Residents of St Andrew’s lanes ready to roll with motor rally

Residents of narrow lanes in St Andrew’s which will host the racing at the end of the month seemed largely ambivalent to it going ahead when spoken to by the Guernsey Press.

The event will hit the quiet roads of the parish on Saturday 1 March, with the 3.2-mile course being driven four times.

But there was no sense from parishioners that it would see the protests that rocked the last event in 2023.

That year’s event saw the cancellation of a section in Torteval due to a resident lying down in the road in front of the cars, and the Felconte stages being vandalised.

This year 38 cars from Guernsey, Jersey and the UK are set to take part in the rally this year that was first held in 2018.

The St Andrew’s route includes the back lanes near Les Vauxbelets and the parish church, before crossing the main road and heading past the German Underground Hospital.

Rick Robinson, who lives in Candie Road, described the event as ‘mildly inconvenient’.

‘You are stuck in the house for a few hours, that’s about it,’ he said.

‘They have been good with letting us know when it’s on and tape off the driveway, so there is no ambiguity.

‘I won’t be watching but I will glance out of the window every now and then to see them whip past the house, but they are gone in three seconds.’

Mr Robinson has lived in the house for more than 20 years and said it was about the third time the rally had used the route.

‘My only slight concern is for pets and animals,’ he said.

‘But saying that I can’t remember an incident and it’s not like the grand national where a couple of horses die every year.’

Alicia Corbin lives near the Underground Hospital, which the rally will pass this year for the first time.

‘I’m looking forward to it,’ she said.

‘If I’m not working I’ll probably pop out and watch. I think it’s brilliant for tourism. Everyone loves the hill climbs and beach racing and this is another great event.’

Further down the road, Justin Upson summed up the mood of his neighbours.

‘I really don’t feel strongly about it either way,’ he said.

‘I know it’s on because we have been well informed.

‘But beyond that I haven’t thought about it at all.’