The final countdown...

Friday 23 November 2018

With a week to go until Sark's threatened black out, fresh information has been issued giving one of the strongest hints yet that the island's government is fully expecting the lights to go out.

Updated advice was posted on the Chief Pleas website yesterday, just a day after the Seigneur wrote an open letter to every resident in Sark.

While the Seigneur said the power was likely to go off for "at least six hours" if the owner of Sark Electricity goes through with his threat to turn the power station off, he said every effort is going into stopping that happening.

Now, step by step advice has been issued to residents about what to do, including asking people to check on their neighbours and to expect every business to be affected to differing degrees. 

Pictured: The Seigneur wrote to all Sark residents this week. Read his letter in full here. 

The threat of Sark being left without electricity, and running water as a result, was made earlier this month when the man who owns Sark Electricity said he couldn't afford to keep going.

David Gordon-Brown's family has owned and run the island's power station since 1947, with Sark having relatively expensive electricity per unit compared to Guernsey and the UK. He was forced to cut the price to 52 pence per unit price, which he said has left him at risk of bankruptcy because the company is losing £20,000 a month.

He had offered Chief Pleas the chance to take over his company, but said they don't want it. That left him with no choice he warned and he set a deadline for turning the power off of 30 November, one week today.

The Seigneur said this week that discussions are continuing with counterparts in Guernsey and the UK and generators have arrived in the island to keep the electricity supply on in key areas.

Major Beaumont also said he will be working with the island's emergency services and he'll be available during any "arising crisis" citing his Army career which gave him experience in running operations. But he had seemed hopeful in his letter that the power cut could be avoided, or at least kept to a relatively short length. 

"This action would be unacceptable and a threat to the wellbeing of the whole island," Major Christopher Beaumont wrote. "I intend to do all in my power to ensure the threat is either withdrawn or that it is countered in such a way as to minimise the possible consequences."

While Major Beaumont's letter had an air of 'keep calm and carry on' about it, with references to the German Occupation which "failed" to de-populate the island and "so will he" the information posted by Sark's Medical and Emergency Services Committee offers more practical tips.

The latest letter reminds the island that without electricity, there will be no functioning borehole pumps, so people will need to buy bottled water or boil their own supplies. They won't be able to flush toilets so water from garden butts or cisterns should be used.

Anyone taking medication which needs to be kept refrigerated should contact the island's Help Point. Those details have been circulated to all residents with the letter.

Pictured: The looming emergency in Sark has led to critical information being shared.

As well as the looming public emergency with the likely loss of power in a week, other business continues as normal in Sark. 

Isle of Sark Shipping is planning to sail as normal even after the power is cut, and other shops are hoping to open if they without the use of tills.

The funeral of Conseiller Stephen Taylor, who died unexpectedly recently is being planned too, and is due to be held on Friday 30 November at 12:30 at St Peter's Church.

As well as that, Sark's government is also planning an election, due to be held on 12 December. There were eleven candidates by the end of yesterday meaning the election will go ahead, with all nominations needing to be submitted by 14:00 today. 

Pictured: In one week, Sark is expected to be without electricity for the first time in decades.