New Guernsey planning rules 'mean higher costs'

It is expected new guidance on the kind of timber frames which can be used will be released later this week

A leading Guernsey architect has warned new planning rules will mean construction projects will be "more expensive" and "take longer".

In August, Building Control announced schemes with timber frames would need to be covered in brick work where a building was required to have fire resistance.

Andrew Ozanne said this was "the right reaction at the right time" but warned it would "have huge implications" on the local sector.

Following feedback from the construction industry, revised guidance will be issued by Building Control later this week.

John Bampkin, the CEO of Norman Piette - Guernsey's biggest timber retailer - cricticised the lack of consultation with the industry on the move.

A representative of the States of Guernsey's Building Control said, since the announcement in August, the engagement from the industry had been great and had led to the development of new guidance.

Building Control services have made changes to local regulations following the Grenfell Tower disaster

The move to change the island's building control regulations comes in the wake of the London Grenfell Tower disaster, where a fire in 2017 killed 72 people, with the cladding found to be the "principal" reason for the blaze’s rapid spread.

Mr Ozanne, a consultant at Lovell Ozanne, said "a lot" had "happened after Grenfell, and, following that, testing in Britain has been completely reviewed".

He said: "It's an evolving circumstance. I agree with what the States has done; it's now up for industry to react to this."

Andrew Ozanne said the changes were part of an "evolving circumstance"

Following the new guidance, Mr Ozanne said: "At the moment, the evidence is not there to say timber frame buildings can sustain or avoid the spread of flame or destruction through fire."

He admitted it would make big affordable housing projects "more expensive", but, because of the ability of the local construction sector, the impact would not be as "catastrophic" as in Europe and the UK.

He said: "I don't think there is any way around this. I think we will need to see contractors and people in design and build going back to the safe haven of block work, and that will cost more money.

"We are already building at a premium in Guernsey, so, if you are going to look at affordability of social housing, there is a big political issue.

"We are fortunate in Guernsey that smaller contractors are well geared up to build with masonry."