The Guernsey Housing Association (GHA) has signed a contract with Infinity Construction to construct 21 housing units on the Oberlands field land in Guernsey.

This agreement, which was backed by the States of Guernsey, will see the GHA acquire 15 one-bedroom units from Infinity for vital worker housing while Infinity will develop six homes for the private housing market.

The new private and key worker accommodation is 'ideally located' for people working at Princess Elizabeth Hospital. Its location along with developments at the Domaine des Moulins and Braye Lodge sites will support the hiring of essential staff.

GHA CEO Vic Slade said: “This joint venture with Infinity to create both private and key worker housing is an exciting opportunity to work in a new way.

“It gives assurance over contractor availability and shares the responsibility for delivering the units at the required standards, on time, within budget.

“If this model is successful, this could be an approach that may be followed on other sites owned by the GHA that would see the development of both affordable housing and private market housing alongside each other.”

The project already has planning approval; however, Infinity has submitted an updated planning application to guarantee that the requirements of the on-site staff are fulfilled.

Construction is expected to take 18 months, with work beginning in early 2024 once further planning approval is received.

Committee for Employment & Social Security president Peter Roffey said: “It’s a win-win arrangement that not only adds, subject to planning permission being granted, 15 more key worker units on top of the proposed 57 units the GHA recently submitted to Planning at Domaine des Moulins, but also includes six new units for the private sector, helping with much-needed supply in that market too.”