REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS OF TYNWALD COURT Douglas, Wednesday, March 23, 1966 Present: The Deputy - Governor one hundred years old. I asked him if (Deemster S. J. Kneale, C.B.E.) In the he would like to go and visit the houses Council: The Attorney-General (Mr D.D. with me and he declined—why? Lay), Messrs J. B. Bolton, C. C. McFee, Mr McFee: It was not necessary. J. H. Nicholls 0.B.E., J. C. Nivison, H. H. Radcliffe, with Mr W. B. Mr MacLeod: I do not know why he Kennaugh, Acting Clerk to the Council. declined, but if he knows the state of In the Keys: The Speaker (Mr H. C. the houses that the people are living in Kerruish, 0.B.E.), Messrs T. F. Corkhill, he will know perfectly well that they H. D. C. MacLeod, E. N. Crowe, R. E. S. are a lot worse than the warrens and Kerruish, P Radcliffe, E. R. Moore, W. E. dens that the Government offices are Quayle, J. R. Creer, J. M. Cain 0.B.E., supposed to be. I would have thought A. H. Simcocks, T. C. Faragher, T. H. the first priority was to provide houses. Colebourn, J. E. Callister, T. A. Corkish, decent houses for the people to live in. J. J. Bell, P. Coupe, W. B. Kaneen, These houses in Foxdale are in an G. V. H. Kneale, H. S. Cain, R. Mac- absolute shocking condition, very few of Donald, A. S. Kelly, Sir Henry Sugden, them have a water closet. The houses K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O., with Mr T. E. that were built 100 years ago have no Kermeen, Secretary of the House. dampcourses, the walls are all damp and the people are living in houses that are not fit for animals and here we have an estimate and no housing programme LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD for Foxdale at all. In his report about ESTIMATES housing, he says there is a continual The Deputy-Governor: When we drift from the country to the town and adjourned, gentlemen, we were dealing it must be stopped, but I can see what they are doing, they are creating new with No. 18 on the agenda—the Local Government Board vote. towns, such as Ballasalla. There are plenty of houses there being built, but Mr MacLeod: Your Excellency, one here in Foxdale, which could be with- or two questions I would like to ask. In out a doubt, one of the loveliest villages the first place I would like to congratu- in the Isle of Man, at the present time late the chairman of the Local Govern- it is what one would call a desolate area, ment Board for putting in the estimates a no-man's land, heaps of slag have been £10,000 for Foxdale. I only hope and there for I don't know how many years, trust that the Finance Board will not ever since the mines closed. We have cut this out as they have done in put in continually so much money, last previous years and leave Foxdale in its year we had £1,500 in to clear it up-- still derelict state. I also notice that the money was taken out by the Finance there is no housing scheme for Foxdale. Board, there was nothing done. It goes The chairman of the Local Government on continually year upon year and I Board stated last Tuesday that 83 per would honestly like to see the Local cent. of the houses in Foxdale were over Government Board doing something in Local Government Board Estimates 1164 TYNWALD COURT, MARCH 23, 1966 the Foxdale area to make houses habit- Manx Electric, they have inherited able and fit for people to live in. something that was built 50 or 60 years ago, there is no car newer than 50 years Mr Nivison: Your Excellency, speak- old. I think the latest model that you ing on the capital estimates of some have will be a 50-year-old model, Mr £2,123,000 contained on pages 86 and Colebourn? 87, I think the Court do expect that many of these schemes contained in, Mr Colebourn: Yes. amongst these enormous figures, will be Mr Nivison: And these dilapidated the subject of special resolutions of things-- Tynwald. We do understand that. At the same time we can imagine that some of Mr Colebourn: They are not dilapi- the other items will be making provision dated. for already approved schemes. We do Mr Nivison: Well really they are not appreciate that under the Tourist particularly pretty to look upon. With Improvement Act there will be from this ultra-modern solarium that we talk time to time monies applied for and about and we all appreciate and we all these will not be the subject of special eagerly look forward to this develop- resolutions of Tynwald. There are many ment. I would hope that we might be other figures that are contained here, bold enough, Your Excellency, to con- but we would hope that such things as sider the advisability of removing those the central abattoir, the composting sheds to some other place if it is still scheme and one in particular that I am thought possible, still thought advisable particularly interested in, and I am sure to continue with this form of transport. the Court are eagerly awaiting, some If it is still thought advisable to con- resolution in respect of what is called tinue and perpetuate this, I understand the Derby Castle Scheme. It is down that part of the development, Your here as the swimming pool for Douglas. Excellency. has been to put some I am sure we are all eagerly awaiting wonderful canopy over the lines where this scheme and I would hope that the cars start, in front of this modern, whilst it is very essential to do this as ultra-modern, solarium. In other words soon as possible, I would hope that they it would be the ancient and the modern. would not rush too much and not over- This is what we would have and really look such things as the nossibility, even the visitors to our Island. I am sure, at this late stage, of taking in the Manx would not fully appreciate this. It can Electric sheds as well. Every time I be avoided and I hope that the planners come past that area, at the moment it would be sufficiently courageous to take looks like a place that you would see in in that whole area. It is a natural little many parts of Europe following the war valley—Port of Ardour is the name of where there have been some bombs the valley — a natural little valley, to dropped round about the place. It looks take in the lot, there would be sufficient absolutely terrible at the moment, and room for parking of vehicles, there one cannot imagine this wonderful would be room for further development solarium being built and next to it a if and when it was a success. At the series of asbestos sheds. It would be a moment I would recommend, Your complete and utter disgrace to a modern Excellency, members of this Court, to seaside resort to find that they were 20 along and see the space that is avail- going to spend—something like a million able for this development and say of money has been mentioned — some- "where are the motor cars going to go?" thing like a million of money to be spent You nave only got to have a modest in that area and then next door to this event on in Douglas today, which would area a series of sheds and some dilapi- attract 100 or 200 people, and you would dated cars lying out from time to time. see 50 or 60 cars outside. This is They were built, no reflection on the designed to cater for thousands of Local Government Board Estimates TYNWALD COURT, MARCH 23, 1966 1165 people, if it is to be a success it must know that it is the duty of this Govern- cater for thousands of people. ment to provide houses for those people Mr J. M. Cain: May I ask, Your who cannot afford to buy or rent them —(hear, hear)—but, sir, we have had a Excellency, what estimates Mr Nivison is talking about? document circulated to us yesterday indicating the sort of cost which the Mr Nivison: The Local Government provision of large new housing estates Board Capital Estimates, Your Excel- are going to involve the Government. It lency, and one of these days we will be is only three years ago, sir, since the coming along and saying they were Con- Local Government Board issued a tained in the blue book, they were housing policy statement in which, passed in the green book and you have amongst other things, it indicated the had it, gentlemen. This matter has been intention of the Board to introduce discussed. In fact the chairman of the legislation under which there could be a Finance Board has told us if we have programme of the renewal of existing any strong observations on any of these urban housing. Now sir, the hon. points, let us know about these observa- member for Glenfaba, Mr MacLeod, has tions, so that we can then act accord- spoken about houses in Foxdale being ingly. I would hope that the Finance 100 years old and more, and he has Board and the Governor's Executive deduced from that fact alone that these Council in considering these, and then houses, because they are 100 years old, coming forward to recommend to Tyn- that they must be replaced.