Two items of plant machinery were stolen from the Department of Infrastructure’s site in Ramsey Road, Laxey, on Thursday.

Constable Chloe Keegan wants to speak to anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity there between 2.30pm and 3pm.

It is on part of the coast road where there are road works with temporary traffic lights currently in operation.

The stolen items included a Stihl Road Saw.

Anyone with information about the thefts is being urged to phone Constable Keegan at Ramsey police station on 812234.

An invitation to a night on Jaguar History, from two highly interesting speakers Tony Loades of Abbey Panels, and the world famous former Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis on Friday 31st October at The Mount Murray Hotel from 7pm.

A donation of £10 has been asked for a donation be made to Manx Cancer Help of £10. Tickets are going quickly if people would like to book tickets they can email ally@manxcancerhelp.org

A political debate is to take place next week on whether the island’s chief minister should be directly elected by the people.

Currently, he or she is decided by a vote of Tynwald members.

The Positive Action Group is hosting a debate led by Michael MHK Alfred Cannan (for) and Rushen MHK Juan Watterson (against).

A statement from the PAG reads: ‘By the time of the next election, in September 2016, the ministerial system will be 30 years old.

‘The method of electing a chief minister has remained the same. PAG believes it is time to examine this process. Is it reflective of the expectations of a modern democratic society?’

Following the presentations the audience will have chance to comment and question the protagonists.

The public meeting is open to all and admission is free .

It will take place on Monday, October 27, at 7.30pm at the Manx Legion Club, Market Hill, Douglas.

If you’re into a bit of classic rock, metal and AC/DC in particular you can’t do much worse than heading down to Amber this Saturday night.

Making a return for their first show at the venue since their triumphant gig on Senior Race Day at the beginning of summer, the island’s very own regularly gigging AC/DC cover band A Little Bitta’ Rosie will be headlining the venue in Douglas and are bringing 9 Bar Gypsies with them in support.

For those who have seen A Little Bitta’ Rosie live before, and let’s face it many have, this band are well worth making the effort to see again.

The band’s most famous pieces are all there in abundance – Highway To Hell, Whole Lotta Rosie, You Shook Me All Night Long and Thunderstruck just scratch the surface with regard to the back catalogue that these boys delve into.

9 Bar Gypsies on the other hand bring the late 1980s Los Angeles sleaze rock sounds to the table.

Specialising predominantly in the music of Guns ‘N’ Roses with a sideswipe at Metallica, Kiss and Steel Panther among others in the set, this event is well worth checking out.

Get your bandanas, your denim and your leather on and go check it out!

The doors open at 8pm and it’s free to get in.

This event is also being held in aid of Big Beat For Hospice, of which the main event takes place starting a week on Friday, October 31.

News on that event with a full write up in next week’s column.

In other news, Manx alternative rockers Postcode have just released their latest video single for the song ‘Losing The Battle’ a track lifted from their latest album ‘Zebratronic’.

The song is said to combine the band’s love of noisy guitars with electronic sounds, a theme that is explored further on the album.

The video can be seen at www.youtu.be/Mwhw-QYqRg0

Zebratronic’ is also available on Small Bear Records now from https://postcode.bandcamp.com/album/zebratronic on a pay what you like basis.

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Steve Leach brings the latest rumblings, murmurings, news and views on forthcoming events in and around the island’s music scene. Help support the scene by emailing leachsteve@hotmail.com

The Canada Life Premier League’s pacesetters will aim to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the pack on Saturday.

Current pole sitters Douglas High School Old Boys face bottom side Union Mills at Blackberry Lane.

Having averaged nearly four goals a game in their four home matches thus far this term they should be confident of inflicting a sixth league defeat of the season on the struggling Millers.

Reigning champions St George’s sit a point behind Old Boys in second.

A trip to Ayre is in store for a Geordies side on their way back to top form.

The promoted Tangerines have only lost at once at home this term, but Chris Bass Sr’s men have hit 14 goals in their last three games and should take the points.

Third-place Peel remain the top-flight’s only undefeated side and they make the trip to Corinthians aiming to keep the pressure up on the top two.

Steve Falconer’s westerners are the league’s top scorers with 27 goals despite playing the joint fewest games (six).

