The new planning application system is ’more open’ and ’consistent’ and has removed the subjectivity that had previously impacted it, according to the minister in charge.

The Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, Geoffrey Boot MHK, told Tynwald that his department had listened to the public through a consultation, but had not removed any interested status.

Mr Boot was responding to a question from Bill Shimmins MHK (Middle) who had asked the minister: ’What consultation was undertaken with stakeholders prior to removal of their interested person status in the planning system?’

However, Mr Boot entirely rejected the premise of the question.

He said: ’You suggest in your question that people have had their interested person status removed.

’Such status is only conferred at the time an application to determine and is on the merits of that case.

’There has been no removal of interested person status.’

Mr Boot continued that under the programme for government, the public consultation had asked a direct question over whether to keep or losing interested person status.

He said that, while some agreed with dropping it as it could be used to stall development, others felt it was democratic and should be kept.

Mr Shimmins, however, said that 53% of people had opposed changes to the status and asked why the DEFA had removed it.

Mr Boot said: ’I take issue with the "fact" that we removed it arbitrarily, all we’ve done is improve the operational policy to make the system more transparent, it does not stop any part making representations to the planning department during the planning process, it only kicks in when an application is determined.