The South West Regeneration consultation report is now complete, and available for you to read as a pdf file.  This report sets out the findings of the public consultation undertaken, and has been used by Costain Heritage and Hugh Logan Architects to develop concept proposals for the ports.

You can also find our report setting out the prioritisation of options as identified by people who visited the public exhibition.

(You will need Adobe Reader to view the pdf files - if you don't already have it installed on your computer, you can get it free by clicking here.)

We would like to thank all consultees for their input in relation to this work.

Please note that the views contained in the report are those of the consultees, and are not necessarily those of the consultants.

To download the consultation report - Click here
To download the public exhibition feedback report - Click here

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Previous news from December 2010:  Public exhibition of outline development concepts

Further to the consultation work, concepts proposals have now been developed for the South West Regeneration area.

A public exhibition of these concepts will be held in Port St Mary and Port Erin for further input.

The Port St Mary display will be upstairs in the town hall.  There will be an opening event on Friday 10th December 2010 from 6-8pm, where Hugh Logan Architects and Costain Heritage will be available to discuss the proposals.  The exhibition will then be open from Saturday 11th December to Wednesday 15th December from 10am-4pm for general viewing.

The Port Erin display will be in the railway station.  Again, there will be an opening event on Thursday 16th December from 6-8pm, and general viewing from Friday 17th December to Wednesday 22nd December from 10am-4pm.

We very much hope that you will be able to attend the public exhibition.

For more information about the South-West regeneration process, and about who was consulted, please see the 27th September news release below.

A consultation has been launched to help assess ways that Port St Mary and Port Erin could change.  The aim is to make the South-West even more appealing for local people and visitors.

The consultation is being run on behalf of the South-West Regeneration Committee by Port St Mary-based Costain Heritage and Castletown-based Hugh Logan Architects who were commissioned last month to carry out the work.

Phil Gawne, chairman of the South-West Regeneration Committee, articulated the vision for the regeneration of the two villages. 'We want Port Erin and Port St Mary to be vibrant villages offering a range of retail outlets which meet the needs of the south of the Island. We also want waterfronts that provide a range of relaxation, recreation opportunities (particularly for marine-based sports and family beach days) and marine related work.’

The consultation aims to take a comprehensive look at people's attitudes to Port St Mary and Port Erin, and will result in a bid to the Town and Village Regeneration Fund.  It will take place throughout October and November.  The work will include consideration of Port Erin and Port St Mary as tourist destinations, car parking issues, pedestrian and disability access, ways of linking the upper and lower parts of each village, quality of signage and information, as well as possible improvements to the harbours.

The project aims to get more local residents and visitors to go to Port St Mary and Port Erin regularly. It's also hopes to improve the success of the villages' economies.

An on-line questionnaire has been created to help establish the opinions of people living on the Isle of Man and of visitors and tourists from the UK and further afield.  But in addition there will be street consultation, focus groups and collaborative meetings with local organisations such as youth groups, fishermen and sailors, Port Erin and Port St Mary traders, other community groups and key stakeholders such as the Department of Infrastructure.  Street surveys will take place in Port St Mary, Port Erin, Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey, Laxey and Peel, as well as at Ronaldsway Airport and the Sea Terminal. There will also be evening public meetings for village residents in November.  (See Appendix 1 below.)

Fritha Costain, director of Costain Heritage, said, 'Port Erin and Port St Mary are already very attractive, but this process is about creating realistic ambitions for the future of the villages.  We're trying to get as wide a range of views as possible, and hoping young people, parents and pensioners will all take this opportunity to get involved.'

When the consultation has closed there will be an exhibition to present the findings to residents in January, which will be followed by a report to the South-West Regeneration Committee.

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