Tynwald will be asked this month to consider a proposal to extend Port Erin’s boundary to include the whole of the Ballakilley estate.

If approved, the move recommended following a public inquiry, will result in 78 homes currently in the district of Rushen becoming part of Port Erin from April 2020.

It will means their rates will increase by an average of almost £250.

A transitional arrangement will be put in place to allow them to pay a rate which increases gradually each year for 10 years.

Rushen Commissioners is considering its options, having held an emergency meeting last night.

Commissioners issued a statement afterwards, saying they were ’very disappointed’ at the decision which it said was taken without asking about the impact it will have on the parish.

It is understood that Rushen could lose up to 10% of its rates income.

’To add insult to injury’, the commissioners said, the department informed the press hours before informing interested parties.

The statement continued: ’While on the face of it this may seem like a fairly petty dispute between a large and small authority, we contend this dispute reflects a fundamental question about what the future of local authorities should be.

’The administration costs of Port Erin are twelve and a half times greater than those of Rushen and yet the population of Port Erin is only twice that of Rushen.

’This application was made by Port Erin Commissioners primarily to boost Port Erin’s rates income. The inquiry is though specifically precluded from considering the impact on rates for both authorities.’

A public consultation took place during August and September last year which was followed in March by a public inquiry, chaired by Geoff Karran MBE and held at Castletown Civic Centre.

A report was then presented to the Department of Infrastructure recommending approval for the boundary extension.

In his conclusions, Mr Karran agreed there would be a ’great deal of unfairness’ to those who had bought homes on the Rushen side of the estate as nothing had been done to warn them.

But he said Ballakilley was clearly an overspill of Port Erin and in his judgement it would be ’ridiculous’ to allow the estate to remain in two authorities as it was really one community.

Mr Karran made it clear at the outset of the inquiry that the hearing could not consider the impact of the boundary extension on a local authority

Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer MHK said it had been a ’thorough and rigorous’ process. He said all views were considered before any recommendation was made.