Nearly 100 people crammed in to Laxey Pavillion this week to air their concerns over plans for a new sea wall.

The meeting was organised by Garff MHKs Daphne Caine and Martyn Perkins to give residents the chance to discuss the plans with Department of Infrastructure officials led by director of highways Jeff Robinson.

The plans (18/01160/B) include a four foot (about 1.2m) high wall along the sea front which has proved divisive as residents fear it would ruin views of the beach.

Mr Robinson said the DoI was keen to stress that the wall was desgined to last ’100 years’ to mitigate the expected effects of climate change.

He added that the department will not force anything on the village, if residents don’t support plans.

One resident, Edwin Kinrade asked if the DoI had carried out an assessment on what impact a new wall could have on Laxey’s tourism and heritage, as well as on the island’s Unesco biosphere status. Aidan McCusker of the highways divison said the wall ’does not warrant an impact assessment’.

The DoI officers confirmed it was possible for the harbour walls to be built and for the sea front to be left as it is.

Mrs Caine conducted a snap poll in an attempt to guage the feeling in the room.

She counted 26 people favouring just the harbour wall, 36 people opposed both walls while three people supported doing both. However, with the number of people in attendance, it was clear that many in the room had not settled their mind either way.

The biggest criticism of the night came for Mr Perkins when he appeared to suggest that people who hadn’t attended the meeting didn’t care what happened. A woman in the audience said this wasn’t the case.

The DoI confirmed it would speak to Garff Commissioners to gauge residents’ feelings towards the plans.

Commissioners chairman Nigel Dobson encouraged residents to contact them and they would collate their views and share them with the DoI.