The Castletown Living Street Scheme has been temporarily paused following the departure of its lead officer.
Responding to a question from Jason Moorhouse MHK in Keys, DoI Minister Dr Michelle Haywood said: “The Castletown Living Street Scheme is still active.
“However, the lead officer responsible for the project recently left the department. As a result, work on the consultation has been temporarily paused until additional resource can be put in place.”
The public consultation, which concluded in January 2025, received 268 responses, but analysis has stalled due to staffing gaps.
Mr Moorhouse raised concerns over project continuity, asking: “Doesn’t that send out concerns that within these teams, one officer is perhaps playing too large a role?”
Dr Haywood acknowledged the challenges, stating: “If you run with a smaller and smaller staff, the consequence is that when one person moves out of that team, there is a workload that needs to be picked up.”
She confirmed no new officer has been recruited yet but said updates would be posted on the consultation hub “towards the end of May.”
Unresolved
Rob Callister questioned the prioritisation of island-wide 20mph zones, asking why the DoI was “trying to force through” such measures while Castletown’s scheme remained unresolved.
However, Dr Haywood denied this, stating: “We have a proposal around the residential street scheme that meets continued resolution.”
Julie Edge pressed the minister on public perception, noting: “There’s plenty of officers around government that could support projects.”
Dr Haywood clarified the role was a “senior office post” within the highways team, requiring permanent recruitment.
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