With the Sunset City side also boasting the division’s meanest defence, Corinthians will do well to claim a second home win of the campaign.

Three defeats in their opening nine games has put a big dent in St Mary’s outside title hopes.

The Saints need to bounce back and should find some solace this week with a trip to a Michael side bottom of the current form table.

Ramsey will look to keep their surprise Railway Cup qualification bid on course with victory over Laxey at Ballacloan, while a tight game looks on the cards at Mullen-e-Cloie where draw specialists St John’s welcome Rushen.

Marown will be hoping to get their title challenge back on track when they take on Braddan in JCK Division Two this weekend.

The Crosby outfit suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat at the hands of Castletown last time out, a result which leaves them eight points behind leaders RYCOB, albeit with a game in hand.

Braddan, however, will certainly be no pushovers and could well compound Marown’s misery if their fighting performance against Youthie on Saturday is anything to go by - eventually only going down by the odd goal in five to the pacesetters.

Should Marown slip up, Douglas Royal will be waiting in the wings to leapfrog them up in to second place but face a tricky task of their own as they host Castletown.

Royal were comfortable 3-0 winners over newcomers Governor’s Athletic in their last match but the southerners will be a completely different proposition so Gavin Gawne’s men will have to be wary of complacency.

Just behing the Whites in the league table are Douglas Athletic who will be hoping to get back to winning ways following a 2-3 reverse in their derby match with Pulrose United last Saturday.

Standing in their way this weekend are Foxdale who are steadily climbing the table following a slow start to the season and are now on a run of three wins in their last four outings.

Long-time leaders RYCOB will again be favourite to collect all three points when they welcome Douglas and District to Scoill ree Gorree, while Colby will also be expected to win comfortably as they host Governor’s Athletic. The final game in JCK Division Two this weekend sees a midtable clash between Pulrose and Onchan at Springfield Road.

Manx Telecom has appointed Ian Liddle as a senior account manager for the company’s Chameleon portfolio of products.

Chameleon is the brand name for the company’s UK/EU focused smart SIM solutions.

This latest appointment is part of the continued drive to grow the company’s off-island business.

Chameleon is said to be the mobile product of choice for a wide range of connection critical markets including providing protection for remote workers, remotely monitoring systems, or improving business efficiency.

The Chameleon portfolio of products is the responsibility of the company’s Global Solutions team.

Over the past few years, the company’s off-island markets have increased to such an extent that it now forms a significant and rapidly growing part of the business.

Half-year figures for the six months to June 30, 2014, showed that Global Solutions revenues grew 30 per cent as a result of increased wholesale SMS volumes, Machine-to-Machine services (M2M), and Chameleon services.

Ian Liddle joins Manx Telecom after a successful career in the travel industry. He began working at Mann Link Travel Group in 1985 and rose through the ranks as the business evolved to become Online Regional Travel Group Limited.

In 2006 Ian became operations director and a shareholder at ORTG.

Ian said: ‘I am delighted to have joined Manx Telecom’s growing Global Solutions team.

‘This is an exciting opportunity to help nurture the excellent relationships the Chameleon Team already has with our key customers and grow the client base.’

Ian will be based in the Isle of Man and his appointment adds additional strength to Manx Telecom’s already experienced Chameleon team, which includes Suzanne Mealin and Paul Craig.

The team is led by product manager Sarah Creighton, who said: ‘We welcome Ian’s appointment.

‘His wealth of premium account management experience and strategic focus will allow us to deliver excellent service to our partners.’

Tickets are now on sale for next month’s TEDxDouglas, the first ever TEDx event to be staged in the Isle of Man.

TEDxDouglas will take place at the Youth Arts Centre in Kensington Road, Douglas, on Monday, November 10.

There are three sessions on the day – 2pm-3.30pm, 4pm-5.30pm and 6pm-8.30pm – with tickets priced at £30 for one session, £40 for two and £50 for the full day. Tickets are available from the Villa Gaiety box office or by calling 600555.

Speakers for TEDxDouglas include NASA astronaut Colonel Ron Garan (USAF ret.) and Manx blues star Davy Knowles, with Davy also performing on the day.

For a full line-up of speakers and performers for each of the three sessions, along with their bios, visit {http://tedxdouglas.im/|this site}.

TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short talks, normally no longer than 15 minutes.

The movement has developed a worldwide following of millions since the first one-off event in 1984.

TEDx events are independent from the main TED conferences, but operate under the same banner and follow similar principles and guidelines. There are more than 30,000 talks in the TEDx online library from presentations in 130+ countries.

Chris Stott, boss of Manx satellite company ManSat Ltd, is the licence holder for TEDxDouglas.

He said: ‘We have a wonderfully diverse spread of speakers and performers, with the general theme being “100,000:1” – this being the approximate radio of Isle of Man residents to the rest of the world, and do we have something to offer to the rest of the human race?

‘The ethos of TED is to bring together bright minds to deliver idea-focused talks that inspire, foster learning and provoke conversation, and we are thrilled to be staging the first TEDx event for the island.’

TEDxDouglas will have its talks streamed live on the internet and they will be uploaded to the main TED website afterwards for worldwide viewing.

Curator Emma Quirk said: ‘The subjects will range from Manx Language Development Officer Adrian Cain discussing “What is the point of the Isle of Man?” to Davy Knowles talking about the influence and impact of folk music, including Manx folk music, around the world – and how it as just as important today as it ever was.

‘Other subjects covered by speakers will include the major role played by the Isle of Man in the rise of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations, the importance of “gut reaction” for those competing in dangerous sports and the role it plays in the TT, and the challenges of small countries as they punch above their weight in the global community.

‘In addition to the talks, there will be performances in each of the three sessions, including Davy performing music from his new documentary, Island Bound, and performance poet Georgia Zapparoli, who defended her Poetry Slam title at last month’s Manx Litfest.’

Any companies, organisations or individuals interested in sponsoring or supporting TEDxDouglas can contact Emma at tedxdouglas@gmail.com or by calling 341823.

It had been billed as a musical coup for the island.

But while bringing over pop legends The Jacksons to play at the Villa Marina last month may have been public relations triumph, the show actually made a loss for the taxpayer.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly refused to tell Tynwald the scale of the loss. But he confirmed to the Manx Independent it was a five-figure sum.

Mr Skelly told Tynwald there had been a ‘disappointing response’ to The Jacksons – although ‘a ‘thousand or so people did attend and did really enjoy it’.

He said it had attracted £100,000-worth of PR coverage but did not generate the financial return expected.

The ticket price had been reduced from £70 to £50 as sales ‘hadn’t been going particularly well’, he said.

Pressed by Lib Van leader Kate Beecroft whether it had made a loss, the Minister replied: ‘It did make a loss.

‘I can’t reveal the figure due to confidentiality.’

David Quirk (Onchan) asked: ‘How is it commercially sensitive when the debt is picked up by the taxpayer?’

Mr Skelly said there was commercial sensitivity because agent fees were involved. Mrs Beecroft said she found this difficult to accept as nobody was asking how much the agents were paid. The Minister replied it was ‘department policy’.

The Jacksons show ran into trouble at the outset as it clashed with the opening stage of Rally Isle of Man and had to be moved indoors from the Villa Marina Gardens.

Mr Skelly said his department sponsored about 30 per cent of the 350 shows at the Villa Marina over the last three years, and there was always an ‘element of risk’ but these shows contributed £60,000 to the running of the venue.

He said that despite the loss made by the The Jacksons event, the shows sponsored by his department were expected to break even this year with the Villa Marina and Gaiety complex coming in under budget.

