Lezayre’s local authority is asking its residents to halt a process that would see areas in the parish become part of Ramsey.

It comes as residents of Maughold, Lezayre and Ramsey are being asked to complete a consultation into a proposed boundary extension for Ramsey Commissioners.

The proposal would see the adjustment of the boundaries between the three districts, removing various areas from Lezayre and Garff which would be included within Ramsey’s boundary.

The current consultation is the first step of the expansion for Ramsey Commissioners which says the town is at ‘capacity’.

After the consultation, the Department of Infrastructure, the department in which the proposal was submitted to, will consider a report which may or may not recommend that an order be made to adjust the boundaries.

The proposal has received fierce opposition from the other two local authorities involved, Lezayre and Garff.

A statement from Lezayre Commissioners said: ‘As present Lezayre Parish Commissioners is a viable local authority.

‘It provides a good practical service to its parishioners. It is solvent, with some reserves, and manages the business of Lezayre parish within its means.

‘Its rates are among the lowest in the Isle of Man.

‘Ramsey Town Commission is an urban authority and as such its commissioners should concentrate efforts on the development of the town itself and the brownfield sites within it.

‘So much of the land being claimed is agricultural fields and prime quarter land which sustain dairy herds and the Manx agricultural industry, and most of it simply cannot be developed.

‘It does not make sense that this land should be part of an urban area rather than remain within a rural authority.’

Garff Commissioners, which administers Maughold, says the authority hasn’t considered what the unpublished North and West Area Plan could designate as development land.

The consultation opened on June 21 and closes August 9 2023.

It can be found on consult.gov.im or you can submit response by email to [email protected] or by post to Local Government Team, Sea Terminal, IM1 2RF.