 Housing licences are issued to off-islanders as part of population controls |
Short-term housing licences in Guernsey do not need to be scrapped, the island's housing minister has said. Minister Dave Jones was responding to comments from Deputy Mike Hadley, who said he believed the island was losing out by issuing five-year licences. Mr Hadley said such short terms meant the island was not seen as an attractive package by would-be workers. Minister Jones said issuing longer licences was not always the best option as it could block jobs for locals. Population arguments Guernsey's government enforces strict controls over off-islanders occupying dwellings in a bid to control the population's density. Housing licences are issued to off-islanders as part of those controls. Deputy Hadley said there was no evidence to suggest the population was successfully controlled by granting people five-year licences. He said States' policy could mean one person left the island to be replaced by another bringing a large family, making a mockery of the population argument. Service pressures He said the States needed to be awarding more people 15-year licences to attract skills and experience into Guernsey. Minister Jones said he believed giving a person a 15-year licence was not always the best option as it could block jobs for local people wanting to return to the island. He added that while not all 15-year licence holders would choose to remain in Guernsey, after 15 years they gained residency rights, which would give them the option to return at a later stage. It also meant they would have access to housing, residential care and health services, putting possible extra pressure on such services, he said. He said: "All these issues are currently under discussion, but the fact is that I don't believe the people of Guernsey, or indeed the deputies who represent these people, have any appetite to open up the floodgates for 15-year licences." .......................... News and views? |