Peel marina: Removal of 18,000 tonnes of silt ' urgently needed'

A seven-week project to remove 18,000 tonnes of silt from Peel Marina will begin next week, the government has said.

Infrastructure minister Phil Gawne said the work, which will cost "several hundred thousand pounds", has been "urgently needed since 2011".

Mr Gawne said the build-up of silt is preventing berths being used.

Dredged materials will be transported to a site near to Poortown Quarry in Peel as a "temporary measure".

According to the government, there is currently no landfill site licensed to take the silt on a permanent basis.

Mr Gawne said the Infrastructure Department is looking for a "permanent and long-term solution" after German Commissioners raised concerns over the visual impact.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture said disposal on land provides a safer and more controlled solution to dumping it at sea.

Original plans to dispose of the excavated material out to sea at a licensed dump site were axed amid concerns it could effect the island's multi-million pound scallop industry.

Mr Gawne added that if action is not taken it could cause "significant harm to both the local and national economy".

He said the number of vessels attending the Peel Traditional Boat Weekend in 2014 was well down on previous years due to a growing perception that the marina is too silted to accommodate visitors.

It is believed the marina generates the Manx government around £30,000 a year.

The Department of Infrastructure said the work will be finished in time for TT week.