A NEW presumption in favour of development is to be introduced into the planning system as part of a push to clear away impediments to economic growth.

Any change to the planning system, however, is certain to be controversial.

Explaining the proposal, Mr Bell said: ‘The planning system has not been fit for purpose. It has held us back in the last few years.

‘I don’t want to drive through development for the sake of development. There is no doubt at all the planning system is laborious. There are £20 million to £30 million of private sector construction opportunities at risk because of the planning system. The construction industry is a very important part of the Manx economy and employs a couple of thousand people and many families depend on it.

‘New investment is vitally important and we have to recognise that the planning system is an integral part of economic activity. But we have to ensure it’s fit for purpose. We have to clear away impediments of economic growth through a review of the planning system.’

But Mr Bell said there would be checks in place to ensure unfettered development didn’t lead to new housing estates springing up everywhere.

He said he wanted development with a greater emphasis on the quality of design while still protecting and enhancing the quality of the natural and built environment.

The minister said: ‘We need to be very careful that we don’t allow development to go ahead indiscriminately. That’s not the intention behind this. It needs to pay attention to the equality of design. Some developments have been approved but have been on bad design and not been sympathetic to the Isle of Man.’

Mr Bell insisted that the review of the planning system was not specifically about attracting high net worth individuals to the island.

He has previously highlighted the difficulties that the wealthy potential tax cap beneficiaries have encountered in trying to find suitable houses in the island - and suggested that changes to the planning system were needed to make it easier for these individuals to set up home here.

In his public statement, Mr Bell said he intended to work closely with Economic Development Minister John Shimmin MHK to spearhead growth.

And he said his aim was to ensure the island as a whole becomes an enterprise zone committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurialism.

He said: ‘I have tasked my Minister for Economic Development to deliver this. We must clear away impediments to economic growth, ensuring that our policies and processes facilitate rather than inhibit the future prosperity of our island.’

One minute you can be saving someone’s life, the next stemming a simple nosebleed or getting to grips with an aggressive drunk ... there’s never a dull moment in a busy hospital casualty department.

After 40 years’ service with the NHS, Lancashire nurse Joan Woodcock has seen it all but it was in the A&E department at Wythenshawe hospital in south Manchester that she learned the importance of keeping a cool head.

Now retired and living on the Fylde coast, Joan’s career took her from casualty and geriatric units to austere prison clinics, GP surgeries and the distressing work of Lancashire Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) centre at Royal Preston Hospital.

She has witnessed operations and amputations, made up thousands of beds, mopped miles of floors, offered unstinting care and comfort and, as a Marie Curie nurse, helped patients to die in peace.

Matron on Call is the entertaining and revealing follow-up to her best-selling memoir, Matron Knows Best, and recounts in colourful and graphic detail the highs and lows of her six years in casualty.

The fictional Chatsworth estate featured in the Channel 4 TV series Shameless is based on Wythenshawe and the hospital has been featured in several episodes.

During Joan’s stint in the hospital’s A&E department in the 1980s, she dealt with every manner of injury from broken limbs, horrific road accidents and fatal heart attacks to drunken patients jumping the queue, ingrown toenails and earache.

Taking place over 24 hours one New Year’s Eve, Matron on Call shows what really goes on behind the scenes in Accident and Emergency and proves that Joan has a talent for dispensing common sense as well as bandages and balms.

Casualty, she says, is a department that nurses either love or hate because it is so different to the rest of the hospital. The permanent staff tend to have their own clique and there is little time for niceties as everyone is generally so busy.

The frantic pace of the department is not helped by the public using it as an extension of their GP surgery, appearing with ailments that should have been treated by a family doctor or pharmacist.

There are also those who repeatedly turn up at A&E feigning illness to gain attention, and time wasters like the young woman who had the temerity to sit in the waiting room with no more than a broken fingernail!

There are also the hazards of children running riot without any effort from the parents to control them and other adults increasingly reluctant to intervene. ‘Discipline in general,’ claims Joan, ‘now seems in retreat.’

Casualty, particularly at weekends, can be an alarming place for patients and staff as the department copes with the fall-out from excessive drinking – drunks ranting and making threats, fight injuries and road accidents.

Porters regularly came to the assistance of night staff if a situation got out of control and one stalwart became their unofficial bodyguard as he had the knack of always being there at the right time.

In between the routine work, there were dramas like the doctor in a cardiac ‘crash’ team who dropped down dead racing to a heart attack victim, resuscitating an elderly woman in a cramped lift and a knifeman who threatened to kill a nurse, saying he hated gypsies and that she looked like one.

Joan never fully came to terms with sudden tragic deaths, particularly when the victims were young, but she learned to accept that not everyone can be saved and ‘after everything, there is always another patient waiting’...

Funny, compassionate and compelling, Matron on Call is a heart-warming and honest portrayal of nursing in all its goriest and most glorious moments.

(Headline, hardback, £12.99)

THE iconic Castletown Golf Links Hotel has been sold.

