There will be a new look to this year’s Manx Telecom End2End Mountain Bike Challenge with a spectacular finish on Port Erin promenade planned.

The 20th anniversary edition of the race will take place on Sunday, September 13 with organisers introducing some exciting changes including moving the finish from Cregneash to the lower promenade in Port Erin.

The traditional start at the Point of Ayre remains, and the course will be largely the same as in recent years heading through Brandywell and the half-way point at St John’s, but more off-road sections are promised.

Exact details of the new route will be confirmed at a later date. To make it easier for spectators to get to the finish and make watching the End2End part of a great day out, Isle of Man Steam Railway will be running additional services to and from Port Erin.

Entries for the End2End open on February 14, and the final deadline isn’t until August 23 – but with the event limited to a maximum of 1,700 riders organisers say it’s advisable to sign up soon to avoid disappointment.

The entry fee is £40 per rider (£5 less than last year) and includes a commemorative technical tee-shirt. Entry plus transport (from Douglas to the start and from the finish back to Douglas) costs £53 (also £5 less than last year).

Riders can also choose to do half the race distance and finish in St John’s. This costs £30. Event sponsorsManx Telecom are again offering their mobile customers a £5 discount on the entry fee whether with or without transport.

The team relay event has also been revamped with it now being open to teams of four riders for a combined fee of £100. Any group of four can get together to ride.

All entries – both individual and team – must be made at www.manxe2e.orgwhich also has all the information required about the event.

Kate Evans, chairperson of the End2End organising committee, said: ‘Preparations for the 2015 event are well advanced and we have several surprises up our sleeves involving both the route and the finish which we are hoping will be fairly spectacular.

‘We are really hoping to see more first-time entrants on the start line, whether they are competing over the half or full distance on their own or as part of a team.’

Information about support, services and benefits available to people with sight problems is being made available at ‘drop in’ evenings.

Manx Blind Welfare Society’s events can be attended by anyone whose life has been touched by visual impairment.

Starting tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm at the charity’s headquarters, Corrin Court in Onchan, the hour-long sessions will be a chance to have an informal chat about what services the society offers and find out more about the support available from other agencies in the island.

Social and welfare officer Michelle Brady said: ‘We provide support and services to more than 600 people with serious sight loss in the Isle of Man, but we know there are others living with visual impairments who are not receiving the support they need.

‘Some people who have long-term conditions don’t realise there is support in place to assist them to continue living as independently as they choose, while people who have recently been diagnosed with a visual impairment, including the parents of young children with sight problems, don’t always know how to access services, assistance and benefits.

‘We have organised these open evenings, which will be held every fortnight, because we want more people to understand what is available to them through the Society, other agencies or the Government. The sessions are also open to the family and friends of those with visual impairments who want to find out more.’

She added: ‘We hope people will take the opportunity to come along, meet some of our team and ensure they have all the information they need about the services, equipment and support we offer, what our colleagues in organisations around the island do and how they can access state assistance from the government.’

If you are unable to attend the open evenings, but would like to find out more about the support and services available to visually impaired people in the Isle of Man, call Michelle on 674727 or email mbrady@mbws.org.im.

To find out more about the work of Manx Blind Welfare Society visit www.facebook.com/manxblindwelfaresociety.

International development was top of the order paper last week when students from the island’s primary schools took over the Tynwald Chamber.

Dozens of pupils from Years 5 and 6 (aged nine to 11)took part in a debate as part of the award-winning Fairtrade Primary Conference on Thursday.

The annual event aims to teach the island’s young people about development issues.

Welcomed by Tynwald President Clare Christian, the delegates were treated to a keynote speech by Tom Allen of Trading Visions, an educational charity that works with the Divine Chocolate company and their producers, a Ghanaian farmers’ co-operative.

He also hosted a fairtrade chocolate workshop which included an all-important sampling session, while other workshops included poetry writing and the story of Fairtrade bananas.

All the children had the chance to participate in a debate in the Tynwald Chamber, where they argued for and against the motion that organisations in the Isle of Man should only use fairly traded tea, coffee and sugar.

