Construction work is officially underway on a new multi-million pound community facility in Braddan.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place at Strang Corner field with commissioners chairman Andrew Jessopp cutting the turf.

The project, which is costing close to £7 million, is expected to take around 18 months to complete.

Mr Jessopp told local democracy reporter Chris Cave he felt a mixture of excitement and relief.

’After so many years of battling to get this project off the drawing board and actually start work on the site has been quite a long-term project for me, dating back to 2004,’ he said.

’So yes I’m really quite pleased that the project is now starting to come to fruition.’

The local authority has borrowed £6.5 million to fund the building, which will be used as a sports hall, child nursery, and commissioners offices.

Both the parish’s MHKs - Chief Minister Howard Quayle and Bill Shimmins - were present as the turf was cut, alongside Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker.

Mr Jessopp added: ’It’s taken a long time to actually get to the point where we are now but I think in the long-term it’s going to be well worth all that effort.

Asked how much of a priority the project had been on top of daily commissioners business, Mr Jessopp explained: ’In the early days when I was elected in 2004, I managed to get it onto the agenda - it had been hanging around, [by then] we’d owned the site getting on five or more years.

’Unfortunately there were interruptions along the way - not least the public inquiry into the running of the authority and then the fallout of the dismissal of our former crooked clerk [Charles ’Buster’ Lewin].’

Mr Jessopp also said that more funds could be found to cover the complex should the work go over-budget, explaining that preparations have been put in place for a potential increase in costs.

He said that outside pressures have already seen the price of the facility pushed up: ’It’s certainly been disappointing that we’re in this situation where things beyond our control - these are global matters - have had an effect on our pricing.

’However we had been quite cautious when we set our budgets, we knew that there was potential for increases in costs, which is why we hadn’t included in our calculations capital assets that we could realise by selling them or leasing them, if we need to find additional money without having to resort to additional borrowing.

He cited the 20% increase in steel, and the withdrawal of the roofing contractor, which resulted in another tender process which added almost £200,000 to the price.

The local authority has borrowed £6.5 million to fund the building, which will be used as a sports hall, child nursery, and commissioners offices.

Both the parish’s MHKs - Chief Minister Howard Quayle and Bill Shimmins - were present as the turf was cut, alongside Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker.

Mr Jessopp added: ’It’s taken a long time to actually get to the point where we are now but I think in the long-term it’s going to be well worth all that effort.

Asked how much of a priority the project had been on top of daily commissioners business, Mr Jessopp explained: ’In the early days when I was elected in 2004, I managed to get it onto the agenda - it had been hanging around, [by then] we’d owned the site getting on five or more years.

’Unfortunately there were interruptions along the way - not least the public inquiry into the running of the authority and then the fallout of the dismissal of our former crooked clerk [Charles ’Buster’ Lewin].’

Mr Jessopp also said that more funds could be found to cover the complex should the work go over-budget, explaining that preparations have been put in place for a potential increase in costs.

He said that outside pressures have already seen the price of the facility pushed up: ’It’s certainly been disappointing that we’re in this situation where things beyond our control - these are global matters - have had an effect on our pricing.

’However we had been quite cautious when we set our budgets, we knew that there was potential for increases in costs, which is why we hadn’t included in our calculations capital assets that we could realise by selling them or leasing them, if we need to find additional money without having to resort to additional borrowing.

He cited the 20% increase in steel, and the withdrawal of the roofing contractor, which resulted in another tender process which added almost £200,000 to the price.