Closed since 2007, the landmark building overlooking Derbyhaven Bay has been sold for £2.5 million to FI Developments Ltd, part of the Dandara Group.

The sale by Fort Island Ltd, linked to former tycoon Graham Ferguson Lacey, includes five other plots of land at Langness.

Dandara said it had embarked on an extensive consultation over the redevelopment of the site. A spokesman added: ‘Dandara is aware that any redevelopment will need to respect the sensitive nature of this unique location and is currently engaged in an extensive consultation process which involves, but is not limited to, government departments, local politicians, statutory authorities, the new owner of Castletown Golf Club and other interested parties.

The sale of the hotel comes just weeks after the adjoining Castletown Golf Links course was sold in a multi-million pound deal to island-based South African businessman Philip Vermeulen.

The hotel was owned by a separate company linked to Mr Ferguson Lacey and had been placed in receivership.

The sales follow a £1 million judgment issued in the high court against Mr Ferguson Lacey last year. The court heard that the one-time tycoon – once ranked 714th in the Sunday Times’ Rich List with a fortune of £90 million – didn’t have the money to repay a £1 million loan.

Malew and Santon MHK Graham Cregeen said he and Castletown MHK Richard Ronan wanted to meet Dandara managing director Seamus Nugent to discuss the developer’s plans for the site.

Mr Cregeen said: ‘I’m very pleased it’s been sold but we need to make sure it’s the right development. The area is zoned for leisure. I would like to see sort of leisure facility and it kept as a hotel. It’s a fantastic location.’

AN MHK has been given leave to introduce a private members’ bill that seeks to settle a dispute over the future of the former Victoria Road jail in Douglas.

Plans to redevelop the old Victorian prison, which closed in 2008 when inmates were moved the £42m jail in Jurby, have been thrown into doubt by moves to have part of the building registered.

Peel MHK Tim Crookall said: ‘What I am looking to do here is to try to solve the predicament that we now have with the old prison on Victoria Road and make sure that this sort of situation hopefully will not happen again in the future.’

Mr Crookall said the old prison had now passed from the Department of Home Affairs to the strategic asset management unit in the Department of Infrastructure but a report which the DHA commissioned had concluded that certain parts of the old prison site should be registered.

He said: ‘It may be the case – and I reiterate it may be the case – that, in putting those parts on the protected register, government ends up with a building or parts thereof registered that mean the whole of the site may be unusable or unsaleable, preventing the development of the site to its full potential.’

He suggested there should be a facility for the department to refer such entries onto the register to the Council of Ministers for determination if it felt that registering such a building or parts of a building could leave government with a property that it can do nothing with or, at best, very little with and at great cost.

‘I am trying to find a solution to a problem that could leave the island, in the case of the old prison, with a building that could cost the taxpayer millions of pounds into the future to protect and to try to find a suitable use for,’ he told the Keys.

But some MHKs expressed concerned about the proposal.

Peter Karran (Lib Van. Onchan) said any rules that applied to government-owned buildings had to apply to those in private ownership as well. ‘I believe that if it is good for the goose, it is good for the gander.’

Brenda Cannell (Douglas East) agreed: ‘If it is going to make it easier to deregister a property, then it will have to apply a level playing field right across the board, so that anybody who has a listed building can also go through the same process and apply for deregistration.’

But Mr Crookall explained that his bill was aimed at buildings that had yet to go on the register. He said any legislation had to be impartial and fair to everyone, and any decision of CoMin would have to be based on national interest a national need.

The Keys gave him leave to introduce the bill by 23 votes to one, with only Infrastructure Minister David Cretney (Douglas South) voting against.

SURE-sponsored Vagabonds travel off-island this Saturday to face high-flying Ruskin Park in what promises to be a titanic South Lancashire/Cheshire Division Two tussle for the Manx outfit.

Ruskin Park currently sit in third place, one point off league leaders Oswestry and with a game in hand. The Vagas pack will be bolstered by the return of Chris Neil after a short time out injured. A slight concern leading upto the game will be loosehead prop Rob Martin who, at the time of going to press, is struggling with a foot injury.

The backline will once again be missing Ross McCulloch who limped off during their last home game and faces a further few weeks on the sidelines.

The pitch this weekend is likely to dictate the outcome and provided the Vagabonds pack can fire on all cylinders then this is a game that is there to be won.

THE last of the Cu-Plas FA Cup preliminary rounds ties should, weather-permitting, be contested this weekend when in-form Onchan travel to Springfield Road to take on Police.

This match pits two teams at the opposite ends of the form table against each other, with Police having won just one of their last six while the O’s boast no fewer than five victories in the last half-dozen matches. The constabulary side, however, are an unpredictable outfit and held the Nivison Stadium team to just a 1-0 win in their recent JCK Division Two clash a couple of weekends ago, with Fletcher Craine grabbing the only goal of the game for Onchan. Before that, though, Robbie Prescott’s men hammered Police 1-6 in the league in September and will be expected to run up a similar score this Saturday.

