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Tynwald petition seeks wind farm noise research

By Ashlea Tracey, BBC News, Isle of Man
BBC Kirrie and Philip Jenkins smile looking at the camera outside the Royal Chapel in St John's. He is wearing a blue blazer with a white shirt and blue tie with a crisscross pattern in white and a sprig of bollan bane in his button hole. She is wearing a black jacket over a black top with a white floral pattern on it and also has bollan bane pinned to her lapel.BBC
Philip and Kirrie Jenkins handed over a petition calling for research into noise from wind farm

Legislation to protect residents from noise created by wind turbines, two Tynwald Day petitioners have said.

Kirrie and Philip Jenkins presented their petition calling for research on the effects of the structure during the open-air sitting of the Manx parliament.

The couple live near to proposals for a government-funded onshore wind farm in the south of the island.

More than a dozen other petitions, including calls for improved school support for children with dyslexia, cheaper ferry fares and the completion of the horse tramway line, were also submitted.

The handing over of petitions for redress of grievance is part of the annual open-air sitting of the parliament giving members of the community the chance to put forward an issue that members of Tynwald could "pick up" and put forward for debate.

Mr and Mrs Jenkins have called for a committee to consider "weaknesses in public health practices and laws relating to wind power generation" and "independent research into the effects on health and well-being of wind turbine noise".

Manx Utilities (MU) has been investigating a site at Earystane and Scard, which if approved by planners could see up to five turbines built by the end of 2026 to help meet government climate change goals.

Mrs Jenkins said she wanted "robust legislation" and "proper regulation in place that will protect people on the island".

A smiling Trevor Nall wears a blue suit and light blue shirt with a blue tie. A crowd of clergy and officials gather in the background in front of the Royal Chapel in St John's.
Trevor Nall is calling for the reinstatement of the island's horse tram track to the Sea Terminal

There was also a call for the island's horse tram track, which currently runs from the Strathallan Terminal to the War Memorial, to be reinstated to stretch along to the Sea Terminal.

Trevor Nall said the delays were "a source of much frustration" because "we have the layout of where the line will go, but it’s just all these empty promises".

He said the horse tram service was "unique in the world" and not extending the line was a "major flaw" in the island's bid to encourage tourism.

A group of petitioners, children and adults, gather together. Julia Bell holds the petition to call for more school support for children with dyslexia which is printed on white paper and is in a plastic folder.
Greater support for children with Dyslexia was called for by a group of campaigners

Julia Bell presented a petition, on behalf of Dyslexia Advocacy Group IOM, calling for improved school support for children with the condition.

It detailed areas where "current educational practices do not meet the needs of students with specific learning differences", the campaigners said.

The group wanted greater staff training to support neurodiverse children and identify additional needs, alongside "consistent policies and interventions within schools", Ms Bell said.

Smartly dressed petitioners walk along the ceremonial walkway. A woman wearing a black and white dress and black jacket and using a walking stick is in front of two men dressed in blue suits and wearing ties. The guard of honour and standard bearers line the walkway behind them. The walkway itself is covered in gravel and has green grass at either side.
Petitioners have the chance to hand over the documents during the Tynwald ceremony

Millie Blenkinsop-French called for concessions on ferry fares for residents and deals on last-minute booking when there was unused capacity "instead of having empty seats on the ferries".

"It would make a world of difference for people, as not everyone is on the income to afford to travel for a holiday, never mind for an emergency," she said.

A Tynwald committee is currently exploring the Sea Services Agreement between the government and the publicly owned Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, which includes conditions on fares, routes and the frequency of sailings.

Other petitions included a call for more public consultation on issues via referenda, a loan guarantee scheme for filmmaking featuring the island, greater scrutiny of spending on government capital projects, and several focusing on aspects of the island's planning system.

The documents will now be assessed by the Clerk of Tynwald and if deemed in order will be available for politicians to progress further if they choose to do so.

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