Manx Telecom (MT) has been given the go-ahead to install poles for broadband connection in Peel after a backbench MHK went against a planning inspector’s recommendation.

But Lawrie Hooper’s decision came despite another former Minister rejecting similar applications for broadband poles in Mr Hooper’s own Ramsey constituency.

Peel MHK Kate Lord-Brennan has cried foul - and questioned why DEFA Minister Clare Barber delegated the decision to Mr Hooper when he is no longer a member of her department.

She posted on Facebook: ‘Hooper has no business taking these deviant decisions, presumably nothing to gain or lose, he just did it.

‘This move is highly unusual.

‘It amounts to weaponisation of planning applications by one man, using executive power, from a Minister who has shown astonishingly poor judgement in delegating this decision to him.’

Ramsey MHK and former Health Minister Mr Hooper resigned as the political member for both the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and the Department of Infrastructure in January blaming the government’s shift away from ‘common sense’.

MT’s application to install eight telegraph poles to provide fibre optic connectivity to 57 homes in Bellevue Park and Carmane Close, Peel, (25/90399/B) were refused by the planning committee in November last year, as were plans to erect a pole to connect 20 homes on Cronk Reayrt (25/90398/B).

The telecoms firm appealed but the planning inspector recommended that the planning committee’s decision be upheld, concluding that the development would harm the character and appearance of the residential areas.

She said this harm was not outweighed by the identified national need and governmental goal to provide island-wide ultra-fast broadband.

But Mr Hooper, delegated by Mrs Barber, to determine the appeal, rejected the inspector’s recommendation and directed that the decision to refuse the application should be reversed.

He said the decision was finely balanced and each case should be assessed on its own merits.

Mr Hooper ruled that the proposal represented an ‘acceptable compromise between environmental considerations and infrastructure need’.

He said there was ‘limited’ harm to character and appearance and ‘localised’ harm to residential outlook, and was satisfied that the planning balance fell in favour of the proposal.

In contrast, MT’s application to install broadband poles at Barrule Park in Ramsey (25/90937/B) was rejected by Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood, under delegated powers from the Minister.

Dr Haywood, a former Infrastructure Minister who like Mr Hooper no longer has any government role, concurred with the inspector’s recommendation, dismissing the appeal and upholding the planning committee’s original refusal.

Ms Lord-Brennan said she has written to the DEFA’s chief officer to clarify under what authority Mr Hooper was empowered to make his decision. She said: ‘I just want to see the legitimacy, signed with my own eyes and understand why. Others are also asking questions.’

The two current political members of DEFA are Tanya August-Phillips MLC and John Wannenburgh MHK.