Latest news with #JasonMoorhouse
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Move to introduce all island leisure rate rejected
A bid to introduce a leisure rate to replace local authority contributions to regional swimming pool costs has been thrown move would have seen the additional funds ring-fenced and allocated to the island's four local facilities and the National Sports Centre (NSC).Lawrie Hooper MHK had said the measure, which would have seen changes to the rates in Douglas, Onchan and Braddan, would raise £250,000 and make the system "more equitable".But Treasury Minister Alex Allinson said "full rate reform" would instead provide a "fair, modern and equitable way of funding community services and facilities". An all-island tax would "not solve the problem of how our regional swimming pools are funded, how they are managed, and their operations co-ordinated", he said. 'Lessening the burden' Hooper argued it was about "making things a little bit fairer and a little bit better" as rate reform would not happen all at once. Although the regional rates for the pools did not raise a lot of money in comparison to the total running costs of the facilities, the measure would have the effect of "lessening the burden" on the Department for Education, Sport and Culture the proposal, Jason Moorhouse MHK said it would resolve the issue of "imbalance" in the rating system, which saw some ratepayers pay for the pools, but not all, and would "ensure uniform contributions".But Chris Thomas MHK said the only reason that the facilities were paid for by rates was so that local authorities had control of the pools. He said introducing a fee in the east of the island could lead to the NSC being run by a local authority. Similarly, Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford said the measure would "centralise" the funding to the government and "remove that power from the local level".In a vote in Tynwald the measure was rejected by the politicians. Additional reporting by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 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
21-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
No rise in bluetongue risk due to Isle of Man TT, minister says
Increased visitors over the TT period "do not fundamentally increase the risk" of bluetongue reaching the island, the Environment, Food and Agriculture minister has Sunday restrictions were placed on the movement of some livestock in Lancashire, including cattle and sheep, following the discovery of the virus in the county.A Manx ban on livestock imports has been in place since November 2023 to prevent bluetongue, which can cause infertility and breeding problems in animals and can be Barber said while cases of the virus in the Lancashire area were "concerning", it was spread by midges and not carried or transmitted by people or equipment. While additional visitors would not increase the risk of the spread of bluetongue, the main "potential route" would be from imported susceptible animals or midges blown across from England, she Gary Clueitt questioned whether restrictions had been placed products used in the artificial insemination of livestock in line those implemented in the UK, Jason Moorhouse MHK raised concerns about infected midges or larva being brought to the island on visitors' camping equipment. Awareness Barber said there were still permissions for reproduction products to be imported but it was "the only way" the island could diversify its livestock government had put a "huge amount of precautions in", but there came a point "where we have to acknowledge that we are doing all we can short of closing our borders permanently", she told Tynwald members foot and mouth disease cases in Europe had also prompted restrictions on the importation of meat and dairy products for personal use from anywhere other than Great had been placed in the island's airport along with the Heysham and Liverpool ferry ports warning travellers of existing restrictions ahead of the TT races. Similar information would also be placed in Dublin and Belfast ports, she on the risks of leaving food where livestock could eat it, and more widely on foot and mouth disease, has been shared with local commissioners, TT campsites, community organisers and farmers. The TT was cancelled in 2001 following outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in the Barber she said her department currently considered the risk of the disease reaching the island to be "low" as there was no direct travel from Eastern Europe, which was where the latest cases had been identified. 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.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Yahoo
Parking fines of £75k owed by off-island vehicles
More than 1,300 tickets issued to non-Manx registered vehicles between April 2022 and March 2025 remain unpaid, the infrastructure minister has confirmed. Speaking during a House of Keys sitting this week, Michelle Haywood said it meant outstanding fines amounted to £75,390 across the period. The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) could not chase an unpaid ticket issued to a UK car owner as it did not have access to the licensing database, she explained. But some MHKs questioned if new number plate recognition technology, set to be introduced at Douglas harbour next month, could be used to recoup funds. It was confirmed that between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, a total of 735 parking tickets were issued to non-Manx registered vehicles. Of those 372 tickets with a value of £23,430 were paid and 363 with a value of £20,850 remain outstanding. In the 2023-2024 financial year, 916 parking tickets were issued to owners of off-island vehicles, 388 tickets with a value of £24,270 were paid, and 528 with a value of £30,990 were