The owner of Laxey Beach Cafe is ‘disappointed’ with Garff Commissioners on the authority’s lack of response to her petition against changes to the public shelter.

Julie Pinson – who is a commissioner herself – handed in a petition with more than 5,000 signatures to the authority after they made plans to remove all seating from the public shelter beside her cafe and replace it with lockers and other amenities.

She has not received any response directly from the commissioners.

When contacted by the Manx Independent, chair Stan Ryzak said: ‘The commissioners thank the tenant of the promenade kiosk for undertaking the petition.

‘The document demonstrates how popular the public spaces on Laxey Promenade are and the importance of ensuring that the facility remains well maintained and accessible to all.’

Mrs Pinson said that there had been ‘no communication or consultation’ with the public about the future of the shelter.

‘I’m really disappointed,’ she said. ‘It would be nice if they consult with the public and communicate with them about what their plans are.

‘They say they’ve got plans but nobody fully knows what they are.

‘The level of response that we’ve had from the petition should show them that the shelter is a community amenity that people want to keep as it is and the cafe are very happy to support that.

‘They don’t seem to be responsive to what the public need is.’

The cafe owner said that currently the cafe pays for all the furniture and for cleaning.

Mrs Pinson said: ‘The facilities are available for people to use when the cafe is closed and we have the barriers up to protect people from the cars and when that’s taken away the commissioners have got to provide that out of the rates. How much is that going to cost?

‘Who is going to be cleaning it? They don’t have a good record of cleaning the toilets or the benches outside. That’s a major concern, the health and safety of the public.’

She added: ‘I don’t think the commissioners actually realise the community facility they have.

‘They also seem to have added tables and chairs, which wasn’t in the plan before as far as I know.

‘People sat with hot drinks in the shelter and children running around to get to their lockers doesn’t seem safe to me. I don’t think they’ve thought it through.’