Major projects overhaul 'still carries risks'

Plans to reform how Guernsey manages major building projects have been broadly welcomed by the States Scrutiny Management Committee, but it warned past mistakes could be repeated.

In a Letter of Comment, the committee said Policy & Resources (P&R) Major Projects Portfolio Report 2026 marked a "constructive and necessary step" following repeated concerns over capital project failures and cost overruns.

The proposed changes include a clearer, staged approach to developing projects, a defined pipeline of major schemes, and a commitment to more regular public reporting.

The committee warned reforms on paper would not be enough unless long‑standing weaknesses were addressed.

Scrutiny president Deputy Andy Sloan said: "There is a risk that the pipeline becomes overextended, with significant resource committed to the development of proposals that are unlikely to be deliverable."

The committee highlighted the revised framework would give P&R greater influence over which projects progressed and when.

The scrutiny committee said these measures were an improvement on previous arrangements, particularly in clarifying early project development and moving away from rigid planning based on political terms.

However, it warned reforms on paper would not be enough unless long‑standing weaknesses were addressed.

One of the committee's principal concerns was affordability as funding pressures would likely be exposed later in the project builds.

The committee called for stronger early prioritisation of projects linked to realistic financial limits to ensure resources were not spent developing schemes that were ultimately unaffordable.

The letter pointed to the Leale's Yard development as an example of wider risks.

Scrutiny members said they had been unable to find clear paperwork explaining how the acquisition was assessed and approved, which raised concerns.

The committee concluded that while the reforms had the potential to improve how major projects were managed, their success would depend on stronger financial discipline, greater transparency and clear accountability.

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