An MHK has dismissed claims that politicians have been told not to comment publicly on a major offshore windfarm proposal.
Onchan MHK Rob Callister said no one had approached him with any such request regarding the Mooir Vannin project.
“I am happy to confirm to my constituents in Onchan that no one has approached me with any such request,” Mr Callister said.
“As I have said in every piece of correspondence I have responded to on this issue, I fully appreciate the strength of feeling surrounding this application.”
Concern
The proposed development would see turbines up to 350 metres tall located between 6 and 12 nautical miles off the east coast, stretching from Maughold Head to Douglas Bay.
Mr Callister noted that the original Agreement for Lease for the area was entered into in 2015, before his election to the House of Keys in September 2016.
“Had I been involved at that stage, I would certainly have asked questions about whether alternative locations such as further north near the Point of Ayre, well away from highly populated residential areas had been fully considered,” he said.
The project has taken more than a decade to reach its current examination phase, with the site identified through technical, environmental and economic assessments.
Mr Callister said he was deeply concerned about the scale of the development, which would be taller than any turbines currently operating or consented in the British Isles.
“I will continue to follow the progress of this application closely,” he added. “Ultimately, it is likely to fall to the next Council of Ministers to determine whether the Mooir Vannin proposal should proceed.”