Plans submitted for regional sewage works in east

Raw sewage is currently pumped into the sea at Laxey Bay due to a lack of a dedicated facility

Plans to build a regional treatment plant that would stop raw sewage being pumped out into the sea at areas on the east of the Isle of Man have been formally submitted.

Manx Utilities (MU) aims to construct the Garff sewage treatment works to serve Laxey and Baldrine at the southern edge of the Axnfell plantation.

The proposed facility would be part of a £40m government scheme to deal with the island's waste and stop raw sewage entering the sea in the two remaining areas of Garff in the east and Peel in the west

The government-owned utilities provider said construction would begin in 2026 if the plans are approved and the project could take up to two years to complete.

A previous application at the Cairns was rejected in 2020 due to concerns from nearby residents over the smell and a potential drop in tourism in the area.

Alongside the treatment works, the updated project would include five pumping stations and more than 10 miles (6.6km) of pipelines, and see the demolition of three holiday chalets within the plantation.

Manx Utilities considered more than 50 sites for the project

In its application, MU said a number of trees would also be cut down to make way for the pumping stations.

But it said the loss would be "outweighed by the significant environmental benefits" of the scheme and would be mitigated by the further planting of trees.

The provider said the the project was an "essential infrastructure development for the island" to enhance water quality and preserve biodiversity.

The "continued discharge" of untreated sewage into the Irish Sea "must stop" and "to do nothing, is not an option", it added.

'Important milestone'

Following feedback from two public information sessions, the utilities provider confirmed extra planting around the site, and changes to the design of visible pumping stations, would reduce the project's visual impact.

MU chairman John Wannenburgh said the application marked "an important milestone in improving the water quality in Laxey Bay".

The construction of a regional sewage treatment works for Peel began in May.

Both projects have been hampered by delays due to issues with acquiring land and a shortage of off-island contractors needed to install specialist equipment.