Ramsey MHK Dr Alex Allinson has said he fears that some people are losing trust in the Manx planning system.

Dr Allinson appeared before the environment and infrastructure policy review committee alongside constituency colleague Lawrie Hooper (Lib Vannin) and Garff MHK Daphne Caine.

The three MHKs told the committee of their concerns as to what they see is a ’lack of consistency’ over planning enforcement.

Dr Allinson said: ’It has come to our attention that on a number of occasions, there is an inconsistency over planning enforcement.’

When asked by committee member Chris Robertshaw MHK (Douglas East) to describe the inconsistencies, Mrs Caine gave the example of a constituent who spent ’three years and thousands of pounds’ over the matter of replacing a six foot wooden fence with another of the same height.

She added that this also would have been at ’huge expense’ to the taxpayer.

Mr Hooper explained that the way he sees it, the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture’s planning department had ’codified’ low priority cases which ’they don’t bother enforcing.

He said this amounted to granting planning approval by way of ’not taking action’ on enforcement and was ’denying proper democratic due process’.

Mr Robertshaw said police make a judgement over whether someone should be arrested and charged over incidents and asked if the same ’levels and degrees of seriousness’ should not also be applied to the planning department.

Mr Hooper agreed that there has to be some professional judgement but added that ’if people can just choose to not engage with the planning law, how can anyone have faith in the system’?

He added this is in affect creating ’two categories of people, those who are lawful and those who choose not to comply’.

Mr Robertshaw acknowledged that the department is seeking to improve on enforcement.

His colleague Clare Bettison MHK (Douglas East) asked if people don’t comply with planning laws, could it not affect a potential sale on their house should they seek to sell.

Mr Hooper said he personally knew of occasions where people had done it with no problems.

Dr Allinson noted that the ’issue is a trust in the planning system’ and inconsistency of how the laws are applied.

He added: ’If people lose trust in the system, they’ll stop using it completely.

’And I fear some people are losing trust over inconsistencies.’