The Government has welcomed Action for Housing’s recent comments on the change of approach to the regeneration of Road to the Lines.

A statement from the Government follows below:

The Government notes the comments from Action for Housing in relation to Road to the Lines and welcomes that they are “cautiously pleased” at the change of approach. 

It became clear after many months of protracted negotiations that the regeneration of Road to the Lines was not going to happen in the manner which had originally been envisaged. 

Sadly, the idea that the Government could take on the project for itself has never been a realistic proposition. Indeed, itis significant to note that over many decades this has not been a viable option for any previous administration either. The objective now is to proceed on the basis of tendering individual buildings which, over time, will break the cycle of dilapidation and decay. This has worked well in other parts of the Upper Town. The Government would agree that the pace of change will be slow, but the prize at the end of the journey will be well worth it. 

There are very few units at Road to the Lines which are part of the Housing stock given that most were already deemed to be beyond economical repair years ago and passed on for public tender. The policy has been to decant housing tenants away from the area as opposed to move new ones in. 

It is relevant to point out that tenders for single dwellings over the years have not attracted large developers. On the contrary, the successful applicants have largely consisted of families or individuals who have taken on the property sometimes as a self-repairing project. The release of Government rented accommodation and the presence of the applicant on the housing waiting list, while not the only determining factors, will continue to be taken into account. The geographical layout and the composition of the buildings in Road to the Lines means that some are simply not suited to being subdivided into separate flats for sale or for rental. It nonetheless cannot be ruled out that some of these homes may indeed be rented out instead of sold by their prospective purchasers. 

The Government has led by example in the regeneration of the Upper Town which, as has rightly been said, has already seen flagship projects take root like the refurbishment of the old Police Barracks, the establishment of two schools in the old St Bernard’s Hospital and the refurbishment of many of the Government’s own properties in different areas. In addition to this, successful tenderers have themselves beautifully restored and refurbished many different properties all over the Upper Town. There is still plenty of work to be done on urban renewal, not least because some buildings are owned by private landlords.

The overriding consideration is to get this process under way and to add new life to a gradually restored townscape.