Three sites in Laxey proposed for development in the area plan for the east have been dismissed by the inquiry chairman.

Michael Hurley cited concerns over access to two sites and flooding in the village for the other as reasons to recommend their removal from the plans.

The two sites rejected because of concerns over access are GH011 at Ballacollister Road and the adjacent GH015 named as Briar Dale, South Cape.

Both sites are on the south or Douglas side of the Laxey valley near the village’s border with Lonan and are outside of the settlement boundary of Laxey as shown in the Cabinet Office’s draft area plan.

In the original area plan, both sites were allocated for residential development. However, when the schedule of proposed changes was published in July of this year, the Cabinet Office relegated both to the status of strategic reserve sites.

Objectors who made representations to the inquiry included Garff MHK Martyn Perkins, who referred to sewage problems in the area.

However, Mr Hurley said he understood that a new provision for sewage in Laxey is currently planned.

The planned site for new sewage treatment works in Laxey is at the northern side of the village on the site of holiday chalets near the harbour.

But in the draft area plan, this site was zoned for tourism by the Cabinet Office.

Planning consultant and Laxey resident Patricia Newton told the inquiry that she felt the development of the sites GH011 and GH015 would ’detract’ from the visual amenity of Laxey. And M Turner and A Kennaugh said that the sites had poor access and considered that GH011 should ’remain in agricultural use’.

Mr Hurley agreed that the access was ’unsatisfactory’. ’Ballacottier Road is a single track lane, which would require widening to permit two vehicles to pass one another without difficulty. Its junction with A2 [the main road through Laxey] is sub-standard,’ he said.

He added that he was ’not convinced’ that the small sites should be considered for providing an appropriate location for a sustainable extension to Laxey and that he had seen ’no evidence that there is the housing need that would justify the extension of this settlement into the countryside’.

Mr Hurley also recommended that site GH020, on the north side of Laxey valley, uphill from Ramsey Road be deleted from the area plan.

During the evidence for this site, Mr Hurley heard again from Mr Perkins, who referred to the surface water problems including the floods which hit the village in early October.

Mr Hurley said: ’During the course of the inquiry, there was a serious flood event in Laxey, and it is important that the risk of further such events should not be exacerbated.

’In my view, it would be poor planning to provide for the development of this site without being certain that measures could be taken to ensure that there would be no increase in the rate of surface run-off.

’On the evidence available to me, I am not certain that this would be possible. In the circumstances I consider that the allocation of this site should be deleted from the area plan.’