Latest news with #SamMézec
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Falling birth rate in Jersey a 'ticking bomb'
Jersey's falling birth rate is a "ticking bomb" for the island, the housing minister Sam Mézec said the declining rate, combined with an ageing population, posed a huge comments come after a Policy Centre Jersey report based on data from the Superintendent Registrar showed the number of births in Jersey between 2021 and 2024 fell by 20% compared to a 5% drop in England and birth rate in the first half of 2025 was 4% lower than the first half of 2024, figures also showed. Mézec said difficulty finding the right home was putting young families off having children in Jersey, and he had friends who "moved away from Jersey so they can afford to have children".He said: "They just can't find the kind of home they want to bring their children up in, a place with enough bedrooms, outdoor space, and over the last few decades that has become more and more unaffordable in Jersey.""We will have problems if we don't have a large enough working population providing the services and paying the taxes supporting the young and the retired.""We need to be planning now for policies that start to reverse that trend, and that means supporting younger people into family-sized homes." Smaller communities 'vulnerable' He added: "What's our working demographic going to look like in 20 or 30 years if we don't have enough young people going through our education system and going into work when they reach adulthood to provide the services that supports the whole of society including the ageing population?"This could be a ticking bomb if we don't get this right."Mark Boleat, a senior advisor at the Policy Centre Jersey, said it was concerning the local birth rate was falling faster than other centre's report found the number of babies born in Jersey in 2024 had fallen by 10% compared to the year before, and the number of primary school pupils had fallen by 5.6% in the last two Boleat said smaller communities such as Jersey were more vulnerable to falling said: "In a big country, it can fall but it doesn't have quite the effect. In Jersey, the fall... over the last few years is already having a very significant effect."So, over the last couple of years in England, the number of births has fallen 5%. In Jersey, it's fallen by 20%. We need to understand why." Parents told the BBC the cost of living made raising children very Yordanov is 33 and has a son, but said the cost of living was making him reconsider having more said: "I love Jersey, but most likely if we have another child we are going to move because it's going to be unbearable."The cost of raising children here is one of the main reasons the birth rate is so low. There is absolutely no other reason and it's getting ridiculously expensive."In a couple, one of your salaries just covers nursery."Abdul Bassit, 43, has two children and said his biggest costs were clothing and food, which cost "more and more everyday". However, environmentalist Nigel Jones argued the declining birth rate locally was not said: "We all know that, worldwide, the biggest predictor of a lower birth rate is the level of education of the population. "The more educated young women are, the fewer children they are likely to have, and I don't see that as a problem at all."There are plenty of children being born all over the world - it's not like we have shortage worldwide. "We need to be less insular on this and we need to think, if work needs doing in the future, there will be people who can come to Jersey and do it."
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'Politicians not listening' over St Helier new school plans
A campaign group says local politicians in Jersey are not listening to residents' concerns over plans to build a primary was previously agreed by the States Assembly to build a new school near Millennium Park in St Helier, on a site that was formerly used by Jersey it is a government decision to earmark the site for a new primary school, Chair of the Friends of Millennium Park, Bernie Manning, wants deputies to do more to reflect local opinion. He does not think a new school is needed and would rather see the park Jersey leader, Sam Mézec, dismissed claims his local deputies, who are eight of St Helier's 13 deputies, were not engaging with residents. He said his party had a "strong history" of supporting the park. Discussions over whether the Gas Place site should be turned into a school, or an extension of Millennium Park, have been rumbling for some Manning told the BBC, he did not think local deputies were doing enough to reflect the views of residents."With the amount of people now using the park, we definitely need to extend the park all the way to St. Saviour's road," he said. Birth rate fall He also questioned the need for a school, and criticised local politicians for not engaging with residents, and looking at alternatives."Most of the St. Helier deputies don't seem to be listening. With the amount of babies being born at the moment, do we still need a school?" he number of babies born in Jersey fell by almost 10% in 2024 compared to the year before, figures show."Most people that we have spoken to said they did not think we needed a school, and a lot didn't even know about it. They told us they would rather have a park extension, and the school go somewhere else," he added. Mr Manning accused local politicians of a "failure to consult the public", and singled out Reform Jersey's eight deputies in the whether this was an issue for government, rather than local politicians, he said: "We're trying to get a meeting with the minister, but there are 13 deputies in St. Helier, so if we can push forward with those 13, that would be a good start."I'd like politicians to reconsider whether this is a suitable location for a school."Maybe they could extend existing schools, or redevelop the old social security building and school house at La Motte street," he said. In a statement, Mézec said his party had "a strong history in support of the creation of, protection of, and extension of, the Millennium Town Park".He said they had previously supported the park's extension but were now focused on "the delivery of a new school on part of the gas works site, with an extension of the park onto the remainder of the site, and a designation of what will become the old Springfield School into a new park".Dismissing the suggestion that his deputies were not listening to residents, he said: Reform Jersey's Deputies are some of the most active and engaging, as we hold open constituency surgeries every week. Need is 'increasing' "I also live right next to the Millennium Park. In my experience, those I speak to appreciate our previous attempts to get the park extended, but recognise the desperate need for a new school and that our proposed way forward, or new open space and a park, will drastically improve life for people living the area."Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Deputy Rob Ward, said it was "absolutely clear" that the "level of need in our schools is increasing"."This new site will provide a purpose-built facility for our children, including children with the greatest need who are currently in La Passerelle primary school."The plan is to close St Lukes and Springfield schools, both of which are in ageing buildings which lack space internally and externally to meet the current standards. "It is simply not possible to spend money on these two schools and achieve the facilities and outcomes our children and staff deserve. A new two-form entry school at Gas Place does not increase the number of classes but replaces them with modern fit-for-purpose facilities."
