TWO Sark hotels have been given planning permission to expand.

Both the Dixcart and La Moinerie Hotel have finally been given the green light after months of wrangling.

Sark Estate Management manager Kevin Delaney (pictured) said he was not in the mood for celebrating because the decision had been delayed by nine months.

‘Unsure of the decision, I have been unable to commence procurement of materials for the project and valuable time has been lost in our efforts to undertake as much of the building work as possible outside the main tourist season.’

He said the vast majority of Sark residents were delighted by the redevelopments.

‘Indeed, it is due to popular demand that the committee have finally granted these permissions.

‘The overwhelming degree of public frustration at watching others being allowed to undertake substantial redevelopment works while our schemes were constantly rejected was leading islanders to believe that the committee were operating a two-tier planning policy that was seen to favour some and discriminate against others.’

Mr Delaney said that under such sustained scrutiny, it was inevitable that justice would win through and planning permissions would be granted.