A bid to extend the boundary of Port Erin is nothing more than a land and rate grab, politicians from a neighbouring authority believe.

Rushen Commissioners say they could in turn extend the parish’s boundary and reclaim Bradda.

The spat is prompted by Port Erin’s attempt to extend its boundary to include all of the Ballakilley estate.

The authority has been pushing for the extension since work began building the estate in 2013.

Port Erin Commissioners’ clerk Jason Roberts said that an application for the extension is with the Department of Infrastructure.

He said it is to overcome the current ’iniquitous’ situation in which more houses - 90 when plans were first drawn up - are in Port Erin, but pay considerably higher rates than the 66 houses on the Rushen parish side of the boundary, despite them all using the same services.

But in a strongly-worded statement, Rushen Parish Commissioners said: ’(We) are disappointed and frustrated by an antagonistic move from their southern neighbour (Port Erin Commissioners) ... to take a significant part of the new development at Ballakilley away from Rushen Parish.’

Commissioners say they are astonished at Port Erin’s move to extend their boundary and it would hit rate revenue, which is needed to develop new facilities in the parish.

’This is rate grabbing and although Port Erin’s application has been forwarded to central government, Rushen has not been made aware of Port Erin’s case or what residents would gain from the move other than a much bigger rate bill. Port Erin Commissioners’ move will be strongly resisted by the Rushen Parish Commissioners.’

Rushen Commissioners’ chairman Peter Gunn explained: ’This will be the fourth time in a generation that Port Erin has sought a boundary extension but this one comes at a time when there are several brown field sites in Port Erin approved for development, many of which are looking very shabby.

’On all previous occasions (boundary extensions) affected property owners have seen very significant increases in their annual rate bills but only a limited improvement in services offered. Residents who have just moved in to the new Ballakilley development in Rushen would see their rates more than doubled if the Port Erin move succeeds, and Rushen Parish Commissioners will be making sure that all residents are made aware of the scale of this potential increase.’

He added: ’Rushen Parish in comparison to Port Erin has very low administration costs and while Rushen has historically provided fewer services than Port Erin, the parish commissioners are about to embark on a significant new park development adjacent to the Ballakilley estate.

’Unfortunately, the rate money from Port Erin’s three previous boundary extensions, which could have helped Rushen improve services in the parish, appears to have been spent instead on expanding Port Erin’s administration functions rather than improving services.’

The extension bid prompted Rushen Commissioners to make its own boundary extension bid and reclaim land at Bradda, which became part of Port Erin 50 years ago.

Mr Gunn said: ’It is clear that Bradda remains a rural community and it is unclear what Bradda residents have actually got out of the Port Erin take over. The commissioners are firmly of a view that, like the proposal for the Ballakilley boundary extension, Port Erin Commissioners only seemed interested in taking money from Bradda ratepayers and very little if anything had been done to improve the Bradda community by Port Erin.’

Mr Gunn added: ’While rates in Bradda increased greatly following the boundary extension, the only significant change instigated by Port Erin Commissioners was the sale of Bradda Glen.

’Fortunately Isle of Man Government stepped in to maintain the asset for the public otherwise it would have been lost to the community.

’Rushen Parish Commissioners have a very good and positive working relationship with our neighbours in Arbory and Port St Mary and we would like to build a similar relationship with Port Erin.

’Rushen met with Port Erin a few years ago to discuss the best way to provide services to the new Ballakilley estate and we agreed to explore opportunities to work together in the best interests of the new residents.

’A few days later Port Erin, without explanation, informed us of their intention to seek to take the new development from us. It is hard for us to understand or indeed have confidence in a neighbour which operates in such a disingenuous way.

’Port Erin could walk away from this now, by withdrawing this insensitive proposal and avoid all the cost and ill-feeling that a boundary extension inquiry will generate.

’If they were to do this, Rushen Parish Commissioners would applaud them for doing so and agree to engage in meaningful dialogue to try to resolve the issues and concerns which Port Erin Commissioners have on this matter.’