Tynwald will next week be asked to approve a strategy aimed at growing the island’s food business by £50m over the next 10 years.

Producers, retailers, representatives of the hospitality trade and those in charge of promoting tourism were this week briefed on the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture’s strategy.

‘Food Matters’, the department’s food business development strategy, details plans to increase the value of the sector to £125 million by 2025 – creating jobs, incentivising new businesses, boosting exports, widening consumer choice and putting Isle of Man food and drink on the map.

The development of a distinctive local food and drink sector is a key aim of Vision 2020, the government’s plan for economic growth.

DEFA discussed ‘Food Matters’ with representatives of the food and drink sector and government officials at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club.

Richard Ronan MHK, Minister for Environment Food and Agriculture; Richard Lole, DEFA’s chief executive officer, and Dr Peter McEvoy, director of agriculture, gave a presentation, supported by officers from the Department of Economic Development, who will provide business set-up and marketing expertise.

The 60-strong gathering then had an opportunity to ask questions and leave comments.

Mr Ronan said: ‘The island has a long and proud history of food and drink production and recent years have seen many people start new businesses and diversity from existing ones to great effect.

‘It’s our aim to tap into the huge potential for development and desire for Manx produce, to grow this indigenous industry to play an even bigger role in the island’s economic success during the next 10 years.

‘Those who attended the gathering are at the heart of the strategy and I would like to thank them for their ideas and enthusiasm, which will be vital to its success.’

Pupils at two Douglas junior schools who passed their cycling proficiency tests were rewarded with a set of cycle lights.

The children from Anagh Coar and Manor Park schools received the lights as part of a scheme promoted by the Hills Community Council.

The council comprises youth and community workers, head teachers, housing officers, MHKs, the church and the police. It operates in the Hills ward of the town and uses a page on the social media website Facebook where residents can contact the group to voice any concerns, opinions or suggestions.

Constable Sarah Corkish, who is a part of the group and chairs the meetings, said youth worker Voirrey Kennaugh had used the page to speak to them about road safety and suggest the group get involved in the primary schools’ cycling proficiency tests.

‘We approached the head teachers of the schools and they were supportive and we decided, with the help of the Road Safety Team, that the best approach was to buy bike lights for each child taking the cycling proficiency test,’ she said.

The project was supported by Bikestyle cycle shop on Buck’s Road in Douglas and by Bill Mummery of Celton Manx.

‘It’s a small contribution to each child but a large one in terms of road safety, and it’s an initiative we hope to continue with the children in the future,’ she said.

There’s still time to take part in one of the island’s most spectacular winter celebrations as the Douglas lantern parade returns to the streets of the capital this month.

The second round of willow lantern workshops, in which participants construct a lantern to their own design, will take place at the Villa Marina Arcade this weekend.

Building a lantern that can safely hold a candle is a tricky and messy task that involves building a frame using strips of willow which is covered with tissue paper.

The free sessions will take place today (Saturday) and Sunday between 10am and 4pm, with last entries at 2.30pm on both days.

Everyone is welcome to attend, although under 12s must be accompanied by an adult, and volunteers from the Arts Council will be on hand to help in the construction phase.

Over 100 people attended the first round of workshops at Willaston Primary School at the weekend, creating 50 lanterns that will take part in the parade on Thursday, November 20.

The parade will form part of a night of festivities as the town’s Christmas lights will be switched on by Mayor of Douglas Stan Cain outside the town hall at 7.15pm.

The gathering will then leave from Upper Nelson Street and proceed through Douglas to the Villa Marina Arcade for a carol service led by the Isle of Man Wind Orchestra.

The Douglas lantern parade is a long-standing tradition that has not taken place for the last couple of years, but is returning this year as part of the Island of Culture celebrations.

Central government is looking into its ‘model’ bylaws – drawn up in 2012, which have already been adopted in Douglas – following questions raised about their impact by Castletown festival chairman Tony Brown.

The authority decided to introduce new bylaws as the previous ones, last updated in 1991, were archaic.

Alarmed that ‘unintended consequences’ of some aspects of the bylaws would – if strictly enforced – make the festival’s annual confetti carnival illegal and affect other areas such as street collections for charity, Mr Brown called a public meeting on October 27.

Last week commissioner Colin Leather said: ‘We should be asking how we ended up in that position. When it [the subject of new bylaws] first came up, my first question was: “Has this been to an advocate?” One set of bylaws has been sent from one local authority to another, if the [problems in the bylaws] had not been picked up by Tony Brown they would have gone on for ever and ever – no one raised anything at the commissioners’ office.

‘This needs to be checked. I asked twice for us to go out to consultation, we have got to learn lessons. How it got through the Attorney General I do not know, but it is wrong.’

David Parnell said they had received ‘conflicting advice.’ He said a resident asked the local government unit for a copy of the ‘model’ bylaws, but ‘he was told there are not any. Somewhere wires are crossed. This needs to be raised.

