Veterans stressed as Storm Ciarán repairs go on

Repairs at Princess Elizabeth Court have not been finished 10 months after Storm Ciarán

Some Jersey veterans whose homes were damaged by a tornado during Storm Ciarán last year are still living in temporary accommodation.

Six homes in Princess Elizabeth Court were assessed as being so badly damaged they were uninhabitable but repairs are yet to be completed 10 months after the November 2023 storm.

Trevor Fosse, who was temporarily rehomed in a flat with his wife and dog, said of the wait: "It turns your life upside down a bit."

Haig Housing Trust, which provides housing for veterans, said it had experienced contractor shortages but pledged to have all tenants back in their homes by the end of October.

Trevor Fosse said he was not confident all repairs would be completed before winter

Mr Fosse said he was not confident all repairs would be completed before winter.

"It upsets me and it worries me," he said.

"It stresses me out... this is my home and I've got no garden now and it turns your life upside down a little bit."

Donna Charleston, a tenant who was allowed to stay in her home, said she was also disappointed by the "very slow" progress.

"If we have bad storms or a hurricane coming over, what's going to happen next time?" she asked.

"If we were to have a fire we couldn't get out the windows if we were upstairs because the scaffolding is still here."

'Struggled to keep pace'

Bill Lindsay, from Haig Housing, said the trust had difficulty sourcing contractors and materials.

"Since Storm Ciarán hit, the contractor base in Jersey has struggled to keep pace with the amount of work that was required," he said.

"We were very clear at the beginning that we would have everybody back in their own property by the end of October and we're still sticking to that."

The trust said it was planning on spending £1m over the next six months modernising its Jersey properties.