Guernsey's top political committee announce new funding plan for education project

The new plans involve completing the project in phases which will see land at the Coutanchez campus made available for future housing. Credit: States of Guernsey

Guernsey's Policy & Resources committee has announced a new funding plan to transform education facilities on the island.

The new proposals involve completing the capital project in phases, which the committee says, will also see land at the current Coutanchez site made available for future housing.

The first stage includes completing The Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets and will be funded by borrowing £55 million, using £33 million from the island's reserves and any money made from selling land at the Coutanchez campus.

It means the sixth-form centre and the sports facilities will not move forward initially.

The committee's president, Deputy Lyndon Trott said: “We can’t continue with the uncertainty around Post-16 education, and from the outset of our short time on the Policy & Resources Committee, we felt finding a compromise is an urgent priority.

"This comes against a backdrop of better-than-expected economic growth in Guernsey over the past two years, putting the island in a stronger position both to fund borrowing and to replenish its reserves."

The assembly has already approved the model for secondary and post-16 education but has never been able to agree on a way to fund the plans.

If the amendment for this first phase is approved then the States would be given the option to proceed with the construction of foundations for the new Sixth Form Centre, also at Les Ozouets.

The new proposals will be presented as an amendment to the States at this week's Government Work Plan debate.

Guernsey's Coutanchez and Delancey campuses have been described as "ageing" and of "poor-quality" Credit: ITV Channel

President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen said: “I welcome the Policy & Resources Committee’s engagement to find a way to deliver the new Les Ozouets Campus.

"Although I am disappointed that a way to deliver the entire site has not been found at this time, I am grateful to the Policy & Resources Committee for their option to lay the foundations for the Sixth Form block."