‘The model bylaws are incoherent and badly drafted, we need to tell central government they are wrong ... if we have model bylaws, they should be right.’

Clerk Eddie Convery said the local government will respond about the bylaws after consulting an advocate.

‘I want our advocate to look at it,’ said Mr Leather. ‘We are asking the people who screwed up to give us an opinion.’

The authority agreed to wait for government’s response. The consultation period ends on December 31.

Initial surveys for tidal energy projects in Manx waters could begin as soon as next year after the government named two companies as preferred partners to harness tidal energy using underwater turbines.

Sites off the Point of Ayre, south of Langness and in the Calf Sound have been allocated to local company Manx Tidal Energy Limited, and a smaller area south of Castletown has been awarded to Dutch developer Torcado Tidal Energy.

The companies have a two-year agreement with the government to conduct surveys, produce environmental impact assessments and consult with stakeholders before applying for planning permission for each of the projects.

Unlike an offshore wind farm, tidal power is produced by groups of underwater turbines that are fixed to the sea bed and are expected to have no visual impact once installed. They must be located in sufficiently deep water to ensure that the highest point of each turbine is at least 10 metres below the surface at the lowest level of the tide.

According to Simon Piggott, chief technology officer at Manx Tidal Energy, the site at the Point of Ayre alone could accommodate over 120 turbines, each with the capacity to generate one megawatt per hour.

Thirty turbines could be located in the area south of Langness, while around 40 smaller units could potentially be installed at the Calf Sound.

Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward told the Manx Independent that the tidal projects should not affect their shipping.

He said: ‘Both the Point of Ayre and Castletown areas identified are on our north and south tracks to Belfast and Dublin. However, we do not expect that the siting of tidal power generators in these locations will create any issues for sea journeys.’

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne said that the government was committed to ensuring that the impact of wind farms and tidal energy projects was minimised.

He said: ‘For both projects, existing constraints such as transport links and fisheries will be protected in any future energy developments within the Isle of Man’s territorial sea.’

Danish developer DONG Energy has been named as the preferred partner to create an offshore wind farm in Manx waters off the north east coast of the Isle of Man.

Located nine miles away from land and stretching to the 12 nautical mile boundary of Manx territorial waters, the site is an area of seabed that follows the island’s eastern coastline between Clay Head and Maughold Head.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said that it could accommodate up to 100 turbines and potentially generate 700 megawatts of electricity that would be routed directly to the UK.

He explained that leasing areas of the seabed to developers for renewable energy projects is expected to generate an income of at least £5 million per year for the Isle of Man Government by 2023.

The site was identified by DONG Energy based on criteria supplied by the Isle of Man Government that aimed to limit the potential impact on fishing, shipping, aviation and other industries.

The developer has a two-year agreement with the government in place to conduct surveys, environmental impact assessments and consult with stakeholders before submitting a planning application for a wind farm.

The developer will bear all costs for the creation, maintenance and decommissioning of the projects.

DONG Energy operates seven offshore wind farms in UK waters, including the 102-turbine Walney Array off the Cumbrian coast. Planning permission was granted this week for a major extension to the Walney wind farm which could bring turbines to within five miles of the area now being considered for leasing by the Manx Government. See page 15 for more details.

Although Manx harbours are too small to support the large vessels required to install the turbines, Mr Gawne said that either Douglas or Ramsey harbours could form a base of operations for the ongoing maintenance of the wind farm, potentially creating up to 50 jobs in the island. The Steam Packet Company, which has been vocal in their criticism of other potential wind farm developments, confirmed that the location would not affect their routes to the island.

Chief executive Mark Woodward said: ‘The Steam Packet Company has worked closely with the Department of Infrastructure to ensure that any potential wind farm areas identified within Manx territorial waters do not compromise sea routes to and from the Isle of Man.’

Mr Gawne said: ‘DONG Energy is the global market leader in offshore wind farm developments and, with the recent commission of West of Duddon Sands, now operate seven offshore wind farm projects in the UK. They were successfully selected based on a technical and economic assessment.’

DONG Energy was behind plans for another wind farm in the Irish Sea, Celtic Array, which was outside the island’s territorial waters and which is not now going ahead.

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Wind farms might spoil the view, but they’ll be our wind farms

The sight of offshore wind farms on the horizon is inevitable and it would be better for the island to receive revenue from the projects, according to Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK.

Admitting that a wind farm within Manx territorial waters will inevitably have a visual impact for residents, Mr Gawne said that other projects outside the control of the Isle of Man Government would create a similar impact as the one now being considered off the island’s east coast.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, he said: ‘Visual impact is clearly something that people along the eastern coast of the Isle of Man will have the most concern about. However, if a wind farm developer was able to receive the appropriate permissions and support from the UK and the Crown Estate, they could build a wind farm 12 miles off our shores.

