Isle of Man local authority service standards needed, minister says

Local authorities were sent a draft service level agreement in December

Talks over setting standards for tasks like hedge trimming and gully clearing on the Isle of Man are ongoing, the infrastructure minister has said.

It comes after a draft service level agreement sent to the island's local authorities was branded "pie in the sky" by a Braddan commissioner.

Chris Thomas MHK said the level minimum standards would be set at was still being discussed.

The standards were needed as "people care about" the functions, he added.

The move follows the drafting of the Department of Infrastructure's (DOI) Highways Maintenance Charter, which sets out its own responsibilities and delegated maintenance.

'Aspirational'

Local authorities were given responsibility for the functions in 2015, but no standards were set for those carrying them out to meet.

Before that point, many of the functions were carried out centrally by the infrastructure department.

The island's main routes, including the TT and Southern 100 courses, continue to be maintained by the DOI.

Braddan Commissioners chairman Andrew Jessop told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the draft service level agreement amounted to an "aspirational set of guidelines".

"I have no problem with trying to set high targets but they have to be achievable," he said.

The department would have to "come back with something far more reasonable", he added.

However, Mr Thomas said his department was continuing to work "collaboratively" with the island's local authorities to come up with a consensus over what the standards should be and how they should be funded.

Setting minimum standards for the local authorities to meet is one of the objectives in the government's five-year Island Plan.