New plans for a cycle path to around Pulrose golf course and playing fields have been submitted by the Department of Infrastructure.

The DoI’s latest application (20/00454/B) comes after it withdrew similar plans last year when Douglas Council threatened to object to the proposals.

Under the new application, the cycle/footpath would be accessed at the New Castletown Road junction with Anagh Coar. From there, it would run down on the inside of the existing fence, round the back of the houses on Springfield Road before emerging at the end of the row of houses before the football pitches.

The DoI said this would enable it to link with the cycle path on Peel Road and onto the centre of Douglas.

The path would be an average of three metres wide and built with a fence running along the entire length of the track from New Castletown Road to Springfield Road.

This new fence would run parallel to the existing fence which surrounds the golf course and playing fields and would be removed to allow for this path.

Most of the path would use geocell lining in order to protect the trees and roots that will remain in place with the construction of the path.

Last year’s application (19/01062/B) would have seen the path continue adjacent to Springfield Road on the bottom of the playing fields.

Douglas Council had warned the DoI at the time that if it didn’t pull the plans for the path and rework it with the authority then it would be forced to object to the application.

Concern was also expressed about the width of the pathway, which was then going to be four metres wide.

Councillors agreed this was excessively wide for the purpose and could encroach on to the football pitches.

Council leader David Christian told councillors that the DoI had agreed to pull the plans during the November 2019 sitting.