A new family-focused leisure area is being planned on the outskirts of Port Erin.

Arbory and Rushen Commissioners have submitted a planning application to develop land next to the Southern Nomads rugby pitches on Barracks Road, following feedback from residents.

The plans include a BMX track, a dog-walking area and new pedestrian access routes.

Commissioner Jane Glover said the site would provide a ‘valuable’ outdoor space, and hoped it would encourage community projects.

She said the authority had been ‘mindful’ of the surrounding area, which includes a cemetery and church, when designing the layout.

Mrs Glover added that wildflower planting was planned as part of the scheme, and that waste soil from the rugby site was being used to help form the BMX and dirt track.

‘This is to be a community asset on the outskirts of Port Erin, and we want it to be somewhere that as many people as possible can go and enjoy themselves,’ she said.

‘We’ve had quite a bit of feedback over the years about different things that people might like within the park, but of course we do have budgets that we need to stick to as well.

‘Somebody volunteered their services to help us put in something for young people, so they assisted us with the design and creation of a dirt BMX track, which has now been incorporated into the plans.’

Asked how valuable the development would be for the community and parish, Mrs Glover said: ‘I think it would be valuable for both the people that live within the area, as well as people that visit the area.

‘It’s a long-term vision, which is why we’re doing it in phases. We can’t achieve everything in one go, but it will be a really valuable outdoor place and space for people to go to.’