Campaigners against a £100m marina project say they are disappointed that the scheme has been considered ’viable’.

The company behind the marina and housing scheme for Ramsey’s South Shore is set to enter talks with government on options to lease the foreshore.

Three parties submitted bids to develop marinas in Douglas, Port St Mary and Ramsey harbours.

But only Ramsey Marina Limited’s proposal was considered ’compliant and viable’, a Freedom of Information request to the Department of Infrastructure has revealed.

The development features a 400-berth yachting marina created by extending the breakwater by 300m outwards and 350m south towards the Queen’s Pier.

It would include a boutique hotel as well as chandlery stores and bars located around an open piazza type area and 150 or so new homes.

Some 12 hectares of land would be reclaimed from the beach for the development.

No planning application has yet been submitted to planners.

But campaigners from Save the Bay say they were disappointed the principle for the area to be developed in this way had been accepted.

And they criticised the way a decision had been reached ’without any engagement with our local commissioners since March 2018, and without any meaningful public consultation.’

They added: ’That we have only learned of this decision through the mechanism of an FoI question shows how little regard the people of Ramsey are being afforded, by either the development team or the DoI.

’Save the Bay will continue to represent its supporters in opposing the marina proposal on South Shore and Ramsey Bay.

’The proposal will extend beyond the foreshore into territorial seas and plans to build a vast area of housing will have a detrimental impact to the natural beauty of the area, the fragile ecology, thriving marine life in this marine conservation area and the amenity value of the shore to all residents.’

The FoI response said that following a meeting between the Attorney General’s Chambers procurement team, the DoI, the Department for Enterprise and Ramsey Marina Ltd, the next stages of the process were agreed.

An appraisal report in respect of Ramsey Marina Ltd’s detailed proposal is to be commissioned and parties will ’negotiate heads of terms in respect of options to lease the foreshore’.

There are no concrete timescales for these next steps, the FoI response said.

Ramsey Marina Ltd has said it has considered environmental issues and that it wants ’to enhance the local environmental aspects as much as possible’.