La Coupee rockfall the result of ‘years of neglect’
Years of neglect have contributed to a rockfall and partial wall collapse on the southern end of the western side of La Coupee, according to a prominent resident of Little Sark.
Elizabeth Perree, who owns La Sablonnerie Hotel and is one of about a dozen people who permanently live on Sark’s smaller island, said there had been a ‘noticeable deterioration’ in the condition of the isthmus connecting Little Sark with Big Sark in recent years.
‘I’m pleased no-one was hurt, but I can’t believe maintenance and repair work has not been done earlier,’ she said.
‘I’ve spent well over a year really nagging the government to do something about it.
‘A stitch in time saves nine. Unfortunately it’s now got really bad in a couple of places.’
Two geotechnical engineers from Geomarine visited the site yesterday to assess La Coupee and plan for remedial works next week.
A five-man team of rope access specialists and engineers will stabilise the wall area and adjacent cliff face on the south-western end of the isthmus with reinforced concrete and anchor pins.
The works will be carried out from Monday to Friday next week, when access will be closed to all traffic.
In the meantime, only essential vehicle traffic can use La Coupee, with weights kept to a minimum.
Miss Perree suspected the use of La Coupee by ‘very large’ tractors with ‘huge trailers’ was partly to blame for the damage.
‘They cause havoc on the roads and sadly won’t have helped the situation. There’s no need for vehicles that size, but clearly our government allowed them to be brought over.’
She said Little Sark’s residents were not concerned about the prospect of not being able to reach food and other key supplies at this stage, but there was some worry that they could lose their electricity supply, which is carried in a cable underneath La Coupee.
Sark Electricity managing director Alan Witney-Price said there was no danger to the supply currently, but added the company has also been worried about the condition of La Coupee.
He added discussions were taking place with a Little Sark landowner regarding the possibility of installing a temporary generator.
In Sark’s 2025 Budget, the Policy & Finance Committee noted that the island’s post-Covid recovery cash levels had reduced by £490,000, leaving it with about £850,000 in reserves.
‘As a low-tax jurisdiction, we have limited means to fund any major or emergency infrastructure projects, for example, La Coupee,’ it said.
‘This will require political decision making to prioritise, and to look at new ways to generate revenue streams.’
Less than £2,000 was spent on maintaining La Coupee last year, with nearly £3,500 put aside for this year.
A check of Sark’s Hansard records for 2024 shows La Coupee only mentioned once in Chief Pleas, with Conseiller Kevin Delaney noting at the Michaelmas meeting that there were ‘many real, tangible challenges coming down the road’ for Sark’s finances.
He highlighted the ‘inevitable works to repair and stabilise our world-famous Coupee.’