The conference was organised by the One World Centre in conjunction with the Isle of Man Fairtrade Group and was supported by the Manx Co-operative Society.

This was the third edition of the conference, which was awarded Outstanding Fairtrade Campaign by the UK’s Fairtrade Foundation last year.

The New Inn pub, in Laxey, can be demolished and replaced with four homes.

An application (14/00349/B) by the pub’s former landlady, Meg Cowin, was originally turned down, with planners saying the development would increase the number of access points on to New Road, and that the bid failed to take pedestrian safety into consideration.

But Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne followed planning inspector Alan Langton’s recommendation that the appeal be allowed, and that the refusal be reversed.

The proposal is to demolish the pub and replace it with four detached homes, with two new accesses each serving two of them.

The houses will be at road level with land excavated behind to create parking spaces and terraced gardens supported by retaining walls.

At appeal, Mrs Cowin said the two points of access would be much safer than the ‘free for all’ for more than 12 cars.

And she said the development provided eight parking bays, compliant with Strategic Plan standards.

In his report, Mr Langton said: ‘Avoidable frontage accesses are undesirable here because, simply by their presence, they have a propensity to increase accidents.

‘However, what is proposed should be compared with what is there now: a length of car park where, but for some lightweight free standing barriers, vehilces could pull up, on or off at will.’

A number of planning conditions are attached to the approval.

The homes can’t be occupied until the parking and turning areas serving that property has been provided.

And development can’t start until planners approve details of a wall topped with steel railings the full length of the frontage between the two access points.

The New Inn closed its doors to customers in 2012. It follows the closure of The Coach and Horses and The Glen Gardens.

In the bid, it said trading figures had ‘shown a significant loss’ over the ‘last few years’.

Two previous bids for redevelopment were refused (12/00749) and (12/01674/B) due to loss of trees and insufficient car parking/ inadequately sited parking bays.

Only weeks into 2015 and Equiom Group is celebrating its second award success of the year.

Sheila Dean, the group’s managing director was crowned winner of the award for ‘Woman of the Year: Leadership’ in the professional services category at the Citywealth Power Women awards.

Sheila said: ‘To be recognised in my position as a female leader of an expanding global business is an absolute honour and I am delighted to play my part in championing women in the private client sector.

‘It is gratifying to be recognised by both the public and professional judging panel and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who showed their support by voting for me.’

Sheila’s passion for business developed at an early age, and her successful career with Equiom has been founded on her belief in building partnerships with clients and intermediaries, some of whom she has worked with for over 20 years.

led the company

Sheila has led the company through two management buyouts and eight acquisitions and has been shortlisted and won numerous awards over the last four years.

The Power Women Awards were established by Citywealth to recognise individuals and companies which maximise the potential of women in wealth, to highlight the female leaders of today and tomorrow, and to create a platform for best practice to collectively exercise positive social influence on the sector.

The award comes hard on the heels of Equiom (Isle of Man) Limited being named Trust Company of the Year - Isle of Man at the Citywealth International Finance Centre Awards.

St German’s Cathedral in Peel will be hosting a wedding fair on Sunday, March 15, from midday to 4pm.

There will be lots of information on every aspect of getting married, including dresses and suits, venues, balloons, cars, photography, make-up and hair, plus much more. The Cathedral Choristers will also perform during the afternoon.

For more information on the event, and to book a pitch, call Helen Parry on 482516.

One of the birds of prey released from an aviary at the weekend was forced out of its cage and is unlikely to survive, according to the owner.

The pair of goshawks were set free in Greeba sometime between 5pm on Saturday and 3.30pm on Sunday by vandals armed with wire cutters.

Owner Alan Taylor believes that one of the pair, an older female, may not be able to feed herself in the wild.

He said: ‘The younger male is about eight or nine years old. He’s quite fit and active and might successfully fend for himself.

‘But the female is quite old, she’s about 14 and she’s really going to struggle to survive.

