Sark finance committee faces confidence vote

Sark's Policy and Finance (P&F) Committee faces a vote of no confidence later after a motion was brought forward from seven members of the Chief Pleas.

It comes as the island's P&F Committee is seeking to secure a £1.5m loan from Guernsey States to acquire its electrical infrastructure under a compulsory community purchase law.

The members of the P&F Committee hoped the acquisition would enable the island to secure vital safety upgrades before modernising its power facilities.

But Conseiller Frank Makepeace is among those supporting the no confidence vote, citing concerns around the loan and the island's self-governance as part of his decision.

He claims there was a lack of "transparency" around P&F's loan negotiations and other money-raising options were not considered.

He said there was additional "uncertainty" as to whether Sark would be able to pay the money back.

Makepeace added he was concerned about Sark's governance going forward and lacked confidence in P&F to bring forward major infrastructure projects such as the electrical upgrades.

P&F chairman John Guille said he hoped the vote on the £1.5 loan facility in Guernsey States in early May, would allow Sark to recommence negotiations to buy the assets of Sark Electricity Limited and put them into community ownership.

He said the loan would also give enough scope to carry out desperately needed remedial and safety works on the current electricity infrastructure.

He said: "Certainly some of those members who have signed the vote of no confidence seem to be against the electricity project and the loan from Guernsey.

"This has been rumbling on for 18 months so we are glad it has the chance to come to the house and to be put to bed."

Under current plans Chief Pleas would need to acquire the company from current owner of Sark Electricity Limited, Alan Witney-Price.

But Witney-Price told the BBC the company has been sold in principle to a private firm, Island Power, under a community asset agreement, for more than £2m.

Island Power managing partner Marcus Saul confirmed his firm had a purchase agreement with Witney-Price which runs out on Wednesday.

He said the purchase was contingent on "getting the Chief Pleas on board".

Follow BBC Guernsey on X, external and Facebook, external. Send your story ideas to [email protected], external.