The Queen's Pier Story .. .. ..
January 2009 - News and Update
In view of events of 2008 and over the turn
of the year I feel it appropriate to advise you
all of how we see the future progressing.
A new low point was reached in April 2008
when the Department of Harbours callously and
illegally employed contractors to remove about a
third of the Victorian Railings without warning
and without the necessary Planning Consent.
Indeed they did their very best to keep their
actions from the attention of the DoLGE, by
issuing misleading and somewhat untrue
reassurances when challenged. Only your
Committees constant pressure and photographic
evidence enabled the full story of what they had
done to be made public. If nothing else it shows
that constant vigilance needs to be kept at all
times. It was extremely frustrating to hear the
lame excuse that those responsible did not
realise that what they were doing was wrong.
Absolutely pathetic and shame on
them!
To better news! The Council of
Ministers Working Party finally completed their
Report and recommendations in the autumn. They
then published their findings in the form of
"Options & Recommendations" in December. I have
to say that these make very interesting and
somewhat pleasing reading. I think it
appropriate to thank Chairman Phil Gawne and his
team for a job well done. There are three
recommendations comprising two main Options as
follows:-
1. That Queen's Pier is of national
heritage significance and should be
refurbished.
(Option a) by linking the
refurbishment to a new Marina in Ramsey Bay, on
condition that the developer completes the
refurbishment of Queen's Pier prior to the
completion of the residential and commercial
development. (I have condensed this bit for
reasons of space.)
(Option b) refurbishment of Queen's
Pier using modern materials funded by
Government.
2. That either Option be commenced as
a matter of urgency dependant on the earliest
available of the options. The report then went
on to map out how these options should be
progressed by a steering group set up for this
purpose. Too lengthy to précis here but we are
comfortable with the programme especially as it
has a finite deadline of December 2009.
There is a final recommendation (3)
which reads...
Should option a or b not be approved or
implemented that the Pier be demolished.
On 20th January 2009 several members of The
Friends sat through a somewhat bum numbing five
hours to hear Tynwald unanimously approve
Options 1(a) and b as recommended by the
Council of Ministers.
The Steering Group is already being formed
with the mandate to enable the Council of
Ministers to report back to Tynwald by no later
than November 2009.
We are not there yet but we are much further
than we have ever been before and several of the
supporting speeches were well received. This is
one step nearer our Goal to have this Unique
Structure refurbished and re-opened in order
that it can play a full part in the Heritage of
the Island and the Manx people.
Between now and November can we ask each and
every one of you to keep your MHK fully advised
of the importance of Queen's Pier in the
Heritage of this Island? |
