Laxey sewage treatment works rejection 'a victory for the people'

Campaigner Alan Clague (second from right) said it was a "good day for Laxey"

The rejection of a proposal for a new sewage treatment works on the Isle of Man has been hailed as a "victory for the people" by an MHK.

Manx Utilities' (MU) plan for a site at Laxey harbour, part of a wider scheme to deal with the island's waste, have been unanimously dismissed by planners.

Locals worried about the smell and increased traffic had opposed the plan.

Garff MHK Daphne Caine said the facility would have "changed forever" the harbour's "historic nature".

MU chairman Tim Baker said he "acknowledged" the decision, adding that the reasons for refusal, which included an "insufficient" investigation of alternative sites, would be "deliberated" at a board meeting on Friday.

Alan Clague, who campaigned against the plan, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the rejection was a "good day for Laxey", but added that he hoped MU would return with a new plan that could be "supported by the residents".

A new bridge was part of the rejected proposal

Raw sewage is currently pumped through outfall pipes into the sea at Laxey.

Tynwald approved £23.5m in March 2019 to fund the second phase of Manx Utilities' Regional Sewage Treatment Strategy.

In addition to the building of the facility, on a site previously used for holiday chalets, a new bridge for vehicles was proposed.

More than 400 people signed a petition opposing the plans, which were submitted in January.

Earlier this month, Garff Commissioners voted unanimously to object to the plans but a planning report published last week had recommended its approval.

Ms Caine said the rejection was unexpected, given the planning report, but she was "delighted", adding it was "a victory for the people of Laxey".