Friday, October 24

Paddy Power Masters League

8.40pm Laxey v Corinthians @ Bowl

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Saturday, October 25

Canada Life Premier League

2.30pm Ayre Utd v St George’s

2.30pm Corinthians v Peel

2.30pm DHSOB v Union Mills

2.30pm Michael United v St Mary’s

2.30pm Ramsey v Laxey

2.30pm St John’s Utd v Rushen Utd

JCK Division Two

2.30pm Colby v Governor’s Athletic

2.30pm Douglas Royal v Castletown

2.30pm Foxdale v Douglas Athletic

2.30pm Marown v Braddan

2.30pm Pulrose United v Onchan

2.30pm RYCOB v Douglas & District

Canada Life Combination One

2.30pm Laxey v Ramsey

2.30pm Peel v Corinthians

2.30pm Rushen Utd v St John’s Utd

2.30pm St George’s v Ayre Utd

2.30pm St Mary’s v Michael Utd

2.30pm Union Mills v DHSOB

JCK Combination Two

2.30pm Braddan v Marown

2.30pm Castletown v Douglas Royal

2.30pm Douglas & District v RYCOB

2.30pm Douglas Athletic v Foxdale

2.30pm Onchan v Pulrose United

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Sunday, October 26

Paddy Power Masters League

2.10pm Colby A v Braddan @ Bowl

3.40pm RYCOB v Peel @ Bowl

Warehouse Women’s Football League

2.30pm Colby v Corinthians

2.30pm Castletown v Gymns

Appleby 16-18 League

No fixtures due to half-term

Public feedback is being sought on a proposal aimed at relaxing part of the island’s planning system.

The Department of Infrastructure has today launched a consultation on legislation to extend the scope of the Permitted Development Order regarding the temporary use or development of land.

The intention is to remove the need to apply for planning approval for short-term changes of use, subject to certain criteria being met. For example, this could apply to land used to accommodate temporary events such as car boot sales, fairs, sports events, community celebrations or certain temporary development during construction.

As well as making the system quicker and simpler for householders, businesses, land owners and event organisers, the proposed change would allow the Planning Department to focus on more strategic issues.

The consultation is part of a broader review of aspects of the planning system and continues a process started a couple of years ago to extend the permitted development regime.

Chris Thomas MHK, the politician with responsibility for planning and building control at the department, said: ‘There are many events and activities which take place on a temporary basis, either to support community or sporting events or construction during approved development. In some cases these will be small and after the event the site will revert to the previous use with no lasting impact. Other uses may be more substantial, have a significant economic benefit and take place over a longer period in connection with events such as the TT or Southern 100 for instance, but which nonetheless may be considered relatively uncontentious.’

He added: ‘Planning is important. It should support government’s priorities and balance development for everyone. The current proposal potentially provides for increased freedom to make use of land and premises on a temporary basis, within carefully considered parameters. We will take on board public feedback and I would encourage as many people as possible to respond to the consultation.’

The consultation document is available to view on the government website {http://www.gov.im/ConsultationDetail.gov?id=470|here} and the questionnaire can be completed online at {https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=141405766668|here}.

Written comments can be emailed to planning@gov.im or by post to: Planning and Building Control, Department of Infrastructure, Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas, IM1 2SF.

The deadline for responses is Friday, December 5.

The opening round of the 2014 Aston International Ltd-sponsored Winter Hill Running League takes place at Cringle Plantation on Saturday.

The start time is 1.30pm, with registration from 12.30 at the main plantation entrance.

The short course is an exciting mix of fire tracks and plantation paths with two short climbs. The winning time is expected to be around 16 minutes. It is a perfect taster for anyone who fancies a go at off-road running.

Because of the anticipated high numbers it is recommended that as many as possible car share as parking is limited. For those driving there are spaces at the reservoir, a few spaces at the main plantation entrance and also a small park about 100 metres to the south of the main entrance. Wherever you manage to park please do so carefully.

To get to the main entrance turn off the A3 at the top of Foxdale, which is known as Solomon’s Corner, on to the B39. Look out for the reservoir on your right. The main plantation entrance is just south of the reservoir.

Incorporated in the race will be the Isle of Man Bank Junior Fell Championships for school years seven to 13.

More information on manxfellrunners.org

The island’s first off-road triathlon is taking place at the same Cringle Plantation venue on Sunday.

The Granite Mann event is being organised by The Children’s Centre and sponsored by PwC.

Maximum fields of 50 individuals and 20 teams have entered, resulting in entries closing earlier than today’s original cut-off date.

The event involves a 400 metre swim in Cringle Reservoir, a 10km mountain bike ride round some excellent trails and a 5km run on the fire tracks.

Registration is from 8.15am (remember the clocks go back) for a 9.30am start.

For more information go to http://www.thechildrenscentre.org.im/adventure-events/

Companies owned by two Tynwald members received thousands of pounds in farming subsidies through the Countryside Care Scheme.

An Access to Government Information request from the Examiner to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture confirmed that two Tynwald members received CCS payments.

