Return of Classic TT to cost departments £150k

A combined £150,000 rise in costs for two departments has been estimated

The reintroduction of the Classic TT next year will cost two government departments an additional £150,000.

The extra expenditure would be made by the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

In October the DfE announced the return to Classic racing under the TT banner in 2025 for the first time since 2019 after it was scrapped by the government.

In response to two written questions it was revealed that the change would cost Manx Care an additional £130,000, while the DOI would spend and extra £20,000.

The change, which includes the extension of the event from nine to 13 days, was made in a bid to boost visitor numbers, the DfE has previously said.

'Extra cover'

Minister for Health and Social Care Claire Christian said the rise was due to "extra cover" required to support the ambulance service, emergency department and radiology.

There could also be "additional requirement" for the helicopter, which assisted the island's ambulance service to access areas that were "difficult to get to" on the roads when they were closed, Christian said.

Specific funding had not been allocated to Manx Care to support motorsport events but was included in existing revenue budgets, she added.

Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood said the extra costs incurred for her department would be in relation to "pre-sweeping" the TT course prior to road closures on race days.

The provision of standby sweepers during racing as well as costs associated with operating the TT access road would also lead to the price increase.

If contingency days were utilised, the estimated additional £20,000 for equipment and staff costs could be doubled, Haywood said.