When they were displayed last year, drawings for improvements at La Moinerie were well received by Sark residents. (0707212)

MY comments last week about Sark being well and truly open for business did not go unnoticed.

Some of those who responded to my offer to email the picture of a sunrise over Sark were either Guernsey expats living further afield – including one from New Zealand – or regular visitors and several asked for details about what is happening to developments over here.

The answer is that there’s plenty going on and one sign of economic activity is investment in Sark’s principal industry – tourism.

I walked past La Seigneurie this week for the first time in ages and saw the considerable building works going on.

A new tea room is being constructed behind where the ticket kiosk used to be, along with the ancillary bits and pieces that go with such an undertaking – principally the kitchen.

I’m told that it should be completed by the time visitors start arriving and from a personal point of view it will give me a chance to sit down and have something to eat and drink after spending an hour or so looking for three mischievous grandchildren who view the maze as a place where they can hide from me.

It will certainly add a dimension for those who regularly visit La Seigneurie and its outstanding garden – and particularly visitors who, like me, are of a certain age.

That development is already up and running in a building sense, whereas that at Stocks Hotel is very much in the planning stage, although consent for its first phase – a new accommodation block for staff – has been given.

Paul Armorgie, whose family has run Stocks for many years, told me that the redevelopment is starting with staff accommodation quite deliberately.

‘Our existing staff accommodation is sub-standard and bringing that into the 21st century is part of moving the business forward,’ he explained. ‘It is vitally important that we look after staff. Last year we had the nightmare scenario of having to change head chef four times because of staff accommodation so it’s a huge priority.

‘After that the next phase involves developing the pool area at the rear of the hotel and that means a new pool and the additional facility of a spa. There will also be a new kitchen which will serve the new facilities as well as the hotel.’

Other developments  – those at La Moinerie and the Dixcart Hotel – are still very much at the drawing board stage although Kevin Delaney of Sark Estate Management told me that those for La Moinerie were submitted to the planning committee last week.

He stressed that in both cases the plans relate to making better use of existing buildings.

‘It is not going to be a case of over-developing Sark,’ he explained. ‘At La Moinerie we will be converting derelict outbuildings into quality guest accommodation and the idea is that we shall do the same at the Dixcart.

‘The La Moinerie drawings were well received by Sark residents when displayed last year and we were encouraged by that.’

One point before I close.

I referred last week to four Chief Pleas members being marginalised and one of them – Michelle Perree – told me that one interpretation of my comments may have suggested that she was ‘pro-Barclay’, although I did stress that this was very much a perception.

Anyone who knows Ms Perree will realise that she is about as independent a person as it’s possible to get and the same can be said of the others to whom I referred – Ann Atkinson, Stefan Gomoll and Paul Armorgie – but I’m happy to clarify my comments.

• The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net.