The Department of Infrastructure is among those now opposing Duke Marketing’s plans to build 45 temporary tourist accommodation huts at the skate park site in Peel this summer.

The DoI’s highways division objected to Duke Marketing’s plans (21/01537/B) for the spot at the end of the promenade on the grounds that it would be reliant on on-street parking, and there would be a shortfall in spaces.

Concerns about parking were echoed by some of the 40 Peel residents who attended a meeting to discuss the plans with two town commissioners.

However, Duke Marketing maintains that parking for the guests would be provided for by the approximately 54 parking spaces on the adjacent promenade, which the commissioners advised are ’rarely’ used.

Having seen success with a similar project in Douglas, during the TT and Grand Prix in previous years, chief executive Peter Duke says this is an ideal location for a new venture: ’[It’s] a great site, right by the sea which has in the past twice had planning permission for hotels to be built there,’ he said.

Mr Duke pointed to the fact there were only 97 service (guest accommodation) beds in the whole of the west of the island, according to a recent government survey.

Describing what the village would look like, he said: ’The cabins are square boxes, they’re not actually porta-cabins as such, they’re custom made - we’re going to make them look like beach huts, basically.

’With a little porch and some decking in front, to give them a more appropriate seaside look’.

As for parking, Mr Duke said: ’We’re not expecting to see, at peak, more than about 30 cars - and I believe that end of the prom can easily accommodate that.’

Outside of the TT period, which could see ’premium rates’ to help recoup the investment, prices would be between £65 and £125/£130 per night.

Meanwhile commissioners chair Alan Jones said that the local authority unanimously supported the plans, subject to planning approval, saying that ’detailed discussions’ had been held with Duke Marketing.

’The initial concerns that we had over the services, [the] restoration of the site back to a good condition, and things like that were addressed,’ Mr Jones said.

He continued: ’We’d get a little bit of income from it, [and] hopefully that can be used to regenerate that area a bit better.

’Which is one of our plans for discussion in the coming months.

’So I think overall there’s a lot of positives to it, however if somebody does come up with something that we haven’t fully considered then obviously we’d look at that and discuss it with Duke Marketing’.