A minister has pledged that a public planning inquiry was not delayed to allow new laws to come in giving the government powers to override development policies.

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas was asked to give that assurance, over the timing of the inquiry into the Eastern Area Plan, in the House of Keys on Tuesday.

It came as MHKs passed the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill, which paves the way for the government to use ’national policy directives’ to override current planning policies, without the need for legislation.

Martyn Perkins (Garff) pointed out the public inquiry into the area plan had been delayed until September, which meant the law allowing NPDs could be in place ’at exactly the same time’.

He asked whether the delay was to allow the Council of Ministers to use NPDs to push through any unpopular changes in the area plan, which is effectively a planning blueprint for the east of the island.

But Mr Thomas said: ’I categorically confirm this is not the case.’

The delay in the public inquiry has previously been attributed to a difficulty in finding an off-island planning inspector to oversee it and other staffing issues, plus the number of responses to the consultation.

The plan covers Douglas, Onchan, Braddan, Marown, Santon, Laxey and Lonan. Some of the proposed re-zoning of land to free it up for housing has led to criticism while others have questioned the population projections used.