No work will be done on the sunken gardens before TT, despite it having been six months since its walls were destroyed by Storm Barra.

Storm damage occurred on December 7, 2021 and Douglas Council has since been attempting to secure a loss adjuster for the site.

Council leader Claire Wells says it’s ‘really difficult’ to get moving on the project.

She said: ‘It’s not like you can have this magic fairy that comes along who waves a magic wand and everything’s magically painted and fixed.

‘We’re doing our absolute best to make sure that it’s safe and that’s the most important thing.

‘At some point in the future, hopefully soon, we’ll be able to make it look pretty again.

‘Realistically, it’s not going to be before TT but we’re doing our absolute best to make sure it’s safe and as tidy as possible.’

When asked what could be done in the meantime, she said: ‘There is only so much that you can do.

‘Short of bringing in half of Douglas to come in and rebuild the wall for us, it’s just not going to happen in a hurry.

‘We also need to make sure that when we are rebuilding the wall and when we are doing the park that we do it once and we do it right.’

Douglas Council had a meeting with Douglas MHKs and Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall last Friday to speak about the sea wall, which is the DoI’s responsibility, and the council’s own flood defences in the form of the destroyed walls that protect the sunken gardens.

‘We must try and ensure that we work together so that what we put in place is sufficient,’ Ms Wells added.

‘It’s working together for them to make sure that happens. I’m very keen to spend Douglas ratepayers’ money once and do it right.

‘I really don’t want to be spending it and coming back in a year’s time to find that actually we need to take it out and do it again because we haven’t properly corresponded with the DoI or worked with them together to ensure we put a solution in place first time.’

The timeline of the works notes that the first site inspection of the damage was undertaken by Douglas Council on December 8, 2021.

On the same day, clearing of the gardens and closing of the areas from the public was done.

On December 9, Douglas Council confirmed the loss adjuster, an insurance agent who assesses the amount of compensation that should be paid, had been appointed.

An email with the full claim lists and estimated cost was sent on February 3.

It wasn’t until January 13, 2022 that a site meeting between the loss adjuster and Douglas Council occurred and the damage was recorded.

A confirmation email to ensure that the kiosk, copper roof and surveyor’s structural report cost had been accepted by the insurers went through on April 27, suggesting the work on the sunken gardens wall has been lumped in with work on the kiosk nearby.

The last update made was on April 28 when Douglas Council put in a request to challenge the loss adjuster’s assessment.