24 housing projects in 24 districts |05 March 2020

‘Challenges, delays, but on we go!’

By Laura Pillay

Difficult site conditions, river flowing through the site, underground water and streams, sitting tenants who have proven difficult to relocate and lengthy negotiations with private land owners are but some of the challenges facing government as it strives to deliver on its promise to build 24 housing projects in 24 districts.

Already past the 24-month deadline, the Minister for Habitat, Infrastructure and Land Transport, Pamela Charlette, visited several housing projects under the 24 housing projects, yesterday afternoon, with the aim of showcasing the status of the numerous ventures and to update the public on the progress, as part of the ministry’s new communication plan.

Accompanied by principal secretary for infrastructure Yves Choppy, principal secretary for housing Denis Barbe and heads from the housing and infrastructure department of the ministry, the visit commenced at Dan Zil, Bel Ombre, a site which is to house 16 two-bedroom and three-bedroom housing units and which has been set back by many delays, attributed to the topography of the site.

“The projects that we are visiting are those that fall under the 24 housing projects in 24 districts. In total, under the project, there are 252 units in different districts that have been completed and allocated. There are 126 units across six districts for which the works have finished but we are in the process of installing utilities before they can be allocated,” PS Choppy explained.

“We have a further 161 units across nine districts which are still ongoing. Bel Ombre and English River are among the ongoing projects and both projects we faced some delays with for different reasons. As you can see at the Bel Ombre project, site conditions have proven to be very difficult. There have been issues with water and the river flowing through the site which has caused many delays, but we expect that it will be completed by the end of December this year,” added PS Choppy.

The site, at which retaining walls have already been completed, has underground water and streams, requiring additional structures for channelling the water and extra works for ground improvement, all of which will come at an extra cost to the ministry. Despite the additional phases of work to make the site suitable for construction, which includes filling the foundation with several layers of rocks and compacting the layers, the unavailability of suitable sites means that the ministry is left with no option but to continue with the project.

The rock filling and foundations for the blocks are expected to be completed in two months, and the entire project by December 2020. Initially, the project was scheduled to be completed by early this year.

Asked whether the ministry undertakes feasibility studies or surveys of the sites beforehand, both Minister Charlette and PS Choppy noted that surveys and investigations are conducted on each site but that some sites don’t permit for in-depth investigations. PS Choppy added that the investigation at the Bel Ombre site was geared more towards the placement of discharge, sewage and filtration systems.

The second housing project to be visited was phase II of the Union Vale housing project, English River for which 24 units were planned. Thus far, a block of eight two-bedroom units is complete and work on the access road is well underway.

According to the ministry, works have been delayed on account of sitting tenants who have proven difficult to relocate despite the ministry’s many efforts and therefore the ministry is looking into the possibilities of altering the plan and shifting the planned block of 16 units to a location on site with fewer sitting tenants.

During yesterday’s visit, an official from the contracting company, Fabsco Construction Limited, assured Minister Charlette and the officials that the eight units and boundary wall will be ready for allocation by April. The access road is also expected to be completed in the same timeframe and the first eight units allocated in early May.

The ministry is experiencing issues and delays on account of sitting tenants at two further projects visited yesterday including at Mont Fleuri and Plaisance.

The Mont Fleuri project, a redevelopment project of the once Kan Gard, is being undertaken by China Shyenyang Corporation (Sey) Ltd and comprises a total 16 units. To date, eight units have been completed as the higher end of the site is occupied by sitting tenants. However, it is anticipated that the eight completed three-bedroom units will be allocated in March with the further eight two-bedroom units to be completed by the end of the year.

Just a little further up the road at Kan Gard, Plaisance, employees of Allied Builders (Seychelles) Limited are busy working away on another redevelopment project, whose progress has been hindered by difficulties in relocating sitting tenants. Currently, construction is underway for two of the three blocks comprising 22 residential units. Subject to the successful relocation of the remaining two housing units, the project is expected to be completed by the end of September 2020.

As for the Les Mamelles redevelopment project just opposite Mohan Supermarket, which already houses three blocks, negotiations are still underway with private land owners. In the meantime, the ministry is implementing construction of eight units in an available part of the estate. The units experienced delays due to the relocation of utilities pipes and poor soil conditions which required ground improvement works but are scheduled to be completed by June 2020.

“We are still in negotiation to buy certain private plots of land and to add this to the plots already owned by the government for a project comprising 28 units but unfortunately the negotiations have not yet concluded, meaning the project we had planned for this site is yet to start. Even now, the fact that there are doubts over whether there will be agreement in relation to certain plots, we cannot finalise the plan and go forth with the project. If the 28 unit projects were ongoing, we would have a little more option to give these units out and to plan the redevelopment of lower Les Mamelles. Since we had a different plot at Les Mamelles at which we could fit just one block, and for that reason, the ministry moved forth with the construction of the block of eight units, until the negotiations are concluded. The block forms part of the redevelopment plan to replace all the low-cost housing but as you can see, the progress of projects depends on how we can relocate tenants and the options available to us,” PS Choppy added.

The last housing project to be visited yesterday is not without its challenges. The project site, located at the ex-PPSW at Petit Paris, Cascade, also faced delays due to preparatory works which were required considering that the site is still occupied by the Seychelles Police Force. Negotiations were lengthy and had to be concluded before the project kicked off. It is anticipated to be allocated to tenants in February 2021.

“Cascade is also a district where we are faced with land constraint because of its topography and there are limited places that can be developed. This site used to house police housing and the condition of the houses, structurally, was poor. We have a redevelopment plan for the whole site but we are starting off with 24 units as part of the 24 housing projects. We are starting off with 2 blocks and of course we are doing this together with the police to relocate certain facilities, so we are phasing it with the relocation but the project will continue,” PS Choppy concluded.

The accompanying photographs taken by Jude Morel show the different stages of progress on some of the projects visited yesterday.

Laura Pillay