Local historian Peter Kelly MBE is to be awarded the highest honour the Isle of Man can bestow.

Tynwald this week voted unanimously to approve a recommendation to award Mr Kelly the Tynwald Honour.

It’s in recognition of his public service particularly in the areas of Manx heritage, building conservation and community service.

The Tynwald Honour is only awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to Manx life over many years.

Speaker Juan Watterson told Tynwald: ‘Mr Kelly is widely recognised as one of the Isle of Man’s foremost champions of Manx heritage, architectural conservation and voluntary service.’

Born in 1947, his life-long commitment to the island’s history and built environment was evident from childhood.

Mr Kelly was articled to a local architecture firm in 1965, and spent over 20 years in professional practice specialising in vernacular architecture and sensitive conservation.

In 1985 he was seconded to co-ordinate Manx Heritage Year, which led to more than two decades with Manx Heritage Foundation, now Culture Vannin.

The Speaker said that beyond his professional career, Mr Kelly had made an ‘extraordinary’ voluntary contribution, founding the Isle of Man Victorian Society and co-founding Save Mann’s Heritage.

He has also given over 60 years of service to Manx scouting including 34 years as island chairman and continuing as island president.

Mr Kelly is expected to receive the honour as part of this year’s Tynwald Day ceremony.

He said: ‘It is indeed quite an honour to be nominated and even more so for the nomination to be unanimously approved by the members of Tynwald.

‘It represents acknowledgement of 50 years of tireless work with the Isle of Man Victorian Society bringing to light and sharing with the public our Victorian heritage, over 60 years’ involvement with the Scout Association (Isle of Man) from being a 16-year-old Wolf Cub Leader through 34 years as chairman and then President since 2011.

‘In addition, 20 years was devoted to broadcasting 1,000 editions of Kelly’s Eye on Manx Radio - all of these things being on a voluntary basis without payment.’

Onchan MHK Julie Edge said she worked with Peter for many years in Onchan District Commissioners’ surveyors department.

She said: ‘I sometimes thought Peter knew every property, every boundary in Onchan and on our island. He also knew every waterway and every sewer.

‘I‘m delighted that after having given so many decades in a job role, in a local authority and in our wider community, that he’s been put forward for this and he’s always done it with humility, professionalism and dedication.’

Mr Kelly was not in the public gallery for the Tynwald vote with the Speaker saying he was ‘on the campaign trail trying to save a building in Castletown’. ‘What would you expect? he added.

The building in question is the former house Westhill which since 1940 and until recently was home to the Buchan School. ‘The fight goes on,’ said Mr Kelly.