Plan for £100m yacht marina at Ramsey revealed

A £100m plan to create a yacht marina in the Isle of Man have been unveiled.

Ramsey Marina Ltd (RML) propose creating a 400-berth dock, residential and commercial units, a hotel and a yacht club near the town's harbour.

RML said it could make Ramsey a "centre of marine excellence" with facilities capable of hosting "national and international sailing events".

Town commissioner chairman Andrew Cowie said the plan had broad support, though there were "some technical concerns".

Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) said the plans for the development, which is in the area of a marine nature reserve, raise "a number of questions".

Although the company has yet to make a planning application, RML wants to start work on the marina between the harbour entrance and Queen's Pier by 2021.

The project would also see a 1,150ft (350m) breakwater built and sand extracted to reclaim a beach for "residential and leisure" areas.

A spokesman for the firm said it could create more than 200 jobs and attract 10,000 visitors annually.

Mr Cowie said the commissioners board was "broadly supportive of the proposals, which could have a significant impact on Ramsey's future prosperity".

"There are some technical concerns with the design and careful consideration needs to be given to the potential loss of the beach space," he said.

"However, we would hope these concerns can be addressed effectively."

MWT's Tim Graham said the organisation was "not against developments", but did not want to see "bad developments that impact the environment negatively and leave a lasting legacy that may not be able to be remediated".

"We will be interested to hear more details on the proposal and their pursuit of environmental standards," he said.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) has been approached for comment.