Plans for an improved bus station and tram depot in Ramsey should be unveiled by the summer.

Politicians in the north have been calling for a new public transport hub in the centre of Ramsey and have argued that replacing the bus station on a different site would free up land for development.

In the House of Keys on Tuesday, Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said the government was preparing a ’fully integrated design’ for the tram station site ’that meets the needs of the transport network, our visitor economy and the local community.

He added: ’A draft design based on the various needs has now been developed and is currently being assessed for cost and technical feasibility.

’Working with various stakeholders we will proceed to create and refine the design for further consultation and submission to planning.’

Subject to ’successful value analysis, technical design and approvals’ a draft plan should be produced by late summer, he said.

Mr Harmer was responding to a question from Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) who said the bus and tram station scheme was ’heavily inter-linked’ with other proposed housing developments in the Ramsey area.

The Minister gave an assurance that those housing schemes would not be delayed.