Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer has admitted that a wait for paperwork is holding up progress on the possibility of a marina in Port St Mary.

Meanwhile, Port St Mary Commissioners suggest a working party of stakeholders would speed things up.

In March last year, the Department of Infrastructure published its harbours strategy and Tynwald approved plans to spend £80 million on improving the island’s harbours.

One of the statements included in the strategy was: ’The department will create a specific marketing plan for the potential development of a full tidal access marina to be located at Port St Mary, after appropriate consultation with the local community.’

In Tynwald last week, Juan Watterson (Rushen), pointed out it was 14 months since that report and demanded to know what progress has been made and why it had ’taken so long’.

Mr Harmer said: ’We have had a number of interests across the island and we will be going out to expressions of interest. We cannot unfortunately put an advert [out] until the Attorney General’s [chambers] have drawn up the tender paperwork. We need to follow financial regs.’

The tender process would be for the whole island, he said.

His department’s ’main focus’ had been on a new sea services agreement, following government’s purchase of the Steam Packet, the Minister told Tynwald.

But he added he hoped to have ’something on the expressions of interest within the next four to six weeks’.

Although progress has been slow in some areas, marine experts have been appointed to examine the best options for cruise berths in Douglas.

Last year, Tynwald approved in principle an £11m plan to create a new cruise berth on the outer side of the Victoria Pier as part of the strategy.

In Port St Mary previous attempts to create a marina have stalled and provoked opposition from some residents.

With this in mind, the local authority said a working party comprised of key stakeholders from Port St Mary and representatives from the DoI, should be formed to improve communication.

Village commissioners’ chairman Michelle Haywood said the DoI’s ’huge proposals’ had upset some people in the past. ’They didn’t take into account the existing harbour users.’

The authority supports ’an appropriately-sized marina’ said Dr Haywood.

The department agreed to a new working party and said there will be further developments after TT week.