JCK Division Two

Because of the aforementioned FA Cup tie, there is a reduced programme of fixtures in JCK Division Two this weekend.

The pick of the day’s games sees fourth place Michael welcome fifth-placed Douglas Royal to Balleira Road. The westerners currently hold an eight-point cushion over the Ballafletcher side in the race for the last spot in the end-of-season Paul Henry Gold Cup, although there is still plenty of time for that to be turned on its head in the coming weeks.

Royal’s form of late has been a bit patchy and has seen them fall further behind the top sides.

Michael, on the other hand, have recovered from a slow start to the season and are on an impressive run of form which has, like Onchan, seen them win five of their last six games and so will be favourites to collect all three points.

With table-toppers Marown and Onchan not in league action, second place Union Mills have the chance to go level on points at the league summit should they get the better of Douglas and District at Garey Mooar.

Like Michael, the Millers’ recent form has been impressive and includes two wins over Marown in the FA Cup and the league in the last few weeks alone so they will no doubt be full of confidence heading into this clash. They will have to be wary though, as D&D proved last Saturday that they can cause problems for the best teams in the league when they pushed Onchan all the way in the cup.

The Noble’s Park outfit held them at 2-2 after 90 minutes before Fletcher Craine snatched a dramatic extra-time winner for the O’s to send D&D crashing out.

There should be plenty of goals in this one and, come Saturday tea-time, the Millers should be joint league leaders.

Elsewhere, Colby visit fellow southerners Ronaldsway in their first match since Ken Hedley resigned as manager. This is a derby of sorts in Ballasalla so anything could happen but Colby should have enough about them to claim the win.

In the final game in JCK Division Two this weekend, Braddan make the journey to Billy Goat Park where they take on Alan Lemaire’s Foxdale, a side they are currently level on points with in mid-table.

THE number of matches remaining in South Lancashire/Cheshire Division Two is rapidly dwindling and Ramsey need to pick up some points very quickly if they are to avoid relegation.

The visit of Oldershaw this Saturday will give them an excellent opportunity for a much-needed win and, with a group of former players sponsoring the game, there should be support aplenty at the Mooragh Park.

Oldershaw have slipped a little this season after being strong promotion challengers last season. This time around, however, they’re at the wrong end of the table and not that far away from the danger zone themselves. Ramsey lost the away leg 17-7 and will be very optimistic about the return game.

The Ramsey side have had a week off from competitive fixtures with just an inter-club friendly last week which was more of a training game than anything else. Oldershaw are also well rested and they haven’t had a league match since January 7 when they slammed Ellesmere Port 53-3.

Home advantage, the return of Dave Hinks and Aneurin Pritchard should make Ramsey slight favourites to bag a much-needed win.

MANX Telecom Vikings A go in search of their first points of the season when they meet CM Skye Ramsey A at the NSC on Saturday afternoon.

Juan Corlett’s Vikings side have struggled in their opening matches so far and will need a significant improvement in order to claim maximum points here.

Ramsey were unlucky not to claim a share of the points against Bacchas A last weekend and Matt Grice’s side will be feeling confident they can come out on top in this tie.

Wi-Manx Men’s Division One

Top plays bottom in the Wi-Manx Men’s Division One when current league leaders Paragon Valkyrs B face basement side IOMA Group Bacchas Colts.

Jonathan Hull’s Valkyrs team have made an unbeaten start to the season and will be hoping to continue that good run of form with a further two points here. Bacchas will be aiming to improve on recent performances as they look to secure their first victory of the season.

Wi-Manx Men’s Division Two

The top two sides in Wi-Manx Men’s Division Two go head-to-head when CM Skye Ramsey B host IOMA Group Bacchas C at the Grammar School on Saturday afternoon.

Tom Howard’s Ramsey side currently occupy the top spot and will be hoping to remain there after this match. Opponents Bacchas currently have two wins from two and captain Tim Leeming will be aiming to extend their winning streak to three.

Wi-Manx Women’s Premier Div

Two sides looking to secure their first points of the season meet when IOMA Group Bacchas B play Paragon Valkyrs B in the lunchtime fixture at QEII on Saturday. Although both teams have played some good hockey they have struggled to make an impact against the big guns in the division.

Both captains will be determined to claim maximum points here in what promises to be a close game.

Wi-Manx Women’s Division One

Celton Manx Castletown B will be aiming to maintain their 100 per cent start to the campaign when they meet HQ Harlequins A at King William’s College on Saturday afternoon.

Emma Keig’s Castletown side currently have a two-point advantage in the league standings and will be hoping to stretch that lead here. They can’t afford to underestimate their opponents who enjoyed an impressive victory last week and will be looking to claim their second triumph in succession.

Wi-Manx Under-16 Mixed League

Current league leaders Manx Telecom Vikings prepare to play second-placed Celton Manx Castletown in the early push back at Castle Rushen. Dee Gimbert’s Vikings side have three wins from three so far this campaign and will be hoping to extend that run here.

