Taking away car parking spaces would ’absolutely kill our trade’, say Kirk Michael business owners.

The Department of Infrastructure has unveiled its traffic calming plans for the village’s Main Road to improve pedestrian safety.

Its plans include new crossings, removable speed bumps, pavement widening and parking changes.

Lee Mayers Traditional Butchers and Bacon Curers and Kirk Michael Pharmacy, which are on the Main Road, have major concerns about parking being removed due to the introduction of crossings.

Both said they had not been contacted by the department ahead of its plans being revealed. Lee Mayers told the Manx Independent that a loss of parking spaces near his butchers would ’absolutely kill our trade’.

A pedestrian crossing is proposed directly outside his shop, which could remove two to three car parking spaces on the opposite side of the road.

The plans also show five new 30 minute car parking spaces outside the former Isle of Man Bank, about 300 metres away from his shop.

Mr Mayers said he only found out about the plans when attending a public meeting last month when they were first revealed. He made his concerns clear during the meeting.

’People have been crossing the road to the butchers for years and we’ve not had a problem,’ he said. ’People who are elderly cannot be carrying big bags up to the [new] car park.’

He added: ’I just hope the DoI thinks about local businesses, which could suffer majorly.’

Mukunda Measuria, a pharmacist who owns the local pharmacy, told the Manx Independent ’car parking is vital for us’.

His concern was that having fewer car parking spaces nearby would force clients - who are predominantly elderly - to go ’elsewhere or further away’.

’It would put pressure on us to go out there a bit more to deliver to them. Our clients are quite independent with us and they quite like it that way,’ he said.

He is in favour of plans to widen pavements on the Main Road.

’There is one lady who needs wheelchair access and we have a removable ramp for her to get in. The pavement is very narrow outside our shop,’ Mr Measuria said. If we had three to four inches more it would make a big difference, although I can appreciate how narrow the road is in this area.’

Other crossings are proposed outside Michael School and Michael Church. Removable speed cushions are also proposed at every 80 metres on the Main Road, which Mr Mayers doesn’t think are necessary.

He said: ’If they take parking away, it’s going to increase speeds if anything. Parked cars do it [slow cars down] for free. They’ll save a lot of money that way and a lot of disruption as well. The speed bumps will have to be lifted up which will affect business.

’We’ve still got the TT and all the road works. To have this added on - and we don’t know to what expense - doesn’t make sense.’

A DoI spokesman said several consultations were previously carried out to gather views of residents and businesses and these proposals are ’an initial response to the views put forward by Michael Commissioners on behalf of those local businesses and residents’.

’The draft layouts presented illustrated indicative measures to improve pedestrian movements and address the perceived speeding issues within the village. The potential options were presented for consultation with the whole community including the businesses. The department looks forward to hearing their views.’

The commissioners said it invited all residents and business owners to any consultation and handed out notices in 2017 when the first consultation went out.

It recognises some businesses have recently changed hands.

’The DoI have kept us informed all the way, but the plans were only ready to be viewed just prior to the meeting. The Commissioners did not feel the need to see the plans without the DoI team explaining their design,’ it said.

Residents and business owners are urged to make their views known to the commissioners so all comments can be taken to the DoI.

A public meeting will be held in November when all feedback has been received.