Castletown Commissioners are sticking to their guns and supporting a plan for 48 homes at Knock Rushen.

The bid (18/00987/B) by Hartford Homes on land at Scarlett Point has provoked a number of objections and a petition.

This plan follows a call by government (prompted by the local authority) for sites suitable for housing development in town; Knock Rushen was identified as a suitable site.

It extends a Hartford Homes development of 45 properties.

Scarlett Road resident Richard Bedford asked commissioners to ’urgently reconsider their position’, saying: ’By side stepping the problem of the access roads to the proposed development and stating that "the DoI Highways are better placed to comment on this matter" the commissioners have disgracefully avoided their responsibility to their rate payers.’

He asked commissioners to drive along access roads to the proposed development ’and consider how, in an emergency, it would be impossible for a car or an ambulance to safely pass a large vehicle such as a fire engine on the existing terribly narrow and pinch pointed roads on the current Knock Rushen development.’

Commissioners’ clerk Hugo Mackenzie said the local authority appreciate the concern of residents that the development may lead to increased traffic levels on adjacent residential roads.

He added: ’These roads are adopted highways, maintainable at public expense and the applicant will have to demonstrate to the Department of Infrastructure that the existing public highway has sufficient capacity to accommodate additional vehicle movements that may arise.

’The proposed development is wholly within the Castletown town boundary, and the board consider public right of way 352 (known as Muddy lane) is an appropriate limit for future development of residential properties off Farrants Way.’

Residents feared Hartford Homes had bought more land there but the developer confirmed they have neither bought nor have an interest in any land at Knock Rushen beyond that included in this plan.

Former town MHK Tony Brown said ’Mud’ or ’Muddy Lane’ was considered the boundary of any development by the authority from the late 1980s.

He said there are concerns over the density and type of housing in this latest plan.