Jon Allen’s Castletown side will be aiming for a win which will see them draw level with Vikings. Although Vikings will begin the game as favourites if Castletown can field their strongest side they could cause an upset.

SATURDAY’S FIXTURES

Wi-Manx Men’s Premier Division

IOMA Group Bacchas A

v Celton Manx Castletown A NSC 2.05pm

Mark Entwisle John Harrison

Paragon Valkyrs A

v IOMA Group Bacchas B QEII 2.05pm

Colin Kniveton Garreth Roome

Manx Telecom Vikings A

v CM Skye Ramsey A NSC 3.35pm

Alan Buxton Gary Corkhill

Wi-Manx Men’s Division One

IOMA Group Bacchas Colts

v Paragon Valkyrs B QEII 3.35pm

Andy Kneale John McCarrick

HQ Harlequins A

v Manx Telecom Vikings B NSC 12.35pm

Jamie Brown Tim Leeming

Fearless Saracens A

v Celton Manx Castletown B KWC 12.05pm

Unappointed

Wi-Manx Men’s Division Two

Celton Manx Castletown C

v Manx Telecom Vikings C CRHS 12.35pm

Laurence Watterson Unappointed

CM Skye Ramsey B

v IOMA Group Bacchas C RGS 2.05pm

Patrick Burton Rob McKenzie

Wi-Manx Women’s Premier Division

Celton Manx Castletown A

v Manx Telecom Vikings A CRHS 2.05pm

Helen Cave David Quayle

IOMA Group Bacchas A

v Manx Telecom Vikings B QEII 11.05am

Lindsay Riordan Unappointed

IOMA Group Bacchas B

v Paragon Valkyrs B QEII 12.35pm

Dee Gimbert Sandra Moore

CM Skye Ramsey A

v Paragon Valkyrs A RGS 11.05am

Karl Flint Unappointed

Wi-Manx Women’s Division One

Celton Manx Castletown C

v CM Skye Ramsey B RGS 12.35pm

Andrea Kneen Sandra Smith

HQ Harlequins A

v Celton Manx Castletown B KWC 3.05pm

Unappointed Fran Tinkler

Fearless Saracens A

v IOMA Group Bacchas C KWC 10.35am

Paul Gould James Russell

Paragon Valkyrs C

v Manx Telecom Vikings C KWC 1.35pm

Geoff Callister James Shimmin

Wi-Manx Under-16 Mixed League

Celton Manx Castletown

v Manx Telecom Vikings CRHS 11.05am

Unappointed

HQ Harlequins

v IOMA Group Bacchas NSC 11.05am

Ian Duggua Nick Wallinger

CM Skye Ramsey v Paragon Valkyrs RGS 3.35pm

Gail Corrin Hannah Grubb

THE Shimmin Wilson Manx Shield could finally be decided this weekend when Douglas B and Vagabonds B meet at Port-e-Chee for the final scheduled fixture.

Anything less than a Douglas win will make Southern Nomads champions for the fourth year running. If Douglas do win, they will force a play-off between themselves and Nomads who currently top the table.

The two sides met just a fortnight ago, with Douglas stealing the honours. They will also meet again in a week’s time in the Manx Plate final. The outcome of the game is difficult to forecast. Both sides could be stiffened by non-travelling first teamers and it really could go either way. In past seasons, Douglas haven’t shown the consistency needed to win a shield. Their defeat by Emerging Nomads this season suggests they haven’t got it this time around either and on that basis, I suspect Vagabonds will run them very close and may even just sneak a result.

Saturday’s Fixtures

South Lancashire/Cheshire Division Two

Dukinfield v Douglas @ Dukinfield

Ruskin Park v Vagabonds @ Ruskin Park

Ramsey v Oldershaw @ Mooragh Park ko 1.15pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Shield

Douglas B v Vagabonds B

@ Port-e-Chee ko 2.15pm

Friendly

Southern Nomads v Ramsey B

@ King William’s College ko 2.15pm

2E2 DOUGLAS travel away to seventh place Dukinfield this Saturday after a well earned week off.

This has traditionally been a tough away fixture for the Port-e-Chee outfit and the weather will not have helped the playability of the Dukinfield pitch.

Last season a heavy, muddy pitch and a big pack combined to produce a narrow loss for Douglas.

This season the confidence within the Manx side and superior fitness levels should see a positive result.

No team news to report but with the week off all the niggles and tired limbs of a hard-fought South Lancashire and Cheshire Division Two campaign should be long forgotten.

Dukinfield will be tough to beat at home but the Douglas side have the tools to open them up and bring home the points.

ST George’s stroll to the Canada Life Premier League title could come across an obstacle this weekend as the top-flight’s current pacesetters travel to 2010 champions Rushen.

Geordies unbeaten run in the Premier League was stretched to 41 matches after the 1-10 thumping of bottom side Ayre last weekend, meaning the champions elect last tasted league defeat in April 2010 against, you guessed it, Rushen at Croit Lowey.