‘She’s quite unfit and she’s carrying an old injury, a dislocated hip, which she might aggravate if she tries to catch something.’

Mr Taylor discovered the attack on Sunday afternoon. He said: ‘I fed the birds on Saturday morning and when I went down to feed them on Sunday they weren’t there and great big holes had been cut in the fence.’

Rather than being stolen, Mr Taylor believes they were deliberately released.

He said: ‘The aviaries were cut up high, not to give someone access but to let the birds out. And it’s clear looking at the female’s aviary that she didn’t want freedom – they’ve had to go in there and chase her out, which is quite upsetting.’

He speculated that it might be the work of animal rights activists, but said that freeing the birds is likely to cause them more harm than living in captivity.

He said: ‘If they’ve done it out of a misguided sense of animal welfare, they couldn’t be more wrong. They were bred in captivity and they’re not used to fending for themselves.’

‘To have a hunting companion come to a miserable end because someone is trying to be kind is really distressing.’

The elusive birds prefer to stay hidden in heavily wooded areas. They are coloured blue and grey on their backs and have distinctive horizontally barred breasts.

Mr Taylor said he is certain that the pair won’t be together.

‘They don’t fly around much, so they’re most likely to be seen dashing from one patch of trees to another,’ he said.

He asked the public to report any possible sightings by calling him on 491799. Anyone with information about the attack should contact Peel police station.

Preparations have been made to convert part of a rehabilitation ward at Noble’s Hospital into isolation rooms in the unlikely event of an ebola outbreak here.

The plan was revealed by Health and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle when he was quizzed in the House of Keys over contingency funding for medical emergencies.

Mr Quayle said: ‘My department can respond to some emergencies within its financial reserves.

‘For example, we are spending an amount of money on ward 20 where we are going to have isolation rooms should there be an ebola outbreak, and then we are as prepared as possible.

‘I’ve ordered various protective clothing, boots, masks, visors, etc, so we are ready should that event happen. And that’s come from within our existing budget.’

Director of public health Dr Parameswaran Kishore stressed the chances of ebola arriving here were minimal as there is exit screening at airports in those West African countries where there is the disease and entry screening at UK airports. ‘None of these are foolproof,’ he added.

Dr Kishore said that if there was a suspected ebola case here, the patient would be held in isolation while the results of blood tests were awaited. If the tests came back positive, the patient would be transferred by RAF aircraft to the Royal Free Hospital in London.

He said those who volunteer to go out to West Africa to provide medical support in countries with ebola have to register their details and the island would be notified when they return. Not all will have had direct contact with ebola patients.

Detailed guidance has also been circulated to all medical staff including GPs, ambulance crews and A&E teams on what to do and when to suspect ebola.

An imported fever service hotline is available to help assess any risk, added Dr Kishore, who is due to retire next month.

After a couple of weeks on the sideline, Douglas B finally get into Shimmin Wilson Manx Trophy action when the competition’s early leaders Southern Nomads visit Port-e-Chee on Saturday.

Douglas finished second in the Manx Shield after a couple of inconsistent results cost them dearly.

They lost to Nomads twice in that competition and skipper Mark Shortland will want to put matters right.

As always his selections could be affected by first team travellers, but he is likely to have some quality available to him.

Ben Dutnall is as solid as a rock in the front row and outside the pack Carl Conroy and Jack Moore are immensely capable finishers.

Nomads, however, are tough nuts to crack and have quality in every position.

Youngster George Callister has just broken into the team but gets an armchair ride behind a solid eight and his game at scrum-half continues to blossom.

In the Shimmin Wilson Manx Bowl its make or break time for Emerging Nomads.

Defeats in their opening games mean that they need a win if they’re to qualify for the final.

They had a real ding-dong at Western Vikings last Saturday and only just lost out.

This week they take on Ramsey B at King William’s College in what promises to be a much tighter game than the 77-5 at the Mooragh a couple of weeks ago.

