This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mann

THE path has been cleared for Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay’s planned investment in Sark. Seigneur Michael Beaumont had been refusing to give his permission for the sale of tenements and a freehold to the Brecqhou owners.

But just days before a meeting of Chief Pleas at which the issue was due to be debated, he has backed down and the deals should go ahead.

Sir David and Sir Frederick last week announced their intentions for significant investment in the island, including a new hotel.

But they had been forced to go to Guernsey’s Royal Court over Mr Beaumont’s refusal to grant conge, which is needed for the deals to go ahead.

Now the purchase of La Rondellerie, Le Vieux Port and La Moinerie tenements and Le Clos Messervy freehold for £25,000 each will be put before the Seneschal’s Court on Friday.

Mr Beaumont has advised that he will give permission.

He was holding out for an indication from Chief Pleas whether he should, having already signed over to the island his feudal claim to treizieme - one-thirteenth of the purchase price.

Chief Pleas members were sent a letter from Mr Beaumont on Friday setting out legal advice.

‘We’re not surprised we had the advice we’ve been given on a piece of ancient legislation that had to be repealed,’ said hotelier and deputy Paul Armorgie.

‘It’s been challenged and perhaps the repeal has come along sooner than we previously wanted, but it’s all part of the process of preparing Sark for full-scale democracy. It’s perhaps an inappropriate piece of legislation in the modern era, but is there for good reason because it gave some element of control over who was buying into the island.’

He added that if the issue had been debated by Chief Pleas, the assembly would have come to the same conclusion.

‘It will make any debate now that much more straightforward because we’ve been given the advice we have and Sark would be foolish to ignore that.’

Sir David and Sir Frederick had secured long-term leases before trying to buy the properties.

The Royal Court action, which also challenged the right to claim treizieme, will be withdrawn if everything goes as expected on Friday.

But there are still strongly worded propositions against the deals on the agenda for tomorrow’s Chief Pleas.

One calls for the members involved to immediately resign their seats, although as tenants they would lose their place in the assembly anyway once the sales had gone through.