Call for neighbouring residents to comment on Ramsey's expansion bid

Proposals have been put forward to redraw the boundary of Ramsey

People have been urged to take part in a consultation over proposals to expand the boundaries of a northern town.

Ramsey Commissioners have put forward plans to take in parts of Lezayre and Garff to continue building houses and amenities.

In a statement, Lezayre Commissioners said the move was "territorial" and the authority should concentrate on redeveloping existing brownfield sites.

It has called on its residents to share their views on the plans.

A consultation on the proposals, which is open until 9 August, was launched last month ahead of a public enquiry.

'Once in a generation'

The Lezayre Commissioners statement said the financial impact of the expansion would be significant for the parish "not just to general ratepayers in Lezayre but also to those in other parishes in the north as the cost of refuse rates will increase for all".

"The Lezayre Commissioners seek the support of all their parishioners to halt the process," it added.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Garff Commissioner Marinda Faragher said the authority "couldn't see any justification at all" for the expansion into Maughold.

Calling for Garff residents to take part in the consultation, she said the plans were "very controversial" because the "north and west area plan hasn't been published yet, so nobody knows what land is going to be allocated going forward".

However, Ramsey Commissioner Rob Cowell said it was a "once in a generation movement" and there had only been four similar bids in the authority's 158-year history.

He said: "The other parishes will put their thoughts in, we'll put our thoughts in, and hopefully there'll be some mediation and we'll get to a point where everyone's happy.

"This is a big thing, it's not something we do very often, and it's something to get right."