Two heritage organisations have objected to plans for a major residential development at Great Meadow in Castletown.

The application (18/01172/A) is for approval in principle for the housing development in fields off Malew Road which includes sheltered housing, a care home and a community centre. Originally the application was for 130 houses, but the number was later deleted.

There are concurrently two other applications with planners for housing estates in the town. Objectors said a holistic view must be taken of all three plans.

Manx National Heritage is ’concerned’ the ’cumulative impact (of all the plans) is not being adequately considered’ wrote director Edmund Southworth.

Given the town’s 800-year-old castle, conservation area status and geographic focus on the square, ’developments which are separated from the centre and which effectively expand the town in the opposite direction require careful study’.

Mr Southworth added: ’The applicant has identified potentially affected heritage assets and assessed the potential impact of the proposals but we find the judgement that this is "minor", unconvincing. It fails to make an overall assessment of the impact upon the setting of the conservation area as an asset in its own right. There can be no doubt that views of the castle and from the castle would be impacted.’

The Isle of Man Natural and Antiquarian Society’s vice president Dave Martin said it will ’urbanise a significant area of green land, which would significantly impact and damage not only the landscape but also the context for heritage sites’. He said it ’would seem to fly in the face’ of Tynwald reports ’to minimise the loss of greenfield sites’. Also it is contrary to the principles of the island’s Biosphere status.

Scores of residents oppose the plan, which has the backing of the local authority.