Work on the roof of the former Rang Jewellers' premises in the Avenue.

NEARLY 300 people packed into St Peter’s Anglican Church earlier this week for the funeral of Dave Brehaut. Such was the turnout that many of the congregation, which included a large number of family and friends who had travelled from Guernsey, stood for the entire service.

As a mark of respect for the well-respected 50-year-old building contractor, who died unexpectedly in hospital in Southampton on 5 February, all work on construction projects was halted on the day of his funeral.

Several shops and other business premises also closed to allow staff to attend.

It was all a fitting tribute to an extremely popular member of this small community.

Earlier this month, work started on what appeared to me to be the renovation of Werner and Phyllis Rang’s former jewellery shop in The Avenue in preparation for the building receiving some new and, as yet, unannounced tenants – although the word on the street has it that a bakery is being planned.

In common with many others who passed the building and looked up, I saw the roof covering coming off, some timbers being replaced and the roof being recovered – and, to be honest, thought little of it, probably because the premises didn’t look any different.

We now know that the Development Control Committee’s view is that before this work was carried out an application should have been submitted to them and, because it apparently was not, they have referred the matter to the police.

Additionally, they have made Sark Estate Management’s Kevin Delaney aware of the maximum penalties for the offence they allege he and/or the company has committed – penalties that include a term of imprisonment.

As an aside, how a company can be sentenced to a term of imprisonment is beyond me, but perhaps the great and the good know.

DCC chairman Conseiller Tony Dunks is quoted as saying that what Mr Delaney is doing in relation to the premises – Mr Delaney states the roof was leaking and rotten timbers were replaced before the roof was re-done – ‘goes beyond maintenance and into refurbishment’.

As someone who, in common with most people, likes to keep his home wind and water-tight – for very obvious reasons – I looked in the dictionary to see if that could shed some light on the difference between maintenance and refurbishment.

In simple terms, refurbishment means ‘to brighten up, to restore and redecorate’, while maintenance (in this context) is defined as ‘to preserve or provide for the preservation of a building’.

Personally, I’m not too sure there’s a huge difference, but no doubt either the Law Officers or the Seneschal’s Court will eventually make a ruling.

In the meantime, sooner or later it’s likely that one of the many bits of timber at my own home is going to need some work doing on it. Where does maintenance, which apparently does not need a planning permit, end and refurbishment, which apparently does need a planning permit, begin?

Perhaps it would be helpful to everyone – because Mr Delaney’s Sark Estate Management is not the only entity that might need to work on its property – if the planning committee issued a leaflet outlining some easily understandable examples of what is legally permissible and what is not.

Until then I suppose I’d better hope that the next gale doesn’t blow one of my windows out, as I could be faced with shivering until I get written permission to fix it.

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