not. Between April 2024 and March 2025, a total of 744 parking tickets were issued to non-Manx registered vehicles, 449 with a value of £23,550 remain outstanding, while 295 tickets with a value of £18,570 were paid. During the sitting, Jason Moorhouse asked if "given the substantial value" of the fines any discussions with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) had taken place about incorporating "some kind of catch system" into a new number plate recognition scheme. In February, the Isle of Man Constabulary announced it would be joining the UK's Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) database in March, with cameras at the Manx port set to be connected to it in May, allowing checks on vehicles travelling on and off the ferries. Haywood said the General Registry was the responsible authority for collecting the fines, but she would undertake to have a conversation with them to see if they would enquire about doing so with the DHA. She also confirmed the DOI did not have the authority to write off the fines but it did carry out periodic checks as to whether vehicles with outstanding fines had since been registered on the island, to then follow up on notices. 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. Number plate checks to be rolled out at port Facial recognition part of port security plans Drivers to face tougher approach to parking fines Tynwald - Parliament of the Isle of Man Isle of Man Government - Department of Infrastructure
BBC News
10-04-2025
- BBC News
Parking fines of £75k owed by off-island vehicle owners
More than 1,300 tickets issued to non-Manx registered vehicles between April 2022 and March 2025 remain unpaid, the infrastructure minister has during a House of Keys sitting this week, Michelle Haywood said it meant outstanding fines amounted to £75,390 across the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) could not chase an unpaid ticket issued to a UK car owner as it did not have access to the licensing database, she some MHKs questioned if new number plate recognition technology, set to be introduced at Douglas harbour next month, could be used to recoup funds. It was confirmed that between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, a total of 735 parking tickets were issued to non-Manx registered those 372 tickets with a value of £23,430 were paid and 363 with a value of £20,850 remain the 2023-2024 financial year, 916 parking tickets were issued to owners of off-island vehicles, 388 tickets with a value of £24,270 were paid, and 528 with a value of £30,990 were April 2024 and March 2025, a total of 744 parking tickets were issued to non-Manx registered vehicles, 449 with a value of £23,550 remain outstanding, while 295 tickets with a value of £18,570 were paid. Periodic checks During the sitting, Jason Moorhouse asked if "given the substantial value" of the fines any discussions with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) had taken place about incorporating "some kind of catch system" into a new number plate recognition February, the Isle of Man Constabulary announced it would be joining the UK's Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) database in March, with cameras at the Manx port set to be connected to it in May, allowing checks on vehicles travelling on and off the said the General Registry was the responsible authority for collecting the fines, but she would undertake to have a conversation with them to see if they would enquire about doing so with the also confirmed the DOI did not have the authority to write off the fines but it did carry out periodic checks as to whether vehicles with outstanding fines had since been registered on the island, to then follow up on notices. 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
20-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Work ongoing to maintain necessary harbour depths for Manx ferry
Work is ongoing to keep the depths of Douglas Harbour "at an acceptable level" to allow ferry operations "to carry on as needed", the infrastructure minister has 1 March the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's Manxman vessel got stuck on a mud bank in the harbour, which let to an almost two-hour delay for passengers. Following the incident the ferry firm said high atmospheric pressure meant the tides had been lower than expected, and the vessel became stuck while Haywood MHK told Tynwald members a recent spell of maintenance dredging had been completed but a further programme would follow on from that. Haywood said a regular programme of works had been successful "by and large" in other key areas the harbour but admitted previous maintenance dredging on the section the ferry has been grounded on had "not been effective".She also confirmed a "successful capital dredge", which sometimes includes the removal of rock layers, had not been carried out in 20 years due to "significant" costs and the risk of destabilising the piers. 'Never been achieved' Jason Moorhouse MHK had asked when the port of Douglas was last dredged, and whether it met the requirements of the Services Agreement (SSA).The 25-year SSA, drawn up in 2020 and based upon previous linkspan user agreements, includes conditions on fares, routes and the frequency of the document the department agreed to maintain a berth of 16ft (5m) and 21ft (6.5m) in depth on the two berths next to the why specified depths had been included in the Sea Services Agreement (SSA), she said the depths specified "have never been achieved in Douglas Harbour in the entire records we have".The Department of Infrastructure was "unsure where those depths were written in the SSA, or if they were written by anyone who had any knowledge about the seabed profile", she she did not confirm the current depths in the harbour. 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.
