The chair of Castletown Commissioners says he is ‘appalled’ at the decision to sell the Old Police Station in the historic capital.

Tony Brown claims government is ‘neglecting’ the Isle of Man’s heritage and has ‘no policies’ in place to protect it.

The decision to sell the Baillie Scott building was agreed by Tynwald last month after plans to develop it privately stalled.

Only three MHKs voted against the sale – Arbory, Castletown and Malew representatives Tim Glover and Jason Moorhouse, and Rushen MHK Juan Watterson.

Stating his disappointment, Mr Brown said: ‘I’m just absolutely taken aback. Putting it mildly, I’m appalled that Tynwald has allowed this to happen.

‘The opportunity to actually utilise it to reflect an important part of the island’s history and our police force is just being lost. If we’re willing to let buildings like this go, the worry is what next is going to go? And once they’re lost, we never get them back.

‘It can’t carry on, because we will lose important parts of our history, and once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.

‘Governments and local authorities in the adjacent islands are investing hundreds of millions of pounds a year in their heritage, and we’re investing nothing.’

Manx National Heritage Chief Executive Connie Lovel said that the debate in Tynwald has helped to put a ‘spotlight’ on the charity’s plight to secure appropriate levels of funding for its heritage assets.

‘The organisation currently faces a substantial critical maintenance backlog across the estate, requiring investment to prevent further deterioration and loss of heritage value,’ she said.

‘By seeking a responsible private owner for the Old Police Station, we aim to secure a sustainable future for the building, one that preserves its heritage while enabling it to contribute positively to community life once again.’