Staff accommodation disgraceful - Lansdown

Billionaire businessman Steve Lansdown said addressing the island's housing crisis needed to be a top priority for the new States

Concerns about the cost and quality of housing in the island were the overwhelming issue for voters at BBC Guernsey's second election roadshow.

Steve Lansdown, owner of La Grande Mare Hotel, labelled some of the rental accommodation for staff moving to the island as "disgraceful".

The billionaire businessman said: "Staff accommodation here is appalling, some of the planning restrictions stop you from acquiring the properties to do them up."

A spokesperson for the Planning Service said they "were proud of our record" and the department was keen to help developers secure planning permission.

Mr Lansdown said: "I have been appalled by some of the sites I have seen, trying to find accommodation for my staff.

"I've been embarrassed and I think, there are certain places you could quite happily go in there and refurb and revamp them, but because of planning restrictions you're stopped from doing this."

The Planning Service spokesperson said the department "exists to enable good development to take place".

They said: "Although there are sometimes additional considerations for carrying out development on certain buildings, changes can often still be made if done in an appropriate way.

"Far from wanting to prevent the refurbishment of staff accommodation, we would be pleased to support any developer through this process to enable development that supports our economy."

BBC Guernsey visited Vazon Bay as part of its election roadshow series

Liberate CEO Ellie Jones agreed that doing something to improve the affordability and quality of local housing should be the number one priority for candidates.

She said the next States needed to "rip up the rule book and start again" when it came to housing: "We need to bring costs down to allow people to afford to live.

"We are the first generation who has grown up in an era where earning a decent living, working hard, doesn't mean you can afford to live well, it's a sad place to be."

In 2023 a report commissioned by the States of Guernsey by housing experts ARC showed an average-priced property cost more than 16.3 times as much as average earnings, compared to 16 in Jersey and 8.3 in England.

Ms Jones said: "It means I'm a bit depressed, you never feel safe, you are always worried if a landlord is going to chuck you out.

"I pay more than half my wages on rent, and no generation before has done that and it has crept up."

Bob Renstead said the island's population policy needed to be revisited to ease the strain on local housing

Over a coffee at the election roadshow, Bob Renstead said the current pressure on housing had been made worse by the island's population policy.

In 2022 Guernsey's States agreed to grow the island's population by 300 people every year.

"We are bringing so many outside workers in, while there are so many locals who are on benefits and can work."

The latest figures from the States of Guernsey showed there were 259 jobseekers without work at the end of March in 2025 - a decrease of eight compared to the previous month and a decrease of 52 compared to March 2024.

Jenny Nicolle agreed that getting more houses built should be the priority for the incoming States: "I'm very concerned that we have young people leaving, I'm very concerned for young people with mortgages and the cost of childcare, it's getting impossible really for them to live day to day."

She has asked candidates to look at raising the allowances for income tax for the island's young people.

Jenny Nicolle said she was concerned about the high cost of housing forcing people away

Bob Angus agreed that housing and its impact on the cost of living locally, was the top priority for this States: "The chances for youngsters getting on the ladder are pretty much non-existent, or very slim."

The States had originally said it needed 1,565 new units of accommodation between 2023 and 2027, but last year it dropped that target to 1,488 units needed by 2028.

BBC Guernsey's next election roadshow is at Forest Stores on 13 June and the final roadshow is on 17 June in Market Square.