The government is considering building a new TT Grandstand.

The facility would provide more than seats for fans to watch the races.

It would include hospitality facilities and would be used outside TT and Festival of Motorcycling fortnights.

The current Grandstand was built just over three decades ago.

Enterprise Minister Laurence Skelly said a new Grandstand would form part of a wider scheme to relay the road, which forms the start and finish line.

’Glencrutchery Road is in the schedule of works of the Department of Infrastructure to be resurfaced or redone in the next few years,’ he said.

’For us [the Department of Enterprise, which is responsible for the races] we’ve always had an ambition about the redevelopment of the Grandstand so we’re looking at that.’

The new Grandstand would be built on the same site as the current one, which replaced a previous smaller structure in time for the 1986 TT.

Mr Skelly, who was speaking on MTTV, said: ’We have been in discussions with Douglas Corporation and so forth to see how we might be able to achieve it.’

’We have a huge cost outlay with that. Hospitality is growing and what we know is that if we have a facility that has not only an extended grandstand and therefore expanded revenue opportunities and hospitality but also a potentially year-round attraction, there would be a year-round attraction not just used for TT and the Festival of Motorcycling. It would be used for the rallies, the cycling events and anything else.’

Mr Skelly also suggested that there should be a venue, with a hospitality suite built into it. That would remove the need for the existing tent, which is erected in Noble’s Park each year. The new venue could provide a space for wedding receptions, particularly for TT fans.

The cost of replacing the Grandstand has not yet been revealed but Mr Skelly admitted it ’could be a very significant figure’.

He said his department ’needs to put the business case together’.

He added: ’There would be a cost reduction and revenue increase that would hopefully justify that and we’re at the final stages of that particular proposal which we will be putting forward to our colleagues.’

Mr Skelly also said that the new road bridge over Glencrutchery Road would be replaced in time for next year’s TT. It was condemned ahead of this year’s MGP after issues were found following routine inspections.

A spokesman for the Department for Enterprise told the Manx Independent that the new development would be restricted to the existing Grandstand and paddock areas and it was not envisaged that any of Noble’s Park will be used.

They added: ’It is intended that any new grandstand building will sit over the existing building footprint and, dependent on the scheme brought forward, may require some additional land. Any additional land would be towards Duke’s Avenue and the existing parc-ferme.

’The project brief is currently being written in order for the department to engage with architects and designers to enable a range of options to be drawn up, the project having received funding in this year’s Budget to enable the preliminary work to be undertaken.

’As any work on the site will have to be carried out around the TT and Festival of Motorcycling the project requires a significant amount of design and planning work, along with consultation with the landowner, residents and other authorities. As such we cannot confirm a time frame for the commencement of the work or completion.’