Garff Commissioners has announced it will hold a meeting for residents to discuss the plans for the sewage treatment works at Axnfell.

It will start at 7pm on October 22 at the Laxey Working Men’s Institute, with a representative from Manx Utilities expected to be in attendance.

The commissioners had initially set a date for this month, however due to the ‘extensive’ planning application it agree to postpone it until October.

It says it wants to hear the views of local residents on the proposals set out by Manx Utilities.

The local authority also believes a representative from the Manx Utilities Authority (MUA) will be able to answer technical and logistical questions from attendees.

The application was published on the planning portal at the end of last month in which Manx Utilities says the continued discharge of untreated sewage into the Irish Sea ‘must stop’, and to do nothing is ‘not an option’.

Documents say the site, at Axnfell Plantation, will comprise of five ‘associated’ sewage pumping stations at The Cairn, Ballacollister Road, Garwick Glen, Telephone Exchange and Killkellan.

The main plant is due to be built along the southern edge of the plantation, adjacent to Ballacollister Road.

Manx Utilities also says that if planning approval is granted, the construction phase would begin in 2026 and could take between 18 and 24 months.

The application adds the sewage treatment works process will comprise three covered Integrated Rotating Biological Contactors – which should provide operational treatment capacity up to 2050.

Documents also show the operational lifespan of the proposed development is between 60 and 100 years for civil structures.

The commissioners are encouraging all residents to attend and contribute their views at the meeting.