Peel’s controversial £1.16m regeneration project has come under attack again with one of the town’s commissioners describing it as ‘vandalism’ and a ‘disgrace’.
Hazel Hannan has been angered by the project saying the money would have better spent on the town’s streets and roads.
The work started in March and aims to rejuvenate the Market Place and the section of Douglas Street leading to Michael Street. It is expected to last 14 months.
Speaking at the latest commissioners’ meeting Mrs Hannan said: ‘I hope the other board members have looked at it.
‘It’s scandalous. It’s vandalism of the worst sort. The least critical comment I have heard is “it wasn’t necessary”.’
On Saturday, protestors against the work gathered with Mrs Hannan at the Market Place and an official protest is planned there for this Saturday at 2.30pm.
‘It just beggars belief what has been allowed to happen by the commissioners and the government,’ Mrs Hannan told her fellow commissioners.
‘I blame myself too as a silent majority. Just go and look at it, it’s a disgrace.
‘I can’t use adjectives strong enough to describe what has happened in the Market Place.
‘Everywhere I’ve been people have been saying “I can’t believe it”.
‘And not just heritage people, ordinary people too. They can’t understand why it’s been allowed. But there’s nothing we can do I’ve been told.
‘Regeneration isn’t exactly what they’re doing. It’s maintenance that should have been done on a regular basis.
‘Look at the streets, they needed that £1m. The Market Place was ok, it just needed a bit of tidying up, attack the weeds growing out of the front of the church and looking at the gable end, make sure it’s not moved. We’re all to blame. I’m absolutely disgusted by the whole thing.’
Commissioner Alan Jones said: ‘I agree work on those facilities should have been done but they weren’t and wouldn’t have been unless we’d gone along with it.’
Town clerk Derek Sewell said: ‘It’s been through a full planning process. Anybody could have made comments about it.’
The project was also slammed previously in the Manx Independent by MHK candidate Leslie Hanson who said that people in Peel did not want the work done and the money would have been better spent resurfacing the roads.