The recreational use of land at Ballakilley in Rushen parish, near Port Erin is finally being progressed.

After years of negotiation, rugby club Southern Nomads has signed a 21-year lease and will develop facilities for recreational use there.

Club chairman Dave Parkes said: ’The granting of a lease represents a huge milestone, not only for PDMS Southern Nomads as a local rugby club, but also for the wider community of the south of the island.’

He added: ’We look back with immense pride on the many years of work which have been undertaken to reach this point.

’We will continue to raise funds towards the realisation of the project to give a high standard facility for generations to come.’

The bid to secure recreational land in the parish dates back to 1999, when the local authority got the land zoned as ’recreational’ in the Arbory and East Rushen Plan.

Since then Rushen parish commissioners worked tirelessly through all the stages of the Southern Area Plan to control the amount of residential development and ensure that there was a substantial amount of land for various recreational purposes.

Ballakilley Working Party - comprising representatives from southern authorities - was established to promote its use for recreation.

Southern Nomads has also worked hard fundraising in the past 10 years through its charity SPort Erin, established with the primary aim of securing rugby pitches for use by the club and the wider community.

From bag packs to discos, sponsored walks and even risqué calendars the charity has also assisted with the Harbour to Harbour and End to End Walks and Mountain Bike events, the Parish Walk, and the island’s original Soap Box Derby in Port Erin.

Community

Funds got off to a great start when club president Mike Shimmin offered to match the amount raised in a year up to £25,000, which they raised.

Some of the funds have already been put to good use within the local community, including purchasing training equipment and playing strips for some of the younger rugby players in the south.

The fundraising continues as the club plans to create two full-sized rugby pitches on the field, off Ballafesson Road, costing £250,000, initially with temporary changing facilities, with a longer-term aspiration to establish a £500,000 permanent club house on the site which will also be for use by the whole community.

Neal Kelly from the SPort Erin charity added: ’After raising funds for the past 10 years, it is going to be immensely rewarding to be able to put them to a tangible use. 

’There’s still a mountain to climb, but we now find ourselves well and truly at base camp.’