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Jersey tenancy reforms 'could provide greater security'
Jersey politicians will debate proposed changes to the island's rental tenancy law which could see greater protection for tenants and Carpenter, who has rented in Jersey for 20 years, said the proposed changes would give tenants a greater sense of landlord Julia Lecrivain said the plans could force landlords out of the rental Jersey Landlord's association said 70% of members would consider selling one rental property if Housing Minister Sam Mézec's proposals were approved. Mézec's plans include limiting rent increases to once a year capped at 5%.If approved, the plans would also see fixed term tenancies reduced, with landlords no longer able to have consecutive fixed term agreements with the same could be able to give shorter periods of notice if a tenant breaches their contract or is found to be causing serious nuisance. 'Greater security' Mr Carpenter said the proposed changes would give tenants a greater sense of security."At the moment a landlord can raise the rent by as much as they like, whenever they like and as frequently as they like. A landlord can issue three months' notice to evict a tenant for any reason they like and a tenant has no way to appeal."Mr Carpenter welcomed the proposal to limit rent increases to once a year and cap them at 5%."If tenants know their rents are going to increase by a certain amount that gives them the ability to plan their financial situation and they also have a better sense that they are going to be living in the property for the foreseeable future," he said. Mr Carpenter also welcomed the proposals to limit fixed term tenancies."I think that with fixed term tenancies it can be quite stressful when you are approaching the end of your tenancy, not knowing if you're going to have to move, not knowing if your rent is going to go up or how much by.""A rolling periodic tenancy increases security of tenure for the tenant, a landlord is able to get rid of the tenant if there are legitimate reasons, so landlords aren't going to be stuck with problematic tenants." Julia Lecrivain has been a landlord in Jersey for more than 20 years and said she welcomed the changes to fixed term contracts but was concerned about the rent said the 5% cap would make it difficult for landlords if inflation was said: "We tend to only increase rent by RPI because it's a fixed figure produced by the States and the tenants know where they are and we know where we are."Mrs Lecrivain said she was already thinking of selling her properties and if the proposed law changes were passed it could lead to more landlords leaving the rental said: "I'm already coming out of the market and I think if this law comes into effect other people will come out of the market too." 'Reduced choice' Mrs Lecrivain's views were shared by Guy Morris from the Jersey Landlord Association who said a survey of members showed 70% agreed or strongly agreed they would consider selling one unit of residential accommodation if that Morris said: "That isn't a big problem for landlords but it's a problem for tenants because it means reduced supply, reduced choice for tenants and means rents will also go up."In his proposals, Mézec said: "Although most landlords are good landlords who treat their tenants reasonably, this is not always the case. ""Similarly, whilst most tenants are responsible and look after the homes they live in, landlords must at times deal with problems created by tenants who do not meet their contractual obligations.""The time has come for a meaningful and proportionate enhancement of the 2011 law, so that when things do go wrong in landlord-tenant relationships, there are minimum guarantees and more clearly defined rights and responsibilities that tenants and landlords can have confidence in."
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Jersey first-time buyer scheme reopens
A scheme to help first-time buyers in Jersey will reopen, says the island's Step helps "aspiring homeowners" on to the property ladder by lending them up to 40%, according to the Government of year it helped islanders buy more than 50 open-market homes, with £10m of government-backed loans, it Mézec, Jersey's minister for housing, said: "I have seen for myself how much the scheme has made a real difference to islanders who would have otherwise been unable to own their first home." Mézec said the scheme was "a meaningful way of tackling Jersey's housing crisis".The scheme will be open on Monday for four weeks, closing on Sunday, 13 must:hold entitled statusnot own any property in Jersey or overseasbe registered on the Assisted Purchase Pathwaybe able to provide a 5% deposit towards the purchasebe able to access the maximum lending available to them from one of the scheme's partnering mortgage lendersnot be under offer on another assisted purchase scheme
