Commissioner welcomes sewage plant progress

The new plant will stop raw sewage being pumped into Peel Bay

The purchase of land for a new sewage treatment works set to serve the west of the Isle of Man is a "massive" step forward, a local commissioner has said.

Manx Utilities secured three fields in-land of Peel Power Station earlier this month.

Ray Harmer from Peel Commissioners said the move was "really positive" as the area regularly failed bathing standards checks.

Residents were relieved the project was moving forward, he added.

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

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Harmer said the project "ticks all the boxes" and overcomes objections "people may have had in the past".

Previous plans for a facility on Glenfaba Road, just outside Peel, were withdrawn after concerns were raised over the cost of pumping sewage uphill to the proposed site, and the removal of more than 100 trees.

The newly earmarked land includes the silt lagoon field used to store material dredged from Peel Harbour.

Relief

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

Mr Harmer, who is a former infrastructure minister, said the announcement was a "huge thing" and there was a sense of "general relief" among residents who had waited a "very long time" to see improvements to water quality.

But Mr Harmer said changes "could be a little way away" while the planning process is completed.

The Department of Infrastructure, which has control of the land, is expected to submit a planning application later this year.