An inquiry into Hartford Homes’ plan to build 48 houses at Knock Rushen in Castletown will take place later this month.

The appeal was brought by developer Hartford Homes after planners turned down the bid.

Hartford’s appeal was supported by Castletown Commissioners despite the fact the controversial plan (18/00987/B) has provoked scores of objections from residents.

Some 66 were granted ’interested party’ status and they submitted 40 statements against the proposal.

The inquiry will take place on February 25.

The bid extends the 45 homes by the developer already at Scarlett Point. When people bought homes there, they signed a legal agreement preventing them from objecting to development in the next field.

Hartford’s plan follows a call by government - prompted by the local authority - for sites suitable for housing development in town, called the Castletown Housing Land Review (CHLR).

Knock Rushen was identified as such, however, the planning committee said the site was not designated for development on the Area Plan for the South. And they said the CHLR recommendations have not been subject to a public inquiry or Tynwald approval.

Planners said the CHLR therefore has not got as much weight in the determination process as the Area Plan.

And they said the ’Strategic Plan housing projections do not result in a need for any additional land in the south to be released for housing development’.

Castletown Commissioners said the CHLR should be given more weight and they fear this refusal could prejudice the decisions on other plans for housing development in town resulting from the call for sites.

Attempts to build in the area in the past have been controversial. Campaigners fought - under the group Save Our Scarlett - development at Scarlett Point for 13 years but were defeated when Hartford first got permission to build at Knock Rushen in 2006.

One resident, who remained anonymous, said: ’The conflict between the local households and the commissioners will play an interesting part in the forthcoming local elections. There is an important principle at stake: should the Area Plan for the South, which has successfully gone through public inquiry and Tynwald consideration, govern the development?

’Or should the developer, with local commissioners’ support, be able to override it?’