The leader of Douglas Council and the chairman of the environmental services committee have clashed over whether Douglas needs or could even get a boundary extension.

Councillor Ritchie McNicholl thinks Douglas should seek expansion and said: ’We are completely locked in.

’We can’t build out to sea obviously and we have Onchan and Braddan surrounding us.

’Rents in Douglas are too high, regrettably due to the ownership of the buildings there is little we can do, but we can always look at ways to help grow small businesses, but what we really need it is a boundary extension to allow us to build outwards.’

Council leader David Christian argued against this, stating ’a boundary extension would still kill the town centre’.

The debate grew from previous disagreement over Eden Park garden centre and the future of Douglas town centre.

Mr Christian said that the rate of businesses leaving Douglas was killing the capital’s shops, bars and restaurants.

However, Mr McNicholl believes this may be an unfair assessment, ’out of town provides facilities that we don’t have’ returning to the issue of Eden Park, he noted how Riley’s used to have five shops in Douglas, but due to lack of space, Eden Park had to be built out of town.

Mr Christian said in response ’we can’t get an extension, we have too many brownfield sites to utilise before we would be allowed to put forward our case for any boundary extension’.

Mr McNicholl concluded by saying that Douglas relies on rates and the town has no where left to build so to not explore the possibility would be depriving Douglas rate payers of future chances.

’I think we have probably missed the bus, Braddan likely wouldn’t be too happy with the idea, but if we got an extension then we would have the luxury of deciding what went up there, rather than just trying to oppose another authority making decisions.’

The Cabinet Office is currently preparing a draft Area Plan for the east of the island.

There are three weeks left until the public consultation closes into 35 additional sites under consideration as part of a development plan for the east of the island.

The sites were identified following a ’Preliminary Publicity’ process that took place last year, which asked for public feedback on 187 proposed sites in Braddan, Douglas, Laxey, Lonan, Marown, Onchan and Santon,

During the process, a number of additional sites were suggested, details of which are now available for public review at gov.im/potentialsites

The additional documents include:

An ’All-Sites’ Map - updated to show 35 additional sites

Additional site details submitted by each proposer

Draft site assessment reports and a summary table listing all of the additional sites

The public can make any submissions regarding these additional sites, perhaps about service availability, access or general comments about things like the history.

Responses to the latest consultation will be combined with detailed public input already received in response to the earlier consultation and both will help shape the development of the draft Area Plan for the East.

This will be published by May 25. Following that, there will be a period of public consultation and a formal inquiry at where submissions can be heard in person. Once approved by Tynwald, the new Area Plan would replace existing development plans in the east.

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas MHK said: ’I urge people to feedback on the latest proposals. The Area Plan for the East will be at the heart of strategic planning in the east, and there are many issues to consider around housing, land for employment, and the capacity and location of infrastructure and public services.’

He added: ’We are continuing to draft the ordinance part of the draft Area Plan. Once this extra consultation is complete we will consider all of the additional 35 additional sites in more detail. Some may be suitable and become proposal sites in the draft plan, others may have such challenges that they are not suitable and that will be explained as part of the department’s formal response to all of the comments received.’

The consultation, which can be found at https://consult.gov.im, will close on March 9. Paper copies are available to view at Cabinet Office reception, 3rd Floor, Government Office, Buck’s Road, Douglas.