But the department refused to reveal the names of individual recipients or the amounts involved claiming that would be counter to the code’s clauses on individual privacy, commercial confidentiality and data protection.

‘Given the small number of claimants involved in your question, even providing the average payments would not seem appropriate,’ said DEFA chief executive Richard Lole.

Health and Social Care Minister and Middle MHK Howard Quayle confirmed he was a director of a company that received ‘significantly less’ than the proposed £50,000 cap in CCS payments. He said he had declared this interest when elected MHK.

Glenfaba MHK David Anderson said he was a director of Anderson Farms Ltd and CCS payments were an ‘integral part’ of the support for the company. He, too, confirmed he had declared his interest in the members’ register.

The £50,000 cap is one of the recommendations of a scrutiny committee report debated in Tynwald last week.

Mr Anderson said: ‘I am a director along with three others of Anderson Farms Ltd. We do not receive CCS payments to ourselves but to the company that runs the business and CCS is an integral part of the support for the company.

‘My directorship of Anderson Farms Ltd is declared in the members’ interest register.’

Mr Quayle told iomtoday: ‘I am a director of a company which has been in receipt of funds from the Countryside Care Scheme and my directorship has been declared since I was elected as an MHK.

‘I can advise that my company has been in receipt of amounts significantly less than the proposed £50,000 cap amount per annum.

‘I have always declared my interest in this matter.’

DEFA said 37 holdings received more than £50,000 in CCS payments 2012-13, averaging £80,730 and with a total payout of just under £3m.

Some 63 received between £25,000 and £50,000, averaging £35,220 and with a total payout of £2.2m.

In total, £7.4m was paid out that year in CCS payments to some 348 farming enterprises.

Moves to reform the CCS - including a £50,000 cap and widening the scheme to include smaller farms of 12 to 20 acres - have been put on hold after the two branches of Tynwald failed to agree.

A combined vote will be held next month.

Terms of a deal to sell the Nunnery have been agreed and will be debated by Tynwald next month.

Chief Minister Allan Bell gave an update to members at this week’s sitting on plans by the Manx Educational Foundation to create an international IT centre at the Nunnery.

‘The terms of this proposed sale have now been successfully agreed, and they will now be considered by Tynwald in November,’ he said.

Peter Karran (Lib Van, Onchan) renewed his call for the sale to be put out to tender. ‘When are we going to see some open transparency to reassure taxpayers they are not being ripped off?’ he asked.

Mr Bell said it was disappointing such language was being used in the very first question of the new parliamentary term. He said there will be a presentation to Tynwald members ahead of November’s debate when a decision will be made ‘once and for all as to the way forward’.

Mr Bell said MEF has secured the external funding it needed. He understood that there have been one or two new investors but one investor appears to have pulled out of the scheme.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s mental health service, in partnership with the Isle of Man Arts Council, has published a book of poetry created by both inpatients and community service users.

The book was officially launched local poet Usha Kishore at the Villa Marina Arcade.

As well as celebrating the service users’ talents for poetry and creative writing, the book will help promote the benefits of creative writing for improving mental health and wellbeing, raising awareness of mental health issues among the wider community and challenging the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental ill-health.

Diane Watts, community mental health professional, said: ‘Participation in arts and creative activities have been shown to provide different ways for people to express themselves, enhancing self-esteem, improving communications skills and promoting recovery.

‘The Creative Writing Group was established in 2013 as part of government’s commitment to protecting the vulnerable.

‘The group provides a weekly themed activity session for inpatients and community service users to explore one aspect of the recovery process.

‘They have been writing poems, ditties, letters and stories about everything from recovery and hope, to sunsets and friendships.

‘They suggested that a compilation of their work be published to improve understanding and acceptance of mental health issues and foster greater community inclusion.’

Usha Kishore said: ‘It was a privilege to be invited to launch this booklet of poetry in which there are many creative examples of exploration and journey, inclusion and recovery, all demonstrating self-expression and very personal feelings and emotions. Well done to all involved.’

An island resident and passionate scuba diver is hoping a social media campaign will give her the chance at her dream job in South East Asia.

Natalia Lis, who is 29 and hails from Poland, has lived in the island for seven years.

