Isle of Man government moves to protect historic buildings

A foghorn, six lighthouses and a Georgian folly could be given protected status, the Manx government has said.

Twenty-seven maritime buildings, towers and war memorials are being considered for inclusion on the Protected Buildings Register.

Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot said the structures played "an important role in our cultural and national identity".

The move means the buildings cannot be altered until a final decision is made.

Proposal to Register Notices have been issued for all of the structures, preventing them from being demolished or changed until individual consultations have been carried out.

If the move is passed, any changes that would alter the buildings' character could only be made if registered consent was approved.

The list includes two historic lighthouses on the Calf of Man, which were designed by Robert Stevenson, and the island's National War Memorial.

A boathouse in Castletown, which is now the island's nautical museum, a foghorn at the Point of Ayre, and Milner's Tower in Port Erin have also been included.

Mr Boot said the island had a "rich and proud maritime history and a close relationship with the sea", and its war memorials were a "vital connection and poignant reminder of the Manx lives lost in conflict".

Three other buildings of "historical significance" were given legal protection from demolition in recent weeks.

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