Saturday’s fixtures

South Lancashire/Cheshire Division One

Anselmians v Douglas @ Anselmians

South Lancashire/Cheshire Division Two

Vagabonds v Southport @ Ballafletcher ko 2.15pm

South Lancashire/Cheshire Division Three

Ramsey v Linley & Kidsgrove @ Mooragh Park ko 2.15pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Trophy

Douglas B v PDMS Southern Nomads @ Port-e-Chee ko 2.15pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Bowl

Emerging Nomads v Ramsey B @ King William’s College ko 2.15pm

Is the Council of Ministers’ new policy for Ramsey post office to stay in the town’s Courthouse?

Minister for Policy and Reform Chris Robertshaw appeared to signal a rethink when he was questioned in the House of Keys over the plans to close the town’s Crown post office.

But he said he was ‘comfortable’ with the idea of it becoming a sub-post office.

Mr Robertshaw was speaking as it was confirmed a newly-formed Ramsey Postal Co-operative has been set up and is preparing a bid to operate a sub post office from the Old Courthouse building - as it had asked for a deadline to be extended to the end of March so it can drawn up its proposals.

Under existing plans, the Crown post office would close and a sub-post office be set up in the nearby Spar store. The plans has sparked a protest march in the town and two public meetings.

In the Keys, the Policy and Reform Minister told MHKs: ‘Following the Big Debate, island residents resoundingly agreed that services should be provided in the community, where possible. Post offices are one of the services that should be provided in the community, and if we are to aspire to regional community centres, it would be most helpful if we could coalesce around the services, where appropriate, in one place.

‘The regeneration scheme for Ramsey identified the Courthouse, where the post office is currently located, as the hub of regeneration, so to see it lie empty, should the post office relocate, would be disappointing.’

His words prompted Michael MHK Alfred Cannan to ask: ‘Is it now policy from the Council of Ministers that the Ramsey post office stays in the Ramsey Courthouse?’

Mr Robertshaw replied: ‘The concept of policy developing in the centre through my office is an ongoing one. In some respects, the current situation with regard to the Post Office has brought the matters into focus and to a head.’

Asked what his position was regarding the Crown post office in Regent Street, Douglas, he said: ‘I have never pretended otherwise than I am comfortable to see Crown post offices become sub-post offices.

Lib Van leader Kate Beecroft (Douglas South) suggested it should not be about whether he is comfortable, it is whether the community and Tynwald members are comfortable.

‘Or does he think that, in his role as Minister for Policy and Reform, he is actually in charge now?’ she asked,

There was criticism in the House of Keys about the way the police handled media publicity during the recent spate of burglaries.

John Houghton (Douglas North) suggested there was a ‘dramatic shortfall’ of information that was put out – while the focus on social media meant some groups like the elderly had not been given reassurances about the work going on as part of the investigation.

He asked Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson: ‘There were almost 40 burglaries during the time and they appear now to have stopped for at least some seven days.

‘In order to discuss this very worrying matter more, would he arrange a presentation by the Chief Constable to members of Tynwald in order to update us on what was actually going on behind the scenes – and I am not looking for confidential issues, but what was going on behind the scenes – because there was a dramatic shortfall of information output to members of Tynwald, who were fielding enquiries.’

Mr Watterson replied: ‘Certainly how the Constabulary get their message across to the media is something which I have talked to the Chief Constable about, but is ultimately a matter for the Chief Constable and the Constabulary.

‘I know that they have tried to reach out to older people and have visited older people’s homes and pensioners’ groups, in order to try and spread the word and reassure them.

‘With regard to a request for a presentation from the Chief Constable to Members, I will consider that and I will discuss it with the Chief Constable, but of course that would be a matter for him to decide rather than me because he must remain independent from my command.’

The Minister admitted that officer numbers had fallen ‘far faster’ than anticipated due to a number of factors mainly linked to UK terms of service.

Over the last two years, the Constabulary had lost around 50 officers from the frontline of which budget reductions only accounted for 25. He said the number was now around 194 when the budgeted establishment was 211.

The cost of living in the Isle of Man has dropped in the last 12 months, according to one measure of inflation.

