The arguments over the future of the Douglas Bay railway have trotted back and forth over the years with the plodding regularity of a trammer horse.

But it was a last-minute backbench amendment that was to finally tie the hands of the government to retaining the full length of the horse tramway.

Following a debate in December 2016, Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer had requested a combined vote after the two branches of Tynwald failed to agree with his plan to renew the twin tracks between Broadway and Summerhill.

Under his then proposals, a tram corridor would be set aside for the southern section of the line to the Sea Terminal to be relaid at some point in the future.

Douglas North MHK David Ashford, not then appointed Health Minister, said it would be ’absolutely ludicrous’ to terminate the tram tracks at the Villa.

But when it came to the combined vote the following month, Douglas East MHK Chris Robertshaw tabled an amendment that required the DoI to lay a single track from the Villa Marina through to the Sea Terminal.

’Do not let us limit our ambitions,’ he urged.

His amendment was carried overwhelmingly - committing the DoI to a costly and time-consuming element of the Promenade scheme.

But this was just the latest in a series of proposals.

Under the previous DoI Minister, Phil Gawne, there were plans for a single tram track running along the Loch Promenade walkway to the War Memorial and then continuing just off the highway before crossing the road at Strathallan.

The DoI submitted a planning application but this was rejected by the Council of Ministers following a planning inquiry. During the inquiry, Douglas Council decided to stop running the horse trams and they were taken over by government.

A further planning bid was made by the DoI for the southern end of the Promenade to be built without a tram corridor, which minimised the impact on pedestrians and parking.

Campaigners had vigorously opposed the idea of pedestrians and cyclists having to share the walkway with the horse trams. Hoteliers had also criticised the loss of parking spaces that would result from running the line by the side of the road. In July 2016, Tynwald voted to continue the loss-making horse tram service for at least two years.

They also voted to approve the principle that any future Promenade designs should include a single track running the whole length of the Promenade.But following the debate, amid more concerns over the loss of parking spaces on Loch Promenade, the DoI withdrew its new planning application.

In July 2017, Tynwald approved funding for the Promenade reconstruction scheme which included a twin-track horse tram line in the centre of the road between Strathallan and Castle Mona Avenue - and a single track on the seaward side of the highway as far as Peveril Square.

Outlining the design principles for the Prom which led to the current £25m scheme, Mr Harmer noted in December 2016: ’The last eight years have brought into focus the many competing aspirations for the Promenade.

’It has become clear that there is no design solution capable of satisfying everybody’s ambitions for the space.’

How right he was.