Latest news with #PortStMary
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Tynwald petition calls for review of 20mph speed limit rollout
A pause in the rollout of lower speed limits in some residential areas to allow for a review of the scheme is among the petitions handed over at this year's Tynwald Day 20mph (32km/h) zones have already been put in place in Port St Mary, with Douglas and Onchan next in line for the his petition during the proceedings in St John's, Chris Pay said he believed the project's £400,000 budget "could be better spent on many other island projects".Other petitions included calls for a dementia village, a law change to allow Manx language films to be put forward for an Oscar, and greater education on breathing techniques for children. As part of the the annual open-air sitting of the parliament, members of the community can hand over of petitions for redress of is an opportunity for residents to highlight an issue that members of Tynwald could "pick up" and put forward for debate. Mr Pay said he felt the "blanket implementation" of 20mph limits in his home town of Port St Mary had been "completely inappropriate" and he had been "horrified" at the plans for Onchan and said while he could not stop the rollout, which was again backed by Tynwald in May, his petition asked for an "independent assessment" to consider the "significant impacts on business, commuters and essential services".In June, the House of Keys voted down a bid to suspend the rollout of the scheme altogether. There was also a call for the government to build a dementia village by Millie Blenkinsop-French, an idea that was previously thrown out by the a feasibility study in 2018, the then Health and Social Care minister David Ashford said it would not be "affordable or sustainable".Calling for the move to be reconsidered, Ms Blenkinsop-French said villages opened in the UK meant residents could live in a "safe community continuing many of their normal daily activities prior to moving in, like walking to the shops"."In 2025 there is a definite need for something like this. I have three friends living with dementia and most people you talk to now know someone who is living with the condition."According to the Alzheimer's Society, there are around 900,000 people in the UK with dementia. George Hargreaves from the Isle of Man International Film Festival presented a petition for the body to become the "requisite organisation" to submit movies featuring the Manx language for consideration for an Academy said: "We've got the talent, got the language, we just need Tynwald's support to get that glory for the Isle of Man and give filmmakers a shot at the biggest prize in movies."He said he had the support of backers who were keen to consider "Manx versions" of English movies, if the petition were to lead to the change. Michael Quine from Castletown called for politicians to consider introducing education on breathing techniques into nurseries and said he was living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) and had realised that "quite a lot of people at a young age are falling into unhealthy breathing habits"."I've noticed an improvement in my health by making changes and I think the earlier people can learn the better," he petitions included calls for mandatory training for educational staff working with neurodivergent children, and the introduction of an independent police complaints body.A bid for greater transparency surrounding the accounts of the Manx Development Company, which was formed to develop government-owned brownfield sites, was also handed documents will now be assessed by the Clerk of Tynwald and if deemed to be in order will be available for politicians take up and progress. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Technical fault puts Douglas lifeboat station out of action
The Douglas Lifeboat Station is out of action due to the lack of a working vessel, the RNLI has station's lifeboat, Ruby Clery, had been replaced by a relief Mersey Class vessel after suffering a technical that relief boat had to be taken out of action due to "its own technical failure" on 15 May, and would need to be sent elsewhere for repairs leaving the station temporarily out of action.A spokeswoman for the RNLI said the Ruby Clery had now been repaired and would return to the station "if all goes well with the sea trials" set to take place next week. She said the organisation was "confident" that there was "sufficient lifeboat coverage" from neighbouring stations at Ramsey and Port St Mary during the period. 'Challenging time' The Douglas vessel is set to be retired this year and replaced with a Trent Class lifeboat as an interim solution while talks continue over the future of the existing has not been confirmed how long repair works for the Mersey class lifeboat would to its move to Douglas, the Ruby Clery previously spent 27 years in Peel, before serving as the Ramsey Lifeboat for RNLI spokeswoman said that vessel would be lifted back into the water this week to undergo system checks with sea trials planned for next week. She said, if those checks and sea trials "prove satisfactory", passage arrangements would be made to return the former lifeboat to the former lifeboat was the "quickest, most cost-effective solution" to restore services, she said."We understand this is a challenging time for all at station and thank the crew for their patience and understanding," she added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Isle of Man film festival to celebrate Pride month
