Feelings were running high at Peel’s Corrin Hall as 150 people gathered to discuss Dandara’s plan to build 144 houses at Reayrt ny Cronk.
The town’s MHK and Education Minister Tim Crookall and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle MHK accepted an invitation to attend and address the gathered crowd, along with Peel Commissioners’ chairman Ray Harmer.
Also invited but unable to attend were Chief Minister Allan Bell, Minister for Policy and Reform Chris Robertshaw and Department of Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne, who it was said was advised by the acting Attorney General not to attend.
Peel commissioners Kate Felton, Ian Davison and Jackie O’Halloran went along and had their say.
Heritage Homes housing director Ciaran Downey was also in the audience and said that it was unfair that no one from his company had been invited as it would be a very biased session.
Captain of the Parish John Kennaugh opened the meeting before asking audience members to raise their hand and give their opinion with no shortage of takers.
Vicky Quirk, a mother of three, and one of the 12 people who had asked Mr Kennaugh to call the meeting, expressed her concerns over the ability of Peel’s schools, sewage system and infrastructure to cope with an influx of more people.
Kate Felton queried whether the Queen Elizabeth II High School should be classed as ‘open space’. In Dandara’s planning application it has been used to meet the open space requirements for the development.
Other members of the audience argued that traffic would be an issue, doctors’ appointments would be affected and also that some of the current Dandara houses were empty.
The commissioners have argued that the development was not in accordance with the government’s Strategic Plan for the west which they say states that only 1,000 new houses should be built from 2001 to 2016 but Mr Crookall said that this figure was only a guideline.
Mr Harmer said: ‘We’ve gone from a small city and grown by a third. We see these applications, 43, 53, 23 houses, many times we’ve supported them.
‘What they’re doing is fiddling the figures. They’ve not got the open space. They ignore their own rules by shifting the goalposts.’
Mr Davison said: ‘Six months ago we met with the planning department, they said they’d work with us more in future, they’ve not done that, they do exactly what they want to.
‘If there’s a need for first time buyers houses there’s 6.5 acres at the bottom of Richmond Hill. The government employ a consultant for everything, why don’t they employ one to see where first time buyers houses are needed.’
Mr Jones, the only commissioner to vote against an appeal, said: ‘Part of the problem is with planning. They don’t follow their own rules. It’s no good blaming the developers, the planning system is a shambles.
‘It’s very difficult to fight your way through it. I suggested we go the way of seeing what the developer would give us in terms of amenities. It’s frustrating dealing with government departments who promise one thing and do another.
‘There are some gains, extra rates, extra people into Peel, 25 per cent of the development has to be for public housing or first time buyers.’
Mr Crookall answered: ‘The infrastructure can cope. The area was zoned for development in 1989, agreed by Hazel Hannan [the town’s former MHK]. We’ve had 25 years knowing this was coming. Everyone says they’re “out of towners” living there. [But they’re our families. I’ve got four children, I’d like them to live in Peel.’
Former QEII teacher Ian Miller agreed: ‘Several hundred former pupils of mine are living in these new estates. Families are growing. Had we not built them our parents and our children would not be able to live here. If we stop now what do we say to graduates returning who want to live here, sorry the door’s shut?
Mr Quayle told the crowd: ‘The planning system was put into place 40 or 50 years ago on your behalf. In 1989 Peel had an area plan review and that area was zoned for development. These are your plans, they were passed by your representatives 30 years ago. We have to grow the island.’
At the end of the meeting a resolution to ‘publicly and openly oppose the development of 144 houses at Reayrt ny Cronk’ was proposed by Kate Felton and carried with just nine people voting against it and nine people abstaining.
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Heritage Homes housing director Ciaran Downey braved the crowd and invited the public to come and look at Dandara’s show homes.
Mr Downey said that he was attending in a ‘private capacity to answer any questions about any misinformation’ and expressed disappointment that no one from the developers had been invited.
Addressing concerns about disposal of sewage Mr Downey said: ‘Raw sewage is treated and pumped back through the network. Mr Davison has stated that the sewerage system was connected to a stream under the QEII school. That is not true. At Reayrt ny Cronk it is removed every two months by the Department of Infrastructure (DoI).’
Mr Davison asked if there could be an escrow account to cover any problems should Dandara go into liquidation, to which Mr Downey answered: ‘Reayrt ny Cronk has been through two planning hearings. Independent planning inspectors decided there was no need for an escrow account. It’s the intention of the DoI to build a sewage treatment plant. If anyone wants to point the finger regarding a sewage plant they should point it at Peel Town Commissioners. That’s why Peel doesn’t have one – they voted against it.
Responding to some who said the number of houses for sale meant there was no demand for new houses, Mr Downey (pictured below) said: ‘A lot of people have the misconception just because houses are for sale we don’t need any more. People’s circumstances change, some want to move, relocate, downsize, upsize. The big reason for houses not selling is the banks, saying they’ll provide mortgages but they set the bar so high.’
Mr Downey also asked the crowd: ‘Who is the biggest employer in Peel? It’s Dandara. These developments regenerate the housing stock. Five thousand homes on the island are virtually uninhabitable. Shoprite would not have doubled in size if it wasn’t for us. Would you have Filbey’s, the bistro? Lots of facilities have come to Peel because of this.
‘Three independent planning inspectors have looked at three applications of ours and approved them. All three must be guilty of incompetence if Mr Harmer’s interpretation is correct.
‘Kate Felton has described our houses as “little boxes”. If they looked at our show houses they’d be impressed. We invited the commissioners and only three turned up.
‘I’m very proud of what we do, we have won a raft of awards.’
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One of the most heated exchanges of the evening was between Queen Elizabeth II High School head teacher Sue Moore and Education Minister Tim Crookall.
Ms Moore said that development was needed in Peel and that Heritage Homes wouldn’t be building houses if no one was buying them.
‘My concern is whether people in government are doing the necessary long term planning,’ she said. ‘If the plan has been approved what’s our government doing to ensure we can cope? That’s not the responsibility of the developer, it’s our government’s.’
Mr Crookall said: ‘At the Clothworkers the numbers have crept up but we’re still below what the school is capable of. There are still two spare rooms in that school.
‘At the QEII the numbers for the last five years have been 898, 889, 877, 855 and this year 816.’
Ms Moore replied: ‘We reduced those by turning away anyone out of the catchment area. The numbers are going up with no plan. I don’t feel comfortable or reassured that the school will be able to cope in the future. I’d like some assurances from MHKs. I put forward a plan and had no response.
Talking about school grounds being ‘open space’ and a gate which leads from Reayrt ny Cronk to the school, Ms Moore said: ‘Already people are walking through the school. I’ve asked for proper fencing.
‘If we were in England and had Ofsted we’d fail because I cannot be sure our children are safe.’
Mr Crookall responded: ‘We don’t have the same problems as there. She wants to stop people coming through but I’ve told them to leave that gate open.’
Ms Moore replied: ‘We’ve had glass on the field two weeks running. Anyone can walk through, children are vulnerable. I’m being asked by local residents to stop children going out and I can’t.’
Mr Crookall answered: ‘You can’t control your pupils.’
Ms Moore replied angrily: ‘You’re right. I can’t stop them. There’s too many exits.’
In a statement afterwards Ms Moore said: ‘There is no capital plan in the government “Pink Book” to help the school cope with the projected numbers.
‘There is already a lack of appropriate accommodation for science and technology.
‘As the development extends along the side of the playing fields, it becomes impossible to police without adequate fencing.’