She is aiming to beat competition from around the world and win the ‘best dive job in the world’: an all-inclusive three-month instructor internship with a dive centre in Bali.

The prize includes free accommodation, training to become a PADI master scuba diving trainer and a full-time contract with the centre, working in clear blue waters that never drop below 25 degrees Celsius.

She discovered her passion for the sport while travelling with friends in the Andaman Islands in South East Asia in 2010. She said: ‘We found a diving centre in our guidebook and started the open water course the next day. It was amazing and I fell in love with it straight away.

‘Then in 2012 we went to Borneo, which was the best diving of my life. You see everything – scorpionfish, lionfish, skates, rays and sharks – everything you can dream of.’

Competition entrants must make a 90-second video explaining why they want to be a dive instructor.

Natalia’s entry shows off the wildlife in the seas around the Isle of Man, sees her walking the streets of Douglas in full diving gear and ends with a song and dance number accompanied by the song ‘Under the Sea’ from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

‘People have had all kinds of different ideas for videos,’ explained Natalia. ‘Some people just talk into the camera, and some people, like me, have tried to be a bit more creative.’

Natalia hopes to be one of eight selected finalists, decided in part by public vote, who will be invited to Bali in May next year. The winner of the grand prize will be selected from the final eight at the end of their six-week stay.

But the competition is tough and she needs all the support she can get to be selected. She said: ‘I have friends in Poland who have been voting, and I’d really like the people of the Isle of Man to help me, too.

‘It would make me so happy if I was selected. I don’t think I could be happier. It would be amazing.’

The competition is open until October 31. See Natalia’s video at http://contest.bestdivejob.com/entry/7771222

An encounter with an abandoned seal pup and a snake, and wallaby watching with a renowned wildlife artist were just two of the items on the agenda for children at Jurby School recently.

The MSPCA set the ball rolling when employee Jenny Corrin visited children in years two and three to talk about their work and introduce them to one of their current residents, a small red and black snake.

Class teacher Jane Radcliffe from the school said: ‘The topic work for this half term is on amimals. We had a dress down day for World animal day and the children and staff could come in dressed as animals. We all brought in something to donate to the MSPCA.

‘Then we had a trip down to the MSPCA and met the baby seal that they are caring for. The children were thrilled because we were allowed to go into the enclosure and watch them feeding it, so it was a super afternoon.’

Mrs Radcliffe said they also emailed wildlife artist and photographer Dr Jeremy Paul about the seal pup and ended up going with him on a wallaby spotting walk in the Curraghs where he photographed a wallaby for them.

‘He also came into school and spoke to the children which was really interesting for them,’ she said.

‘They are aged five to seven but they were really inspired and have done some exceptional art work. They were really inspired to have someone like that to speak to them in person.’

The chldren also visited Pets at Home for a tour.

The Isle of Man’s same-day passport service is set to be scrapped as Manx variant British passports will be printed in the UK from 2015.

The UK started using a central printing facility to create passports in 2010, at the same time as introducing a new design with enhanced security.

The new passport is now being rolled out to British Crown Dependencies and territories.

The increased costs of producing the new passports in the island has prompted the decision to move the process to the central UK facility.

Senior passport, immigration and nationality officer Annie Taylor said: ‘Printing an Isle of Man variant of the new generation British passport locally would have incurred significant additional costs and there was no guarantee our equipment would have been compatible with future designs, so we would run the risk of the system being obsolete after five years.

‘Centralised printing in the UK will not only allow us to continue to issue Isle of Man variant British passports, it will also be more cost efficient in the years ahead.’

The Isle of Man will maintain its issuing authority status and continue to process applications through the passport office in Douglas, but the same-day service for a full passport will no longer be available.

The Manx office will retain the ability to issue emergency passports, which are valid for 12 months but will only cover specified journeys, at a cost of £128.

Other charges will remain in line with UK fees , with the standard service for adults costing £72.50 with a turnaround time of around four weeks.

The five-day express service will still be available, costing £103 for an adult’s passport.

Established in 1967. the Isle of Man passport office is based in a secure facility in Government Offices in Douglas. It issues more than 8,500 Isle of Man passports each year.

They are issued under Royal Prerogative which is formally exercised in the Isle of Man by the Lieutenant Governor.

