearby residents expecting deliveries when they're out, a café, retail space and other amenities.
I am pleased to confirm that funding for the 2024 to 2026 Coastal Defence Maintenance Programme has just been approved, keeping that critical infrastructure fit-for-purpose for decades to come. Repointing works for Route de Port and the Imperial Slipway haunch have been recently completed, and work is now underway on several other sea walls. The repair and repointing works to Salerie Piers and Route de la Lague will also begin in the near future, and I can report that repairs following Storm Ciaran in November 2023 are now mostly complete.
The dive team for the Alderney Breakwater has mobilised for the summer season.
The States agreed last year, as part of the Funding and investment Plan, that the scope of works at Fermain should be reduced to focus just on redirecting the coastal path, which is necessary to continue to allow safe access by the public. Officers are liaising with landowners to determine the next course of action.
Works are almost complete on the Children's and Ladies' Bathing Pools. The Children's pool has a section of damaged railing to repair and there will be a small amount of 'leak plugging'.
I am also very pleased to confirm that work to secure the rock faces in an extended area below the Clarence Battery following the landslip are progressing well and are on schedule. Once the major work to secure the cliff has been carried out, a new set of steps will be installed.
As members will be aware, the Committee is also delivering the St Sampson's Harbour Flood Defence Project. This will provide sufficient protection from the risk of sea inundation at the Bridge until a more comprehensive solution is developed in line with the forthcoming Local Planning Briefs for the Harbour Action Areas. We have begun developing the detailed designs, which will include consultation with key stakeholders, with expected delivery by June 2025. This flood defence will support the development of strategically important housing developments, as well as protecting existing homes, businesses and critical infrastructure. I'll provide more detail later in this update on the work we're doing to address the housing crisis.
Work continues to determine the optimal future strategic use of Les Vardes Quarry. Our aim is to establish the best long-term solution for both our future water storage requirements and inert waste disposal. We have been looking at a wide range of potential options, which include the future use of other quarries such as Longue Hougue. The technical and high-level engineering assessments have been completed, as have Strategic Environmental Assessments. The findings of this work have been used to determine what options are technically feasible and taken forward into the options appraisal.
Ten options are now being analysed and assessed in depth, before the Committee recommends a way forward through a policy letter later this year. We would like to thank Guernsey Waste and Guernsey Water for their continued technical input and support with this work, and we will continue to keep the STSB informed of progress and the findings as they evolve.
While the specifications forperiodic vehicle inspections have been agreed by the States, the Committee is keen to ensure that their implementation is measured and appropriate for Guernsey, while meeting our international obligations under the Vienna Convention. Feedback from industry has been instrumental in developing how the scheme will operate and who it will be operated by. We're in the process of sense-checking timelines and operational details with local garages and other stakeholders.
We are also in the implementation phase of the electricity strategy, working with local energy providers and through the cross-committee Electricity Strategy Steering Group. The standby charge has been removed to support delivery against our solar targets and renewables more generally, and the review of the merit order, currently underway, will be another key step in supporting the States' strategic objectives.
E&I, P&R, ED and the DPA are all represented on the offshore wind sub-committee. The group has been very active since the start of the year, with an initial focus on assessing the extent of Guernsey's potential opportunity for an offshore windfarm, exploring the various leasing options, and examining the feasibility, costs and benefits of different types of models for the project to inform a States' decision before the end of this political term.
E&I is currently drafting a policy letter on the establishment of a renewable energy commission which we intend to publish in the coming months. We have also been following with interest the work in Jersey and their decision last week to continue to pursue the development of offshore wind is welcome. We will continue to explore the ways we can work collaboratively to meet our respective aims.
One of the Government Work Plan priority actions is to develop a pathway to net zero, which looks at the various options to meet our internationally aligned targets. That work is being led by Siemens PTI in partnership with Aether, who already carry out our greenhouse gas inventory. The baseline projections are encouraging, indicating a two-thirds reduction on current emissions levels by 2050 without any additional measures, so the next stage of the work is looking at what initiatives are likely to be the most effective in abating the remainder. There has been yet again fantastic engagement from our Energy Partnership, who are over the next couple of weeks taking part in workshops exploring the technical, practical and commercial feasibility of potential solutions.
