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Sark tractor licence fees 'could double'

John FernandezGuernsey political reporter
BBC A very muddy road in Sark, with an old-fashioned red tractor on the right-hand side. There are stone walls on either side of the road with shrubbery and trees behind them. There is a building with a flag in front of it to the left.BBC
It currently costs £150 to operate a tractor in Sark

Proposals to double the price of a tractor licence in Sark are set to be considered by politicians at Chief Pleas in November.

The island's top committee Policy and Finance (P&F) has published its budget for 2026 and included plans for increased support for poorer islanders and extra money to repair La Coupée.

Overall the spending budget for Chief Pleas could go up by about 14% from 2025's rates.

That increase in costs has been driven by the need for a full-time locum GP and work to develop a strategic island plan.

Some £152,000 has been allocated for essential repairs to La Coupée while £30,000 has been earmarked for the development and consultation around a new strategic island plan.

Conseiller John Guille - a middle-aged man wearing a blue puffer jacket over a dark grey zip-up top and a navy T-shirt. He has dark grey hair and a stubbly grey beard. He is standing in front of a granite building.
Conseiller John Guille will be leading the budget debate at Chief Pleas

The Douzaine Committee has justified the proposed doubling of the cost to drive a tractor on island on the impact the vehicles have on the island's roads.

In its report Conseiller Mike Locke said: "The income from our road users, such as tractor drivers, is around half what it costs to maintain Sark's public roads."

Currently it costs £150 a year to drive a tractor in Sark but in the proposals set to be considered in November that could increase to £300.

Other licences administered by the Douzaine are set for less severe increases with bike tax set to go up from £14 to £18 if approved by Conseillers.

Tax increases

Limited increases to tax are proposed by P&F in the budget with a review of the island's tax system set to be presented in 2026.

The minimum personal capital tax paid by residents is set to increase by £81 to £630 while maximum personal capital tax could rise from £1,646 to £12,619.

There are also proposals to increase the landing tax from £1.47 to £1.52.

In the budget P&F state they believe the compulsory purchase of Sark Electricity Limited could be completed by September 2026, allowing 19 homes which had been disconnected from the grid to be reconnected.

For that, a budget of £10,800 has been set.

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