Alderney budgets to catch up on delayed work

The General Service Committee and States Works Department are responsible for most of the increase, with £110,000 allotted for coastal and cliff erosion and £500,000 for road and pavement resurfacing.

In 2021, only £25,000 was spent on coastal erosion and £20,000 on resurfacing.

Elanja O’Toole, finance manager for the States of Alderney treasury, said the increases represent a hopeful return to normality for the States’ budget.

For the past two years, she said, the States has had to rework the capital programme budget in response to work delays and concerns related to Covid-19.

In 2021, the States also had to rework the budget to accommodate the extra £737,000 needed to complete the Connaught Care Home extension project.

The cost of building materials sky rocketed, inflating initial estimates, while the project was delayed by the pandemic.

Now, Ms O’Toole said the States was re-prioritising the projects that have been on hold and was keen to see them done by the end of next year.

Alderney usually budgets for pavement and road resurfacing every two years, but by 2022, it will have been four years since the last resurfacing project.

‘The States always spends at least £250,000-300,000 on resurfacing.

‘Because of the delays and inflation, it’s a little bit higher for 2022,’ said Ms O’Toole.

The States will also be focusing on coastal and cliff erosion works at two key sites – the Clonque Bay area, which is exposed to the rough tides and weather on the west, and area near Crabby, because it is next to a fuel storage facility and further erosion could put crucial island infrastructure in danger.