The public inquiry for the area plan for the east has finally confirmed its planning inspector following months of delays.

The inquiry, now due to begin in September, is into the draft document which zones land for development in the most populated region of the island.

The inquiry was due to be held in March but was delayed until June before being pushed back again to its new date of September.

The announcement of the appointment of a planning inspector was made by Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas in a statement to Tynwald.

Mr Thomas said: ’A candidate who is fully aware of and experienced in the island’s planning system and contact has been identified.

’Cabinet Office will assist the independent inspector in the coming months responding to any requests so that a meticulous and thorough inquiry can be prepared and run.’

However, the minister failed to answer the £1m question from David Cretney MLC, ’who’?

Mr Thomas would only say that the Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney will make the announcement ’as soon as he can’.

However it was his announcement that the area plans for the north and the west of the island will be looked at together that drew the ire of members.

He added: ’It is my intention to launch early work on the area plan for the north and west.

’An extended call for sites, which I envisage to last around six months, is scheduled to begin on May 31 2019.’

Former Peel MHK and now MLC Tim Crookall asked Mr Thomas his reasoning for linking the two plans and suggested this could be because ’they’ve set a date and it has to be completed by this date’.

He said: ’I’m concerned now that one area might dominate the other.

’Probably the west over the north’, he added jokingly.

The minister’s answer did little to dampen Mr Crookall’s initial suggestion of a need to have it done quickly.

Mr Thomas said he had picked up that members want this done as quickly as possible and that it is a ’practical response’.

Mr Thomas’ regular political sparring partner Lawrie Hooper (Liberal Vannin, Ramsey) was next up to criticise the joint plan proposal.

Mr Hooper said he did welcome the north and the west ’finally’ getting a plan.

However, he added: ’It does slightly concern me that just over half the island is going to be dealt with by a single strategic plan and I’d like the minister to take that on board.’

However chairman of the planning committee Tim Baker (Ayre and Michael) said a joint plan proposal for the north and west was ’imminently sensible’.