Plans put forward for viewing platform at Manx bird nature reserve

The site is about 0.3 miles (500m) south west of the Point of Ayre lighthouse

Plans for a viewing area and information point at a bird sanctuary in the north of the Isle of Man have been put forward.

Conservation charity Manx BirdLife has applied for planning permission to landscape part of the former quarry at the Point of Ayre National Reserve.

The charity also plans to install two bat boxes on telegraph poles to increase biodiversity in the area.

If approved, work would begin in January to avoid nesting season.

The application follows restoration works carried out in 2022 which involved rebuilding a gravel bund, the reprofiling of the lake edge, the creation of three new ponds, and the construction of a birdwatching hide.

'Seasonally sensitive'

The latest plans would see landscaping of the entrance area to the site, which is leased to the charity by landowners Island Aggregates, which formerly contained the quarry weighbridge and hardstanding.

New paths to allow wheelchair and pushchair access would be constructed to lead to a circular seating area protected by low mounds, and a viewing area and information point would be established.

David Andrews of the charity said guests would be able to see the "unique habitats" in the area from the viewing point.

The information point would also help visitors understand where they were going and what to look out for, he said.

Once the proposed work has been completed the reserve could open to the public from May next year.

Mr Andrews said the proposals and future work to create a much larger wildlife reserve on areas quarried in the past would address "biodiversity restoration" in the area.

As the site is home to a wide range of birds such as whitethroat and willow warblers, and wild geese, any work would avoid conservation areas and be "seasonally sensitive", he added.

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