Parish safety among new commissioner's priorities

A civil servant has been elected to fill the vacant seat on the board of a local authority in the east of the Isle of Man.

Scott Wilson came out top in Thursday's by-election for Onchan Commissioners with 447 votes, securing 63% of the of the 714 votes cast.

Voter turnout for the count, which was triggered by the resignation of Fenella Logan from the local authority in August, was of 10.34% of the 6,966 registered.

Mr Wilson said his priorities included job creation and sustainability, and addressing "real concerns" from residents about road safety and antisocial behaviour.

He said after witnessing "some frosty behaviour" between existing members at previous meetings when watching from the public gallery, he also aimed to "understand the issues" and encourage the board to "really focus on the best interests of the district".

The unsuccessful candidates in the by-election, Nigel Dobson and Oliver Lockwood, received 189 votes and 71 votes respectively.

A resident in the village for more than five years, Wilson said he believed his priorities were "reflective of the concerns and interests" of the community.

He said he wanted to see safer streets, including the installation of better lighting, and pedestrian-friendly crossings in areas "identified as risk-prone" as well as increased neighbourhood policing.

Working with local businesses to create apprenticeships and work-placements for residents, particularly young people, is also among his aims, he said.

He said a "real appetite" for the improvement of recycling and waste management had become apparent to him while canvassing in the district ahead of the poll, as people wanted to "do their bit" for the environment.

The newly elected commissioner will serve as a board member for five months, until the island’s local authority general election on 24 April next year.

Wilson he would use the remainder of the term to "understand the foundations" and "do the research to find out realistic time frames" to introduce the schemes.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]