A special type of road could be laid through Noble’s Park to allow easier access to vehicles, particularly during TT and MGP fortnights.

The Department for Enterprise, through TT production manager Nigel Crennell, has submitted an application (20/00542/B) to lay Grasscrete through the middle of the park.

Already agreed in principle with Douglas Council, the plan would see a permanent road and pathway for vehicle and pedestrian access running from the back of St Ninian’s church through the centre of the park towards the Grandstand and would also create a single corridor for vehicles to enter and exit the park.

The application said it would ’enhance the facilities within the park area and serve to improve the visitor experience for the TT and Festival of Motorcycling’.

It would also ’provide a new capability to allow Douglas Council to host events requiring vehicle access during the rest of the year’.

All costs for the work would be met by the Department for Enterprise and is part of a ’spend to save’ policy due to the cost of renting the matting currently used each year to provide a temporary road surface through the park.

The temporary mat surface put down in 2018 and 2019, was laid across the grass to make provisions for the road and a pedestrian footpath which DfE says is necessary for the TT and MGP festivals. However, this has proved to be expensive both in terms of labour costs, as well as transportation and storage costs.

The Grasscrete road would allow for a fully laden articulated vehicle to be able to cross the park while allowing grass to continue to grow.

Vehicles would enter the park from an entrance at the back of St Ninian’s Church, passing by St Ninian’s Court on the way up. They would exit the park by coming down the existing pathway near the toilet block, past the Talk of the Town restaurant, out onto St Ninian’s Road and be sent down onto Upper Dukes Road.