Site for regional sewage treatment works agreed

Currently raw sewage is pumped into the sea at Peel

A site has been agreed for a new regional sewage treatment works to serve the west of the Isle of Man.

Manx Utilities said an agreement had been completed to purchase land in Peel to build a new facility.

The land is three fields in-land of Peel Power Station, but the authority said only two would be needed for the scheme.

The development is part of a £40m project to end raw sewage being pumped into the sea around the island.

Previous plans for a facility on Glenfaba Road, just outside Peel, were withdrawn after local objections.

The new site would also encompass the silt lagoon field currently used to store material dredged from Peel Harbour.

'Modern sewage treatment'

Manx Utilities chairman Tim Crookall said there had been a "great deal of work undertaken in the background to get us to this point in the scheme".

"I am delighted we can now move on to the delivery of first-time modern sewage treatment for Peel," he added.

Access to the site will be from the A27 Glenfaba Road to avoid any works traffic travelling through Peel town centre.

The land will remain under the control of the Department of Infrastructure.

A planning application is expected to be submitted for the works to begin later this year.

The site for another regional sewage treatment works to serve the communities in Laxey and Lonan is yet to be confirmed.