Meeting to gather views on sewage treatment plans

Th meeting has been organised to take place in Laxey on 22 October

Residents have been asked to share their views on plans that would stop raw sewage being pumped out to sea in the east of the Isle of Man at a public meeting next month.

Manx Utilities last month submitted plans for the Garff Sewage Treatment Plant at the southern edge of Axonfell Plantation to serve Laxey and Baldrine.

Garff Commissioners are holding the gathering at the Laxey Working Men's Institute at 19:00 BST on 22 October, with a representative of Manx Utilities on hand to answer questions.

The local authority said it would use the feedback to inform its stance before making a formal submission as part of the planning process.

The board said the Manx Utilities representative would be able to answer technical and logistical questions raised at the meeting, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The proposals have been put forward as part of a £40m government scheme to stop raw sewage entering the sea in the two outstanding areas of Peel and Garff.

The government-owned utilities provider has previously said construction would begin in 2026 if the plans were approved, with the project set to take up to two years to complete.

In 2020, a previous planning application was rejected in the Cairns amid concerns from nearby residents over the smell and a potential drop in tourism in the area.