Peel shops demand end to sewage piped into sea

A long-term fix to Peel's sea pollution problem has so far failed to materialise

Businesses in Peel have made renewed calls for the Manx government to stop pumping raw sewage into the sea.

It comes after plans for a treatment works in the nearby parish of Patrick were withdrawn last year.

An online petition against the "unacceptable dumping of waste in Manx waters" has been launched by the owner of seaside cafe Roots by the Sea.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, and Manx Utilities has been asked to comment.

Cafe owner Jamie Blair said: "I cannot believe we are still doing this as a UNESCO biosphere nation".

He added: "On a hot sunny day we see hundreds of people using Peel beach, and yet we still have these pollution problems.

"We have got a sea dipping community emerging here too, and I want people to be aware of these issues."

More than 1,500 people have signed the petition so far, with a protest planned to take place on Sunday.

'Best beaches'

Peel is one of two regions on the island yet to be connected to a modern sewerage system, with waste released directly into the bay via an outfall pipe.

Manx Utilities is trying to find a new location for a new plant for the town as part of a its regional sewage treatment strategy.

It comes after the authority failed to get planning permission for a site just south of the town.

MU said it was looking at all options, including pumping waste to the island's central sewage facility at Meary Veg in Santon.

Ian Davison, whose ice cream shop overlooks the town's beach, said he cannot believe the problem had not been resolved sooner.

"I am 100% behind the petition. We have one of the best beaches on the island, and it simply has to be made safe for swimming.

"People are thinking twice before they get in the water."

Dave Matthew of the Cod and Castle chip shop said: "We need people on the beach, it is a highlight of Peel and some have been avoiding it."