The chair of Arbory and Rushen Commissioners says the lack of information about the Cair Vie windfarm is ‘disappointing’.

Kirrie Jenkins believes there’s been no updates on Manx Utilities’ Earystane project since March last year and residents have been left in a ‘void’.

The local authority has written to Tynwald members asking them to ‘scrutinise’ Manx Utilities’ proposals before formal processes ‘limit’ their ability to engage.

‘The purpose of the letter is to make sure that there is full transparency, proper process and clearer information before decisions are made,’ Mrs Jenkins said.

‘We wanted to be certain that members were asking the right questions, as there still isn’t a single clear, consolidated description of the full project.

‘We don’t have confirmed turbine locations, cable routes or the full infrastructure impacts, and that makes proper scrutiny very difficult.’

The £36 million proposal for the wind farm was originally due to be submitted for planning approval in January 2025, but the application was then deferred to allow for further environmental work.

However, Mrs Jenkins said the board has been told an application for the project is ‘imminent’.

‘A generation licence has already been applied for before any planning application has been submitted,’ she added.

‘That raises questions about whether decisions or commitments may already be forming before the full details are even publicly available or scrutinised.

‘These steps need to be taken early, and if scrutiny is taken too late, when positions have already started to solidify, we won’t get a good outcome.’

The lack of communication with local residents has also been brought forward as a concern by the local authority.

Mrs Jenkins said: ‘It’s disappointing when we’ve had reassurances in the past that local residents would be informed before the general public.

‘To my knowledge, that hasn’t happened.’