Future Sark event moved to boost involvement

A consultation into the future of Sark will be moved to give "more people the chance to get involved".

In March, it was announced the Future Sark initiative, organised by Chief Pleas, would run through the spring and summer and aimed to gather a "practical shared picture of island priorities".

Chief Pleas said it had about 130 responses, alongside public workshops, written submissions and discussions with residents.

It said the next stage would take place in the autumn, as it believed the summer season was not the best time to ask residents, business owners and community groups. It added a final report would be expected in the new year.

Chief Pleas said Future Sark was intended to help the island think "clearly and confidently about its long-term future".

"The pause is therefore not a step back," it said.

"It is an opportunity to strengthen the next stage of Future Sark by improving communications, publishing further material and sharing the workshop write-ups."

Conseiller John Guille, chair of Policy & Finance, said: "Future Sark has already shown how much people care about the island and how much thoughtful input there is across the community.

"Extending the timetable is the right thing to do because it gives more people the chance to get involved and helps ensure the final work is stronger, more representative and more useful."

Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.