The Consumer Prices Index says that prices fell, on average, by 0.2 per cent in January. They rose 0.2 per cent in December.

It’s the first time that the island has recorded deflation since the CPI measure was introduced in 2008.

Inflation measured by the Retail Prices Index, which includes mortgage interest payments and household expenditure such as buildings insurance, was up 1.9 per cent, down from 2.2 per cent in December.

While most people will welcome lower prices, they can sound alarm bells.

If people expect prices to fall further, they put off making purchases, which could trigger a recession as businesses lose trade.

But officials here say the deflation is down to one thing, cheaper oil.

The cost of petrol and oil has plummeted by 13.5 per cent and the cost of a litre of petrol slumped further this week when some garages put the price down to 116.9, which is still 10p more than the UK average.

Heating oil has also fallen sharply, by 26.7 per cent, while the cost of domestic gas has risen by 2.8 per cent.

But fuel is not the only thing to have got cheaper.

Food is, on average, 1.6 per cent cheaper than it was in January 2014. Vegetables are 12.8 cent cheaper and the price of potatoes (which are measured separately) has fallen by 9.5 per cent. Bread also costs 4.6 per cent less.

The Manx Legion in Douglas plays host to a Soul Night on Saturday.

In aid of the Koru Hospital Fund and with all proceeds going towards a school building in Kenya, the line-up is headed by well-known local soul band, Soul Suspects.

Making up this eight-piece soul behemoth are David Holland on piano/vocals, Lauren Simpson on vocals, John Caulfield on guitar, David Jones on bass, Stan Puzzar on drums/vocals, Jack Divers on trumpet/flugelhorn, Stephen Hind on tenor saxophone and Juan Quirk on trombone.

There set features tracks from the likes of Wilson Picket, Percy Sledge, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Otis Redding, Booker T and The M G’s, James Brown, The Ronettes and Jackie Wilson at one end through to ABBA, Elton John and Van Morrison at the other end.

If a bit of soul and R&B is your thing, then this will be well worth having a look at. For more information on the band, please visit their webpage at www.soulsuspects.co.uk

The bill for this event also features Claire Manning, Smokey Joe and Peter Dunn.

Ticket prices are a suggested donation of £8 and can be purchased on the door on the night or via John Oates on 271034.

After a very busy Saturday last weekend, Alex Harris makes his way to the Amber Bar in Douglas this Saturday for a solo acoustic show.

If anyone saw his sets at either the Carnival Live Lounge, in Strand Street, or The Queen’s pub last weekend, then you’ll know how good he is in a live situation.

Expect tunes from his back catalogue along with a few covers thrown in for good measure.

The doors open around 8pm and Alex should hit the stage just after 9pm.

For more information on Alex and his music, please visit www.facebook.com/alexharrismusic

Following on from the inaugural lunchtime acoustic session at the Carnival Live Lounge kicked off by Alex last weekend, this Saturday lunchtime sees the turn of the Chris Winchester Trio.

The acoustic session will run from 1pm to 3pm.

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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

After two weeks of cup competitions to focus on, attention returns to league matters in JCK Division Two this weekend.

Taking centre stage is arguably the game at the Station Fields where fourth place Colby host the side two spots below them, Douglas Royal. Three points separate the teams but Royal have two games in hand and are still expected to challenge for a Paul Henry Gold Cup place and maybe even promotion.

In the reverse fixture back in October, the Moonlighters romped to a 4-1 victory over the Whites and will be favourites to complete a league double, but Royal’s form is slightly better having won four of their last six compared to Colby’s three.

Elsewhere in the second division, leaders Douglas Athletic face a potentially tricky trip to the Nivison Stadium where they take on Onchan. The Os put up a brave fight before eventually going down 4-0 to the mighty St George’s in the FA Cup last time out so, if they can reproduce that effort, they could cause Athletic problems.

Current runners-up RYCOB face a tough test of their own when they travel to Castletown but should still emerge triumphant, while third-placed Marown will be firm favourites to get the better of bottom-of-the-table Governor’s Athletic.