Can lightening strike twice? Well in the one meeting between the two sides thus far this season Geordies triumphed 1-8 in the Eric Fletcher Charity Shield suggesting not. However, the Spaniards have improved since then and now sit third in the top-flight standings.

Mark Heywood’s outfit also go into the fixture on a high after advancing past Laxey in the Cu-Plas FA Cup on Saturday and should be at full strength for this weekend’s clash with the league leaders.

Geordies too should be at their strongest with first-choice goalkeeper Grant Dawson returning to face his old club. With only long-term absentees Neil Brogan and James McStay sidelined, Chris Bass Sr’s men should edge this one.

Laxey and DHSOB’s title chances could be made or broken this weekend as the pair go head-to-head at Glen Road.

The Miners will be keen to bounce back after the aforementioned cup exit at the hands of Rushen, while Old Boys will also be keen to claim three points after a 4-2 defeat at the hands of St Mary’s last time out.

The Blackberry Lane outfit won the reverse fixture 5-0, but expect a much closer scoreline this time out as the Miners aim to tighten things up at the top of the standings.

Second-bottom Gymns will hope to close the gap on relegation rivals RYCOB when they face Castletown at Tromode.

Kieron Iveagh’s side currently trail Youthie by five points, but crucially have three games in hand on the northerners who beat them 5-0 recently.

Gymns seemingly annual Great Escape needs to start somewhere, but Town will provide stern opposition if the game goes ahead on the notoriously temperamental Tromode pitch.

Youthie will aim to maintain their position above the top-flight’s metaphorical dotted line, but will do well to return north with any points from their trip to mid-table Peel.

Also in the west, St John’s host Ramsey in a game the home side will be slight favourites to take the spoils in.

Only one place seperates the two sides, but that gap represents nine points in the Saints’ favour. The free-scoring Glover brothers in attack should ensure a league double for Nick Hurt’s newly illuminated charges.

In the last game of the weekend Corinthians travel to bottom side Ayre. The Tangerines have leaked on average six and a half goals a game, something the Whites will be looking to exploit as they aim to break into the league’s top six.

ROAD works in Main Road, Onchan, affecting bus routes in the area are to continue until around the middle of the day on Saturday.

The roads that will remain without a bus service are Windermere Drive, Groudle Road, Harbour Road and Eskdale Road. The disruption is expected to continue until 1pm on Saturday, January 28, or until the work is completed. In the meantime, buses will be diverted up and down Royal Avenue.

PRIMARY school pupils will be able to monitor their energy use thanks to the donation of Energy Monitor kits by HSBC and support from the MEA.

The kits have been supplied as part of Eco-Schools programme, supported by the Department of Education and Children and promoted by HSBC and the Foundation for Environmental Education through their joint Eco-Schools Climate Initiative.

Awareness of energy consumption, its cost and, in particular, the links to fossil fuel consumption and climate change are a major part of the Eco-Schools programme, which also addresses issues of waste, transport, school grounds, biodiversity, water, litter, healthy living and global citizenship.

Children are the driving force behind the programme and measuring and monitoring is an integral part of the work, with evidence of reduced energy consumption or increased biodiversity being used to gain bronze silver or green flag status. With Energy Monitors, students will be able to use the meters in school to measure and monitor energy use, or borrow them for use at home to spread the ‘switch off’ message.

Kevin Cartledge, senior manager at HSBC Isle of Man, said: ‘The Energy Monitor project has been an excellent way for the company to support Eco-Schools on the island. Working with several departments within government, we can empower students to be the change our world needs.’

In addition to providing all items at cost price, MEA staff will deliver the Energy Monitors to schools and provide back-up advice for students and teachers, as part of its Bright Ideas partnership with government.

Schools will be encouraged by the Department of Economic Development to maintain their energy focus through the opportunity to enter an annual schools energy champions award.

The monitors will supplement an online energy monitoring system being developed by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture in conjunction with MEA.

Education Minister Peter Karran MHK said: ‘Our electricity bill for schools during 2011 was £871,431, and the DEC is working to reduce this. The HSBC initiative to provide primary pupils with energy monitoring kits will make our children more aware of the cost of lighting and heating their schools and will help them to play a part in reducing power consumption.’

Economic Development Minister John Shimmin said: ‘To effectively reduce energy usage, it is very important to monitor consumption and these energy monitors will provide the children in the Eco-schools programme with the necessary tools to make a difference.’

Infrastructure Minister David Cretney MHK said: ‘Educating the island’s young people will help to create a future generation that is aware of the damage that can be caused by certain types of energy and our own personal consumption.’

MEA chairman Eddie Lowey MLC said: ‘We very much look forward to seeing what results can be achieved and applaud HSBC on their investment into our island’s schools.’

{http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/ecoschools|www.keepbritaintidy.org/ecoschools}

GOVERNMENT will have to make many ‘extremely painful and unpopular decisions’ as it battles to rebalance its finances.

