In brief: Jersey has opened a four-week public consultation on whether its residential space standards are holding back housing supply and affordability. The review will consider options including compact studio flats and co-living developments. No decision to change the standards has yet been taken.
The Size Question
If you have ever tried to find a one-bedroom flat in Jersey without requiring a second mortgage or a very understanding bank manager, you will appreciate why this consultation matters. The Government of Jersey has launched a four-week review of its residential space standards, asking whether the current rules on minimum home sizes are striking the right balance between housing quality, cost and supply.
The consultation, which closes on Wednesday 11 November, invites responses from ministers, elected members, housing providers, developers, architects, business organisations, community groups and any other interested parties. A summary of responses will be published and used to inform any future changes to guidance.
Planning Minister Sir Mark Boleat framed the exercise carefully: “This review is not about lowering standards. It is about testing whether the current approach remains proportionate and whether there may be opportunities to provide a greater range of housing options whilst continuing to secure good living environments.”
How Jersey Compares
The numbers are instructive. Jersey’s current minimum space standard for a one-bedroom apartment is 43 square metres. The equivalent figure in England is 37 square metres. That six-square-metre gap may not sound dramatic, but in planning and development economics, minimum floor area requirements have a direct bearing on how many units can be built on a given site, and therefore on the cost of each one.
Jersey’s space standards set minimum requirements for internal floor area alongside provisions for living space, storage, home working and amenity space. They are taken into account when residential planning applications are assessed. The standards were reviewed in 2023 and updated in 2025, making this the second significant look at the framework in just a few years.
Bailiwick Express reports that the consultation comes amid evidence of unmet demand for smaller homes, particularly one-bedroom properties, alongside a decline in their availability. The review will examine how the current requirements affect housing delivery and affordability, which aspects of housing quality matter most, and how Jersey’s approach compares with standards elsewhere.
What Could Change
Among the alternatives under consideration are compact studio flats and co-living developments, both of which have become increasingly common in cities across the United Kingdom and Europe as a response to housing pressure. Co-living, in particular, involves residents sharing communal facilities while occupying smaller private spaces, a model that has attracted both enthusiasm and scepticism in equal measure depending on who you ask.
Sir Mark Boleat was clear that the consultation is exploratory rather than a prelude to a predetermined outcome: “I want to hear from those with professional expertise, practical experience and an interest in housing so that any future decisions can be informed by evidence and a balanced assessment of the issues.” He also acknowledged the central tension: “We must be prepared to examine whether the planning system is helping or hindering the delivery of homes that people need and can afford.”
The review forms part of the minister’s wider planning reform programme. No decision has been taken to change the standards.
Source: Bailiwick Express