A close battle could be in store at Noble’s Park where Douglas and District take on the side one place above them, Foxdale, while Braddan welcome Malew.

It’s another big weekend for Union Mills’ bid to beat relegation from the Canada Life Premier League.

Bottom at the turn of the year and with just a point to their name, Joedy Scarffe’s men have picked up a win and a draw in their last three league games to move to within four points of third bottom Gymns.

This week the Millers, who have four games in hand on their relegation rivals, welcome Ayre to Garey Mooar in another fixture that might well cough up points for the hosts’ survival fund.

Mills’ upturn in form has coincided with the emergence of the latest prospect off the Mills’ youth conveyor belt, Jordan Crawley.

The young striker has bagged some important goals since he made his first team debut last month and he will be among the Millers’ dangermen again this week.

Ayre too seem to have unearthed a gem in Will Swithinbank who impressed in last week’s narrow win over Gymns. With both capable of scoring goals an entertaining match should be on the cards.

Gymns’ hopes of keeping Mills at arm’s length lessons by the week, especially when you consider Mills have to play bottom side Michael twice.

This week the Tromode outfit face a daunting trip to a Peel side gunning for the league title.

Also up against it will be the aforementioned Michael who welcome fourth-placed DHSOB to Balleira Road.

Old Boys won the reverse fixture 6-0 - expect a similar scoreline this time out.

St John’s will be eager to put behind a poor performance in the FA Cup behind them when they travel to the Bowl to face St Mary’s.

This, however, will be easier said than done with the Saints undefeated in their last seven.

Rushen and Corinthians should be another close game especially with the Spaniards inconsistent at best.

Finally Ramsey will look to avoid the 8-0 drubbing they received last time they travelled to St George’s.

Up to five tax cappers may have left the island since measures were introduced to prevent potential abuse of the system, the Manx Independent has learned.

Chief Minister Allan Bell admitted: ‘It may have rebounded on us.’

The House of Keys this week voted to give a second reading to changes to the Income Tax Bill that will amend a new rule brought in only last year that obliged tax cappers to sign up to the £120,000 cap for five years.

That five-year provision was designed to give certainty to Treasury revenues. But in the Keys Treasury Minister Eddie Teare admitted there was another reason – to prevent the potential for abuse.

Under the planned amendments, individuals can effectively opt out of the tax cap and choose to have their tax liability assessed in the normal way.

Mr Teare told the Keys that this was about recognising people’s circumstances can change - for instance they may have sold their business.

But iomtoday has been told two tax cappers left when the tax cap election was introduced and the island had lost another three ‘high net worth’ residents in the last few weeks, with the loss of nearly £5m in revenue.

Mr Teare, however, said he was not aware of any tax cappers having left.

Explaining the reasons for the introduction of the tax cap election in last year’s Budget, he said: ‘We didn’t recognise that the scheme as originally drafted had the potential to be abused.

‘We thought it only right and fair that we should deal with that. It was brought to my attention by a taxcapper who thought it only right and fair that everybody not only abide by the law but the spirit of the law.’

He said there was evidence the previous system was open to abuse because a person could declare himself a taxcapper in one year, take a big dividend from the company and then have no tax liability at all in subsequent years. He described this as ‘dipping in and dipping out’.

He insisted the new clause allowing tax cappers to be assessed normally would only be used in ‘extenuating’ circumstances and they would still have to pay the tax due.

And he said he had been assured by the assessor that this measure will not lead to abuse.

The Chief Minister said the tax cap policy had brought significant economic benefits, having created several hundred jobs and encouraged millions of pounds of investment. ‘The whole intention is to encourage young entrepreneurs. We’ve got to be flexible sometimes as well.’

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What is a ‘tax capper’?

Since 2006, the Isle of Man has allowed the super-rich to pay a maximum amount of income tax a year. So they pay a fixed amount and pay no more in income tax, making their accountants’ live much simpler. It’s currently set at £120,000 a year. It was introduced to attract wealthy entrepreneurs to the island. But last year it was decided to make tax cappers sign up to the scheme for five years in a row.