That was the message from Chief Minister Allan Bell as he gave the strongest warning yet about the difficult changes faced by the island if it is to overcome its current challenges – and he suggested that radical solutions would be needed.

In a public message ahead of next month’s Budget, Mr Bell said the aim was to rebalance the Budget – which will have been cut by a third thanks to the UK’s revision of our VAT deal – within just over three years.

He said the government wages bill, currently standing at well over £300 million, would need to be cut by a further 10 per cent within three to four years – and this would make jobs losses inevitable.

Mr Bell told a press conference that his other priority was to promote economic growth that would help create the new jobs that would be ‘desperately needed in the time ahead’.

He pointed out that the government had to be mindful of making savings in one area by cutting jobs only for the costs to be transferred onto the social security bill to pay for those out of work.

‘If we were a private sector company we could simply shed staff off the balance sheet. Government doesn’t work like that. The costs of one person being unemployed for 12 months works out at £15,000 a year. Unless we can provide a stimulus to the business community to create extra jobs, we will have a shortfall which will create problems in the time ahead.’

He said nearly 300 government posts had been lost in the last 12 months. A further 10 per cent cut would amount to further savings of £30m in salaries.

Mr Bell said a twin approach of economic growth and rebalancing government finances was needed and while some proposals outlined in this and future Budgets might seem radical, they would be vital.

He said ‘many difficult and painful decisions’ had to be taken and he hoped a wider debate would be triggered about the level of services that the government could afford in future. ‘This may lead to radical changes in future,’ he said.

‘There will be no sacred cows. These will be nothing that can be ring-fenced. Where savings can be squeezed out they must be squeezed out.’

And he warned: ‘We are probably going to be losing services that many of us grew up with and loved for many years. But that’s a fact of life.’

But Mr Bell insisted that he was not in favour of a ‘slash and burn’ approach to cuts, saying this would only serve to destabilise other areas of the economy.

The Chief Minister said the world had changed and there was no going back to the old certainties. The loss of nearly a third of government revenue meant the Manx economy faced a challenge as big as that of the UK.

But he added: ‘The Isle of Man has been through extremely difficult times in the past. We had much higher unemployment in the 1980s and only a million pounds in reserves. Young people had to leave to find work. The decision was made to take some fairly radical measures to lay the foundations for a new economy. We now enter the present situation in a position of relative strength, a position stronger than many of our neighbours in Europe.’

DESPITE using a staggering 96 players across its 17 Premier League line-ups so far this season, a further eight make their debut in the latest Isle of Man Newspapers’ Team of the Week after Saturday’s rearranged top-flight matches.

Surprisingly island keeper Max Thomas makes just his first TotW league outing of the season after an impressive performance between the sticks for St Mary’s as they came from behind to defeat DHSOB 2-4 at the weekend.

Also claiming their first TotW spurs of the campaign is Ramsey centre-back Lewis Qualtrough. The Isle of Man FA’s development officer was one of the Ballacloan outfit’s top performers as they drew 3-3 with RYCOB in a derby day thriller in the northern capital.

Joining Qualtrough in the hypothetical XI’s defensive ranks are DHSOB’s man mountain Liam Buckley and St George’s and island skipper Sean Quaye.

Buckley makes his second TotW appearance of the term after a solid showing and a goal in defeat against the Saints. Quaye adds further steel to the side’s back three after impressing Eric Clague’s esteemed Player Ratings panel in Saturday’s 1-10 triumph over bottom side Ayre.

The TotW’s midfield has a very fresh look to it, with all four involved for the first time this campaign.

Slotting in on one of the flanks is RYCOB’s 17-year-old prospect Jamie Brew who claimed the man of the match honours and two goals as Youthie battled back to claim a point in the aforementioned derby at Ballacloan.

On the other flank comes another goalscoring winger in the form of Peel’s Lee Gale. The island international claims his first TotW stripes of the season after a brace for the westerners in their 1-3 at Castletown. Also impressing at the Stadium on Saturday was Town teenager Stephen Whitley who enjoyed a good game in the middle of the park for Stuart Butterworth’s southerners. Completing the TotW’s four-strong midfield is St Mary’s James Murphy who also makes his first appearance of the 2011-12 season after shining against Old Boys.

Up front, last season’s Isle of Man Newspapers Player of the Year Chris Bass Jr makes just his first TotW appearance of the term after a good performance for league leaders St George’s.

Bass Jr’s Geordies club-mate Ciaran McNulty reignited his Golden Boot bid with four goals against the Tangerines landing an eighth TotW outing in the process.

The three-pronged attack is completed by St Mary’s former island international Martin Reilly who bagged two goals and the man of the match honours as the Saints overcame Old Boys to move up to second in the league.

Keeping this week’s selection in check is Referee of the Week Chris Taggart for a third time this season after a solid showing in the middle during DHSOB’s encounter with St Mary’s.