An Isle of Man film festival is set to celebrate Pride Pride on Screen series will show a series of feature-length movies of personal stories at the town hall in Port St Mary over three nights from short film No Man Is An Island, which explores the events leading up to the decriminalisation of homosexuality on the island in 1992, will also be shown before each Michelle Haywood said the festival was a chance to celebrate the occasion and acknowledge the challenges still faced by the LGBTQ+ community. The 2014 film Pride will be shown on Friday, telling the story a group of gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners' strike in 1984. 'Still challenges' On Saturday, viewers can watch Blue Jean. The 2022 drama focusses on a PE teacher at a secondary school in Newcastle as Section 28, which forbid the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools, was implemented in the final movie, to be shown on Sunday, is Call Me by Your Name. It follows the romantic relationship between 17-year-old Elio and Oliver, a 24-year-old assistant to Elio's archaeology professor Haywood said: "The festival says just because there's not a big parade doesn't mean that we're not alive to the fact that there are still challenges within our society for people depending on who they chose to love."Despite England decriminalising homosexuality in 1967, the Isle of Man did not follow suit until Craine, director of No Man is an Island, said the reaction from Manx audiences had "been really humbling".He said: "Although it feels it's something that happened 30 years ago and times have changed for the better, it still feels super relevant to today."It's important that the Manx viewers get to see it in a cinema because it's a story about us, it's our people, and our community." Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Warning over rule change to hated 20mph speed limits that will impact over 30,000 UK drivers
MOTOROISTS have been warned over a coming rule change that will impact 30,000 drivers. The proposed change to introduce lower speed limits in some residential areas has been given political backing. 2 Hated 20mph speed limits have already been put in place in Port St Mary, the Isle of Man. Other roads on in the island's residential areas are soon to follow with further limits being introduced. It is expected that 30,000 motorists will be impacted by the rule changes. Some politicians criticised the scheme saying there had been a lack of consultation with local representatives. Despite this, political backing for the new speed limits was given and the scheme will go ahead. Further 20mph limits are expected to be introduced in Douglas and Onchan on the Isle of Man. The new lower speed limits are being prioritised around schools. The rollout of the rule change will come in phases with different areas being addressed over time. The department of infrastructure aims to roll out extensive 20mph zones across the Island's capital. Plans for the implementation of the new rules were controversial, facing opposition and criticism. Opposition to the scheme argued that changes should only be implemented after extensive through engagement with the community. The proposed changes would see a large portion of the small island's capital affected by the reduced limits. Tens of thousands of drivers would be impacted by the controversial plans. Being rolled out in the capital at first, the scheme will reportedly come to all residential towns and villages across the island eventually. The scheme is reportedly going to cost £400,000 over three financial years. New signs will be put up to indicate where the controversial 20mph limits have been introduced. The new limits are to be monitored, with a review of the measure expected after implementation. Communities are still able to express their views on the controversial plans. The period of time offered to communities to give comments on the plans was extended earlier this month.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Plans to lower some speed limits to 20mph approved by Tynwald
A plan to introduce lower speed limits in some residential areas has been given political 20mph (32km/h) zones have already been put in place in Port St Mary, with Douglas and Onchan next scheduled for the implementation of the scheme had faced criticism from some politicians, who said there had been a lack of consultation with local Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood said she was committed to an "expanded consultation" period in each area with a minimum of six weeks of local engagement. That commitment was cemented by an amendment by Ann Corlett, which included local consultation, the prioritisation of the lower speed limit around schools and clearer maps of the members also approved the monitoring of the new speed limits, with a review of the measures being published once implemented. 'Divisive' Haywood previously confirmed the implementation would be phased by region following local Rob Callister MHK said the minister had £400,000 to spend on implementing the zones in the "wrong places".He said although there were areas in Onchan that "might benefit" from lower speed limits or traffic-calming measures, those changes "should only occur through full engagement with the community, local authorities, and local Edge MHK said there was "still a lot of confusion" about what was going to happen. But MLC Gary Clueitt said it was an "operational plan" which seemed "reasonable".Corlett said that the principle of reduced speed limits around schools and in residential areas had been unanimously approved by members twice, but the "difficulty was in the where and the how", which had remained "divisive".Haywood told Tynwald final decisions would "only be made after local engagement" and mapping had been updated to make the proposals "clearer".She said the measure would enable residents to "enjoy the streets in which they live more" and reduce the risk of serious pedestrian infrastructure department's approach was "proportionate, evidence-led, and reflects the financial and operational realities we face", she added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