Cellist Laura van der Heijden will be the guest performer in the latest of the Ramsey Music Society’s winter concert season.

Miss Van der Heijden will be travelling to the island to perform on Monday evening (February 9) in the West Hall at Ramsey Grammar School, starting at 7.45pm.

Fresh from playing at the BAFTA awards at the weekend, her Ramsey repertoir will include Beethoven’s sonata for cello and piano in C, Schubert’s Arpeggione sonata, Fitkin’s L for cello and piano and Poulenc’s sonata for cello and piano.

Still only 17, Miss Van der Heijden is currently studying her A levels at secondary school near her home in Sussex. She will be joined for the concert by pianist, composer and arranger Tom Poster.

Please note the concert is on Monday night, February 9, as usual, not on Friday February 5 as reported in the Island Life section of the Manx Independent.

Entry is £10, students can attend free of charge.

Cuts made in the Department of Infrastructure were outlined this morning its minister.

Thirty-three members of staff have left the department during the current financial year under the terms of a Mutually Agreed Resignation Scheme (MARS), creating a saving of about £1 million.

That is on top of a £3 million cut in staff costs achieved since 2011-12 through the reduction of more than 100 full-time posts.

The MARS scheme remains open to applications from employees across the department as it looks to secure the additional savings needed to meet its £5 million budget reduction target.

Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘In common with most areas of government, a substantial part of the department’s expenditure is on staff costs.

‘The huge scale of our financial challenge meant there was always going to be an impact on jobs.

‘However, this government has consistently stated that it would not adopt a “slash and burn” approach. The reductions in Infrastructure have been carefully managed through retirements and voluntary departures, with input from staff and their unions. There have been no compulsory redundancies.’

He added: ‘Delivering the same range of public services with fewer staff has increased the workload on the remaining employees, but they have responded with great professionalism and commitment.’

As well as cutting staff costs, the department has also introduced energy-saving measures to lower utility bills across its estate and increased the use of technology.

Changes to working practices in highway services, public transport and at the airport, including revised arrangements for the airport information desk, have ‘significantly’ lowered operating costs by virtually eliminating premium payments for overtime and increasing flexibility around shift patterns.

Amalgamation of the driver and vehicle licensing and driver and vehicle examination teams has realised savings through the loss of one senior post. Further improvements expected from this reorganisation will lead to a slicker service for customers and a reduction in administration costs.

Strategic capital investment is also making a contribution to the reduction in revenue expenditure.

The modernisation of the Isle of Man’s bus fleet is lowering fuel and maintenance costs, as well as improving services for passengers, and new jet patch technology means that some roads can be repaired up to 10 times faster.

In addition, the department is recycling more than 15,000 tonnes of material taken out of the roads, a five-fold increase over the last three years.

New efficiencies are being achieved through shared services in government’s fleet and estates management, while the introduction of a digital planning portal and online payments for vehicle tax has helped to reduce administration costs.

Mr Gawne, who is one of the MHKs for Rushen, said: ‘While we have increased charges for certain services, raising new revenue is just one element of the response to our budget responsibilities.

‘The department has also made great strides in terms of merging divisions, eliminating senior management posts and reducing bureaucracy. We will continue to assess the way we do things, with the aim of achieving leaner and more sustainable services.’

One of our reporters talked to Mr Gawne about the savings for a report due to be printed in Tuesday’s Examiner.

The town boundaries in Castletown need expanding to allow more housing to be built, the town’s local authority said at this week’s meeting.

They agreed to discuss the issue with planners.

The commissioners considered a letter from the Department of Infrastructure about the Draft Strategic Plan.

Infrastructure planning policy officer Diane Brown wrote that the plan ‘sets out the department’s general policies in respect of the development and other use of land’ and informs assessment of planning applications.

Comments made on the review of the plan (from 2007) have been compiled in a draft plan which is available for consultation until March 13.

