A decision by the government to drop plans for a new TT bridge should be revisited.

Leader of Douglas Council David Christian said the Department of Infrastructure needs to reconsider access into north Douglas from Noble’s Park if the TT is to return.

The DoI had announced plans to build a new year round 24 hour bridge with lifts and said it was necessary for disabled access. However the department later withdrew its application saying it wasn’t necessary as there is a bridge at St Ninian’s crossroads during TT and MGP fortnights.

Councillor Ian Clague said he was ’surprised’ to see that the plans had been withdrawn and said the footbridge ’provides a vital link to North Douglas and more importantly to the borough cemetery’. He added it was not good enough to expect residents to have to use the St Ninian’s bridge.

Councillor Karen Angela criticised the DoI and said the council’s officers had ’spent hours working on this, just for the DoI to decide they don’t need it’. Ms Angela said that people who live on the cemetery side of the bridge rely on its access during TT but wanted a bridge they could use year round.

Mr Christian said he for one found it ’very strange’ that the DoI changed its position on the bridge from ’absolutely essential’ to dropping it. He also said that ’people up the road’ [Tynwald members] had suggested to him the decision was a financial one above anything else. He added: ’If the TT is to come back, this is something that needs to be considered again.’

Mr Christian has also said that loss of the TT will cost the council upwards of £100,000. He told local democracy reporter Chris Cave that the council will need to find new revenue streams to replace that money.