Ramsey Commissioners are against plans to paint a Three Legs of Man stone structure on North Barrule white.

Regular readers will remember our stories about local man Bryan Callister arranging stones on the hill’s slope facing Ramsey.

He is now seeking planning permission to paint the stones.

The 30m-diameter edifice was created last year by Mr Callister, who spent several weeks re-arranging stones lying randomly on the hillside into the shape of the Manx national symbol.

art

The ’art installation’ - as it is described in the planning application - sits in the parish of Lezayre, but a member of the public has alerted Ramsey Commissioners to the fact that, if painted white, it would be highly visible from the town.

Urging them to consider the matter, the correspondent wrote: ’The view of Barrule from the town hall, the Mooragh Promenade, the swimming pool or even from Christian Street - in fact from any point of the town that enjoys the natural splendour of the hill range - will be despoiled by the painting of its surface.’

The structure was created in 2019, so recent amendments to ’interested party status’ do not apply to Ramsey Commissioners in this instance. However, when members discussed it at their monthly meeting, there were some very strong views, mainly against it.

Julia Wedgwood said: ’It’s of horrendous size. Is it an enhancement? I think it’s monstrous on a wild site.’

Michelle Quayle added: ’I certainly don’t like the idea of painting it white.’

She said later that she preferred the Celtic triskele style of the symbol to the armoured legs so often seen.

Wilf Young said: ’The hillside should be left alone. It [the Three Legs structure] shouldn’t have been put there in the first place.’

But Finlo Williams had no objection: ’The structure is providing a new habitat for wildlife, plus it’s a symbol of the Isle of Man that can be seen from Ramsey’, he said.

Andy Cowie concluded: ’Controversy is a sign of all good art, I believe.’

It was agreed by a majority that the board inform the planning committee that they did not like the structure and were not in favour of the stones being painted.

Mr Callister, who lives in Ramsey, spent 12 weeks on North Barrule last summer shifting hundreds of rocks to create the structure.

He was born in its shadow in Corrany and says he wants to make his mark on its steep surface.