Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford says Tynwald should be consulted if reserve sites in the Area Plan for the East are to be released for development.
When Tynwald approved the plan, it did so with the proviso that until the end of 2025, it should be consulted before they were released, though this has already proven not to be the case.
Strategic reserve sites, such as those on the edges of Douglas, Onchan, and Union Mills, are held for future development if specific conditions like population thresholds are met.
However, Mr Ashford also pointed out that “anyone can actually seek to put a planning application in on any site in the island”.
When questioned about releasing sites in the coming year, Mr Ashford added that he “will undertake now as minister that my personal view is we should still consult Tynwald”.
He confirmed there are currently no plans to release any strategic reserves.