Team of the Week 21/1/12

Goalkeeper

Max Thomas (St Mary’s) TotW apps this season: 1

Defence

Lewis Qualtrough (Ramsey) TotW apps: 1

Liam Buckley (DHSOB) TotW apps: 2

Sean Quaye (St George’s) TotW apps: 3

Midfield

Jamie Brew (RYCOB) TotW apps: 1

Stephen Whitley (Castletown) TotW apps: 1

James Murphy (St Mary’s) TotW apps: 1

Lee Gale (Peel) TotW apps: 1

Attack

Martin Reilly (St Mary’s) TotW apps: 1

Ciaran McNulty (St George’s) TotW apps: 8

Chris Bass Jr (St George’s) TotW apps: 1

Referee

Chris Taggart (DHSOB v St Mary’s) RotW apps: 3

ANDY D topped the predictions game last weekend after amassing a total of 10 points, helped largely by a perfect score from the Castletown v Peel game at The Stadium.

His nearest challenger was Dave N with nine points, after he was awarded a bonus point for not only guessing the exact result between Pulrose and Gymns (2-3), but also for predicting extra-time in that tie.

Dawsy recorded no perfect scores but managed a steady round to score six points which helped him pull away from goalkeeping rival Dooner who was a no-show.*

*Possible communications error involved, therefore Dooner might yet score a few points depending on verdict from independent panel

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This week’s predictions:

Andy D

Cu-Plas FA Cup Preliminary Round

Police 1-3 Onchan

Canada Life Premier League

Gymns 2-4 Castletown

St John’s 2-1 Ramsey

Laxey 2-2 DHSOB

Corinthians 5-2 Ayre

Rushen 1-2 St George’s

Peel 2-0 RYCOB

JCK Division Two

Michael 3-1 Douglas Royal

Union Mills 4-1 Douglas and District

Ronaldsway 1-4 Colby

Foxdale 2-1 Braddan

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Dave N

Cu-Plas FA Cup Preliminary Round

Police 0-4 Onchan

Canada Life Premier League

Gymns 1-3 Castletown

St John’s 5-1 Ramsey

Laxey 4-2 DHSOB

Corinthians 5-0 Ayre

Rushen 2-2 St George’s

Peel 4-1 RYCOB

JCK Division Two

Michael 2-0 Douglas Royal

Union Mills 6-1 Douglas and District

Ronaldsway 2-3 Colby

Foxdale 4-3 Braddan

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Dawsy

Cu-Plas FA Cup Preliminary Round

Police 1-3 Onchan

Canada Life Premier League

Gymns 1-4 Castletown

St John’s 2-0 Ramsey

Laxey 1-1 DHSOB

Corinthians 6-1 Ayre

Rushen 2-1 St George’s

Peel 4-1 RYCOB

JCK Division Two

Michael 2-2 Douglas Royal

Union Mills 6-0 Douglas and District

Ronaldsway 0-5 Colby

Foxdale 3-2 Braddan

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Dooner

Cu-Plas FA Cup Preliminary Round

Police 1-2 Onchan

Canada Life Premier League

Gymns 1-3 Castletown

St John’s 1-1 Ramsey

Laxey 1-2 DHSOB

Corinthians 2-0 Ayre

Rushen 1-5 St George’s

Peel 3-1 RYCOB

JCK Division Two

Michael 2-1 Douglas Royal

Union Mills 3-0 Douglas and District

Ronaldsway 1-3 Colby

Foxdale 2-2 Braddan

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TC Racing Honda outfit confirm Scottish rider’s Mountain Course debut in 2012

SCOTTISH rider Jimmy Storrar has confirmed that he will be making his long-awaited debut at the 2012 TT races.

The Perth-born racer, who was due to compete in 2011 before an untimely hand injury in testing at Donington Park, will compete for Mick Charnock’s TC Racing Honda/DP Coldplaning outfit. He will compete in all classes and the team has secured high spec600cc and 1000cc Honda’s for their Mountain Course campaign.

Storrar, 25, enjoyed recent success in the Macau Grand Prix finishing seventh, one place behind John McGuinness and ahead of a number of respected TT stars including Bruce Anstey, matching his performance at the 2010 event where he also beat some of the leading TT racers.

He finished a credible eighth in the 2011 BSB Superstock Championship, recording a number of top-five places including a podium at Oulton Park. He would have undoubtedly finished higher but the injury in testing caused him to miss a number of rounds.

Storrar began his racing career in 2004, in the 125cc Scottish championship before graduating to the MRO Supersport Championship in 2005, where he finished third. He moved up to the National Superstock Cup in 2006, finishing fifth overall and has competed in the National Superstock Championship since 2007, recording his highest overall place of 10th in 2008.

TC Racing Honda/DP Coldplaning team boss Charnock competed in the TT Races and Manx Grand Prix before running his own team in 2005. His team has backed both Cameron Donald and David Johnson as newcomers, in 2005 and 2010 respectively.