2023 was a challenging year for our Asian Hornet team with more nests being destroyed than in any previous year. To add to the challenge, the nests were found in extremely difficult locations such as cliffs, tall trees and other perilous spots. In anticipation of similar challenges that are likely to be faced this year, the team have invested in new kit and are very grateful to the contribution from the Beekeepers' Association.
Storm Ciaran was a real test of our small but dedicated Agriculture, Countryside & Land Management Services team. As they manage over 80% of the publicly accessible land on the island, I am grateful for the work they did to rapidly assess the risks and swiftly deal with the many damaged trees so that Islanders could use areas such as Le Guet or our parks with confidence.
A Storm Ciaran recovery grant, partially funded by the States, to help in woodland recovery is being administered by the Nature Commission, which is making good headway now that its new CEO and Board is fully in place. One of the things it will deliver this year is the island's first State of Nature report, which will give us data on and valuable insights into the state of Guernsey's natural environment and biodiversity. This first comprehensive report will act as a baseline so that we can monitor changes in years and decades to come.
A policy letter addressing the sustainability of the dairy sector is in development. Following the market shocks that necessitated emergency funding in 2022, we commissioned an evidence review which showed that changes to the existing Dairy Farm Management Agreement will be required to ensure the longer-term sustainability of the industry, and therefore the iconic Guernsey breed and the good management of the island's countryside. This will also require a change to the level of government support, which is currently very much lower in Guernsey than it is in other jurisdictions, including Jersey, the UK and across Europe.
The publication of the Guernsey Housing Plan in July 2023 set out the work the Committee is doing to address the Island's housing pressures, in partnership with P&R and ESS in particular. This is our top priority and we've increased its dedicated resource accordingly.
I need to emphasise again that there are no quick-fix solutions that can instantly solve the range of housing pressures felt acutely by Islanders, which span affordability, accessibility, suitability, quality, choice and security of tenure.
The reports we published last year show that our housing market is in systemic failure, so effective intervention and support is essential - but because changes in any one part of a dynamic system affect other parts of the system, intervention must be carefully judged and balanced so as to address problems as swiftly as possible without inadvertently creating others. This is what we are doing through the 28 workstreams in the Guernsey Housing Plan.
While I don't have time today to provide an update on all 28 workstreams, I will provide some detail on some aspects of the delivery of this extensive programme of work.
One of the most important is understanding what government can and should do to stimulate private market housing development. We know that the private sector is not delivering nearly enough new homes to meet the island's housing need, despite a glut of live planning permissions. The Committee has launched a review into the factors hindering adequate conversion rates, thought at this stage to include the cost of materials, the cost of labour and the cost of finance. We will return to the States with our findings and recommendations at the earliest opportunity this year.
Meanwhile, work has commenced on the annual re-run of the housing needs modelling, taking into account the latest population numbers and projections. This will be completed and published within the next few months, and returned to the States if the modelling suggests that a new indictor is needed.
Policy proposals are progressing well to help strengthen the rights and responsibilities of private rental sector landlords and tenants, so that this sector is a reputable tenure of choice. Stakeholder engagement in developing these proposals and delivery plans is critical to its success, so extensive consultation is planned over the coming months.
The drafting of housing standards legislation, including the introduction of minimum standards for rented properties and registration of landlords and properties, is also progressing well. A public consultation will launch shortly, and once the views of islanders have been considered and revisions made as appropriate, the legislation will be laid before the States. This will be a significant step forward and it will modernise local housing legislation that has been little changed over nearly 90 years. Having modern standards and enforcement tools within legislation is an essential part in ensuring that housing provision on-island is fit for purpose and that the health and wellbeing of occupants can be protected.
I hope that has given members a flavour of the work that E&I has done since the last update, and I look forward to taking questions on any area of our mandate.