ANYONE attending today's meeting of the Planning Committee hoping to witness discussion of the Department of Infrastructure's proposal to see "Erection of temporary horse tram facility including tram shed, stables, staff welfare facilities, parking and new vehicular access" on the site of the former Summerland (ABOVE) would have been disappointed.
In a new twist, an e-mail received by the planning committee read: "The Department wish to defer the planning application 16/01365/B scheduled for discussion at Monday’s meeting."
In an added note: "The reason or seeking a deferral is due to the Department discussing alternative options which would make the determination of the application premature."
This follows the Tynwald debate on Tuesday which saw a plan to abandon the Loch prom section of the Horse Tramway thrown out. The Planning Committee agreed to the deferment.
The e-mail to the planning committee from the DoI was issued shortly after 5.00pm on Friday 20th, five hours after a deadline for offers on the Horse Tramway Stables, a deadline set by the owners the Borough Council, in an advert posted by them on January 6th (LEFT).
The original application had attracted a number of objections, including one from the Manx Electric Railway Society.