He said: ‘Everyone was really disappointed for Jimmy last year when he had to miss his first year at the TT with injury but we’re delighted that he’s back in 2012 and ready to race on the Isle of Man. He’s got an extra year’s experience under his belt and I’m sure it will stand him in good stead for his Mountain Course debut.’

Storrar, on a recent trip to the island to familiarise himself with the course, commented: ‘I’ve spent a bit of time with the TT rider liaison officers Milky Quayle and Johnny Barton out on the course and they’ve given me some really good insights. It was really frustrating to miss out last year, especially as my injury was so close to the event but it has only made me even more fired up for the TT this year.’

A ONE vehicle collision took place at Windy Corner on the Mountain Road this afternoon (Friday).

The injuries of the driver, of the red Volkswagen Golf involved, are not thought to be serious.

The road was closed for a time while the vehicle was removed from the scene.

EVERY cloud has a silver lining, so says the optimist. One particular cloud meant the end of Manx post-rock heavyweights Planes Over Paris – when singer and synth player Steph Gomaa gave in to wanderlust to leave the island to travel in 2011.

The silver lining is that vocalist and guitarist Paul Salisbury, bass man Martyn Cain and beat keeper Ben O’Hare have re-emerged as Post War Stories, and having heard their demos they appear to be an altogether darker beast than Planes Over Paris.

Ben said: ‘Sound wise, it was quite an obvious route for us. We’re inspired by bands like Levitation and Darkstar that use dub-inspired rhythm sections, and we add big guitar that swirls from side to side – Paul uses a two amp set up.

‘The dance element and synthesizers of Planes Over Paris couldn’t be done with just three of us, so we had to write in a different style. And we do stuff we haven’t tried before like using samples and backing tracks.’

Planes had their swansong with headline slot at The Garden Party last summer – but would they have carried on had Steph not left the island?

‘Probably, but we knew the day would come,’ said Ben. ‘Steph’s a wonderful person, a bit of a flower child, so we knew the hippy trip was coming. And when it did she gave us six months’ notice.’

The best window into what Post War Stories are brewing is through their page on reverbnation.com, which includes a video of the trio jamming the track Ghosts in ‘The Barn’, which looks to be about the coolest rehearsal space this side of Jimi Hendrix’s old garage.

‘Ha ha, the barn is in Ballasalla,’ reveals Ben. ‘It’s big – which is good – but it must be one of the coldest places in the Isle of Man! We learned the hard way that valve amps break if left in the cold long term – but we man up and get our gloves and scarves on to jam through winter evenings.’

The band hope to start gigging from April time (Ben and his wife are expecting their first child in March), and the veterans of the island scene remain as enthusiastic as ever about the state of play in Manx rock ‘n’ roll.

‘It’s amazing how the festival scene has taken off here in the last two years,’ said Ben. ‘We played the first Mannifest at the Nunnery in 2009, it was great, but we wondered if it could ever happen again. Then within a year it had turned into this massive festival.

‘Also The Garden Party is one of the best organised events I’ve ever seen, gold medals all round. It shows what can be done.’

BUDDING designers are being invited to show what they’re made of as Isle of Man Newspapers launches Design An Ad 2012.

The Design An Ad competition invites all school pupils and students aged five to 15 to create advertisements for local businesses.

Interest has always been high. More than 1,750 entries were made last year.

The winners will be invited to a presentation and prize ceremony on April 26. It will be held at the Studio Theatre, Ballakermeen High School, and will be attended by sponsors, head teachers and teachers, parents and guests from the Department of Education and Children.

The Design An Ad 2012 supplement is then published, including photographs of all sponsors, prize-winners, runners-up and the winning advertisements.

The businesses taking part in Design An Ad 2012 will sponsor the publishing of the winning advertisements designed for their companies.

This year sponsors include Bridson and Horrox, the Co-op, Isle of Man Creamery, Manx Telecom, McDonald’s, Nationwide International, Shoprite and the Steam Packet.

The judges will announce a Senior Designer of the Year, selected from entries received in the secondary age group, and a Junior Designer of the Year selected from entries received in the primary age group.

They will receive a trophy and book vouchers. Their school will be presented with £250 towards art supplies and a shield to display for 12 months.

The overall island winners and runners up from each year will also receive a trophy and book vouchers. Entry forms have already gone out to schools across the island, with sponsors’ design briefs. But if you need extra forms or more information, contact promotions and Newspapers in Education co-ordinator Sally-Ann Franklin-Maiden on 695649.

We ensure participation is simple for both teachers and pupils, to encourage good entries. Most entrants produce their designs on plain paper and attach them to the entry form which indicates the proportions of the finished sizes.

The deadline for entries to be submitted to Isle of Man Newspapers is March 26. They will be judged by a selected panel.

Entries should be sent to Publishing House, Peel Road, Douglas, IM1 5PZ.

Visit {http://www.gov.im/education/competitions/designanadvert.xml|www.gov.im/education/competitions/designanadvert.xml} to view briefs and entry details.