It is his introduction that features on the inside cover of the Manx variant passport, rather than that of the Secretary of State in UK documents.

Earlier this year the UK Passport Office was criticsed as applicants faced severe delays in receiving their documents, amid claims of a backlog of up to half a million passports.

However, Mrs Taylor gave assurances that these problems will not affect the holders of Manx passports.

She said: It’s a totally different situation in the Isle of Man and I’m confident that we won’t be in that position.

‘In the UK the processes weren’t in place to get documents to the printing stage, but we have the resources to ensure that Manx applications are processed and get to the printers quickly.

‘In fact, we should be able to keep to our target of four weeks for the standard service throughout the year, which hasn’t always been possible with local printing.’

She added: ‘This is all about ensuring people in the Isle of Man have access to the latest generation of British passport and the benefits that go with it in terms of ease of international travel. Security and integrity have been paramount when making this decision.

The changes will take effect in 2015, although a specific date is yet to be confirmed.

It’s all change at Castletown Civic Centre as the local authority announced plans to extend the building, incorporate the police station and make improvements to current facilities.

The proposal involves moving the police station (at present in a Baillie Scott building opposite Castle Rushen) into the library area, moving the library into the ground floor commissioners’ office area (where there will also be an extension built) and moving the commissioners’ office into a new extension to be built at the current square side entrance to the Civic Centre.

The public toilets will also be improved.

There will be no impact on the first floor commissioners’ clerk’s office or boardroom.

The civic hall will also be unaffected by the changes.

The loss of the hall was the main area of concern when the idea of the police station moving to the Civic Centre was first discussed. It was feared if the station relocated to the hall area of the Civic Centre, groups and organisation would lose valuable public space for performances and events.

The idea of the police station moving into the Civic Centre was first raised last year and again earlier this year when the police force announced it was making deep cuts, including the closure of Port Erin and Lord street police stations.

Castletown commissioners were keen to ensure a police presence is retained in the town, so progressed discussions.

In a statement, the local authority said: ‘The effect of this will be to turn the Civic Centre into a Community Centre, with office facilities, an enhanced library and tourist information service, Registrar’s and Commissioner of Oaths capability, the use of the Civic Hall, and the presence of the Isle of Man Constabulary, which will maintain a central focus for the delivery of policing in the south of the island, with close liaison to the clerk and board for Castletown issues.

‘This is a major, exciting, long term commitment of modernisation, looking forward to the future, and allowing scope for further expansion, as the role of local authorities changes. It is also a statement of intent by Castletown to retain services, which in other areas are being curtailed - e.g. libraries.’

The authority said it is a ‘significant financial commitment’ although too early to put a figure on the likely cost of the work, but they added: ‘It is not envisaged that it will be necessary to increase the town rates’.

Commissioners’ chairman Richard McAleer said: ‘I am delighted that we have now reached consensus on the redevelopment of the Civic Centre. We will have a modern Community Centre which is fit for purpose, boasting a state of the art library, greater disabled access to the commissioners’ office and hall, and long overdue renovations to the toilet block.

‘The bonus of keeping the police station within Castletown is merely the icing on the cake. Thanks to the excellent stewardship of the clerk and his team, we are in a strong financial position, and should be able to pay for the scheme without additional cost to our ratepayers.’

The authority will draw up plans and submit a planning application in the coming months.

The plans can be viewed at www.castletown.gov.im, on town notice boards and at the Civic Centre. For information contact commissioners’ clerk Eddie Convery, phone 825005.

Free parking will be available in Douglas in the run up to Christmas as part of efforts to support the town centre economy.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK has announced a range of concessions to help boost festive trade following a meeting with representatives of the retail sector.

• Chester Street multi-storey car park and the Promenade Walkway car park will be free for users on Thursdays from 6pm, starting November 20 until December 18

• Chester Street multi-storey car park and the Promenade Walkway car park will be free for users on Saturdays from November 22 up to and including December 20

• The reduction in the time limit for the disc zone on the Douglas Promenade highway between Granville Street and the Sea Terminal (from two hours to one hour) will come into operation from the beginning of January 2015

The news comes after {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/charging-for-services-will-never-be-popular-admits-gawne-1-6913476|Mr Gawne announced a series of extra charges for motorists}.