Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot said there was an ’avalanche of public support’ to preserve the Cosy Nook in Port Erin, which has been granted registered status.

The village’s commissioners last year voted to demolish the seaside cafe.

However, this latest move means that will not be allowed to happen without registered building consent.

It was pointed out to Mr Boot that Port Erin Commissioners held a vote on their plans for the cafe, and he was asked whether this was a case of government intervening because the local authority had made a decision it did not agree with.

Mr Boot said: ’That’s not how the process works.

’If the building is brought to our attention - in this case it was fairly publicly brought to our attention [when] they made a public announcement that they wanted to demolish it - there was almost an avalanche of public opinion that the building should be preseved.

’Now that doesn’t mean in itself that we will register the building, but that starts a process.

’And I have to say, the consultation responses that came back were overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the building.’

Rushen Heritage Trust chair Hugh Davison, who welcomed the news, did however question exactly what the registration would mean for the active planning application.

The government clarified to the Courier that registered status would be ’a material consideration’ in determining the application.

The Cosy Nook was one of three buildings to be given registered status.

For details of them, see the story in this week’s Manx Independent.