If authorities want to discuss the draft, they can discuss it with an officer of the planning policy team. All comments will be considered by the department and forwarded to the independent planning inspector appointed to conduct the public inquiry.

Commissioner Kevin Weir said: ‘They [planners] told us Castletown was having a ministerial review, this is separate from that, we have not actually discussed this. Didn’t the inspector of the Southern Area Plan say nothing had been sorted for Castletown as far as houses were concerned?’

The Southern Area Plan, adopted by Tynwald in 2013, paved the way for a review of housing land allocations in Castletown once the implications of new household projections – revealed by the 2011 Census – were fully understood.

Andrew Thomas said: ‘Castletown’s population has not expanded since 1981. We are lumbered with a fixed community because there is no area to expand. It’s like a pressure cooker.

‘The SAP recommendation was we have ministerial review, but nothing has happened. We need to expand, we need another 500 houses at least. The only way we can do that is by taking land off our neighbours. We need more houses. What rates do they (neighbouring authorities) get out of a field (into which the town would expand)? Our duty as commissioners is to enhance Castletown.’

Mr Weir said they should enlist a planning expert to represent their views to the department.

‘This is our future. If this [hiring an expert] is an expense it’s a good one, if we get nothing out of it at least we had one hell of a try. It’s making the argument strong enough and for that we need an expert.’

Mr Weir proposed they hire a planning expert to represent the authority.

He added: ‘We should ask somebody from planning to come to our next board meeting after that.’

Alwyn Collister proposed an amendment that they invite someone from planning to discuss the matter to a meeting next Monday, to give them more time before the deadline in March.

If Castletown were to expand, it would be into either Malew or Arbory, the only parishes that border the town.

Eight different clubs are represented in the latest Isle of Man Newspapers Team of the Week.

This week’s hypothetical XI is a Paddy Power FA Cup special and features those that shone in Saturday’s seven first round proper ties.

Four of the side come from JCK Division Two clubs including Onchan keeper Andy Asbridge who produced several brave saves as the Os went out of the competition at the hands of his former side and FA Cup holders St George’s.

Another of Asbridge’s second-tier brethren features in the XI’s back-four.

That is Colby’s joint-player-manager Chris McKenna who was impressive at the back as the southerners secured a 4-1 after extra-time win over Pulrose at the Station Fields.

Premier League trio Stephen Corlett (Corinthians), Dominic McGreevy (St Mary’s) and Lewis Qualtrough (Ramsey) all join McKenna in the backline.

Corlett was one of the Whites’ best players as they beat fellow top-flight side St John’s 2-0 at a windswept Ballafletcher.

McGreevy returned from a recent spell on the sidelines to help St Mary’s edge past Union Mills 2-1 in another of day’s ties that went to extra time.

Qualtrough helped the northerners to avoid a potential cup upset at Victoria Road, beating second tier Braddan 3-1.

Fellow Ramsey man Matty Skillicorn also makes it into the line-up after grabbing a brace to help down the Swans.

The Ellan Vannin winger is joined in the midfield ranks by DHSOB’s duo Robbie Ward and Gary Quirk plus Colby’s hat-trick hero Danny Kniveton.

Ward and Quirk helped Old Boys to beat second-tier Marown 5-0 at Blackberry Lane, the latter scoring two goals as John Ward’s side booked a quarter-final tie with Peel on February 21.

Kniveton was man of the match netting a rare treble from his defensive midfield berth as the southerners advanced past FA Cup specialists Pully.

Up top Malew’s Andy Glover is paired in attack with St George’s striker Ciaran McNulty.

Glover, who was recently called-up to Nick Hurt’s Isle of Man FA squad, hit a hat-trick as the southerners sprung the shock of the round dumping Premier League Michael out of the competition at Balleira Road.

McNulty struck a goal and ran the Onchan defence ragged as Geordies negotiated their way past Onchan 4-0 at the Nivision.

This week’s refereeing honours are jointly shared between Chris Taggart (DHSOB v Marown) and Gareth Jones (Union Mills v St Mary’s).