Friday 19 June 2015
Guernsey will be a step closer to its new population management regime if the proposals for transition arrangements are approved by the States at their July meeting.
The Policy Council has submitted a policy letter to the States setting out detailed recommendations on how best to move from the existing Housing Control and Right to Work regime to the new Population Management regime, anticipated to come into force in 2017.
The States have already agreed what the new regime should look like but before it can be put in place, certain details have to be worked out, in particular how to ensure a smooth transition from one system to the other. The Policy Council report explains how different groups of people will be affected by the forthcoming changes.
Deputy Paul Luxon, Chair of the Population Steering Group, a Policy Council sub-committee responsible for population management, said:
"We acknowledge that the report is long and detailed but that is inevitable when dealing with the variety of circumstances that exist in the community. Importantly, the vast majority of residents will need to take no action when the new regime is introduced, and a significant number need take no significant action thereafter. We believe that we have made the transition period as straightforward as possible, and the new system itself is also much simplified in comparison to what we have today."
In 2013, the States also agreed proposals in respect of Open Market properties and multiple occupation and the latest report includes recommendations for implementing these decisions. In order to close an existing loophole in the law and also to preserve the unique character of the Open Market, it is recommended that, in future, only the householder and their immediate family should have an automatic right to occupy an Open Market family home without express permission.
Deputy Luxon said:
"Most owners and tenants are using private Open Market dwellings as family homes, exactly as intended. However, the States have already recognised that multi-occupancy of such properties is becoming more prevalent, which has led to complaints from other Open Market residents and which runs the risk of eroding the exclusivity of that sector of the market. In order to manage this effectively, it is considered necessary to introduce certain new provisions, which simply mirror those in place for Local Market dwellings. There is no reason why Open Market householders should be inconvenienced and indeed these proposals help to ensure that the Open Market remains a prestigious part of Guernsey's housing market."
Richard Le Tocq, the Chairman of the Guernsey branch of the Institute of the Directors, said:
"It is clear that the team have given a great deal of thought to the issues and it has been well researched. I find it really positive that most people are not impacted by the changes.
The new regime will also feature a panel of business personnel to advise Government on matters such as labour shortages in different sectors of the economy. We believe this is a positive move and we hope will assist with the rapid development of policies which are good for business in Guernsey."
Anyone who wants to find out more about what the new regime means for them can access an online guide from: https://populationguide.gov.gg.
To find out more about the population management regime go to www.gov.gg/populationmanagement where there is a list of Frequently Asked Questions and a timeline of events leading up to this point.
A dedicated telephone line for queries relating to the new system has also been set up: 01481 717279.
A public meeting has been arranged for 30th June 2015 at Beau Sejour in the Cambridge and Delancey rooms from 19:00.