‘This would have a similar impact to a wind farm developed in our territorial waters. The difference of course is that if it’s built outside our territorial sea, there will be no financial benefit to the Isle of Man.

He continued: ‘By installing turbines closer to the Isle of Man we will be able to generate revenues to help pay for the many services, including health and education, that we currently enjoy.

He claimed that developers would be subject to rigorous new planning standards and will have to prove that they have mitigated the most serious impacts before receiving approval.

He added that leases of the sea bed will only be issued if a developer has sufficient assets to complete the decommissioning of wind turbines at the end of their lifetime.

Young singers, musicians and dancers took part in the annual Big Bree Workshop.

The event, for youngsters aged 10 to 18, took place at the Youth Arts Centre, in Kensington Road, Douglas.

Organised by Culture Vannin, youngsters spent the weekend with expert tutors learning Manx songs and dances, working on instrumental technique, creating a play, playing in a band as well as writing new tunes and songs.

The weekend culminated with a show on Sunday afternoon for family and friends.

A five-year-old is having her hair cut for charity on Saturday, November 29, at Prima Donna in Ramsey.

Morgan Dakin, who goes to Jurby School, is donating her hair to the Little Princess charity, and raising money for The Children’s Centre Play Project in Jurby.

The Little Princess charity provides real hair wigs for children who suffer hair loss.

Morgan’s mum, Rhonda Waters, said: ‘Her fundraising so far is more than £400 and still rising – £270 is on her Just Giving page alone.’

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/morgans-hair 

Manx language organisation Caarjyn ny Gaelgey has made a plea to find more teachers.

It’s looking for teachers for conversational classes and Manx Bible-reading classes.

To help, ring Joan Caine on 843437.

A meeting of local authorities in the south is proposed by Port Erin Commissioners to discuss a recent proposal by the Department of Infrastructure for more services to be transferred from central to local government.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne wrote to authorities about the shift in responsibility for several key functions including hedge cutting, street sweeping, gully emptying, minor pavement and road repairs and weed spraying; for the main ‘strategic routes’ would continue to be maintained by the department. If authorities agree, services would be transferred by April.

To offset the increased cost to authorities, he said he would freeze the proposed increase in waste disposal charges at the incinerator next year.

Last week, November 4, Port Erin commissioner Willy Halsall asked if the freeze in waste disposal charges was for one year or longer?

‘I have asked the question, that’s a critical thing,’ said commissioners’ clerk Jason Roberts. He added they need to establish if the department would provide equipment?

Phil Crellin said: ‘I was quite enthused (about the proposal) until the chief minister spoke. I wonder if the chief minister is not on board. I wonder where Phil (Gawne) is coming from. I wonder who is making the policy if not CoMin and is it the minister on his own. I wonder how many man hours we could spend wasting on this for absolutely no benefit whatsoever.’

He added they need ‘guidance on financing’ because Port Erin could not afford alone to pay for the equipment – a gully emptier is £100,000. ‘Perhaps it could be something local authorities join together for. We would have to have some sort of charging mechanism - cutting hedges, Rushen needs that but we do not. It is worth going to other local authorities in the south and suggesting we form some work group - not of commissioners, but of workmen – that we could bring together and pool our men.’

Gerry Callister said: ‘The time scale upsets me, April (2015) is not enough time.’ He added the cost of equipment is ‘a lot of money, it would be out of the question (for authorities to buy items).’

Mr Crellin said it would be ‘a phased introduction’.

This is an ‘ideal chance for local authorities to work together’ said Godfrey Egee. But he added: ‘We need clarification. In principle I like the idea I’m nervous about the cost to rate payers or tax payers … it’s a good way of getting control of our area.’

Barbara Guy said: ‘It makes sense ... we are better being in charge of our own destiny.’

Chairman Ged Power said: ‘It seems a little bit woolly, giving one year’s grace for the refuse charge needs some greater clarification.’ He added getting the ‘right people round the table is the way forward.’

Mr Crellin proposed they write to all southern authorities about the proposal.

A Peel care worker’s appeal for donations of football kits for young people in Nigeria has been a success.

Isle of Man Newspapers reported previously how Isaiah Ayhok, who works at Castle View Nursing Home, was appealing for schools and football clubs to donate old kit that he could give to children in his homeland.

Isaiah said: ‘We are trying to get young people engaged in football and curb general social ills caused by unemployment in Nigeria.’

He has had a great response since, and said: ‘Mark Woodhouse from Zurich Bank gave us some old Leeds United kit and I have just been to a school in Anagh Coar where they have given me some shirts.

‘Another lady gave me three sets of shirts and shorts. The issue now is transport and we could do with some financial backing to help take the kit to Nigeria and pay for the extra baggage costs.

‘I would rather do this personally and hand it over to someone I know I can trust so it gets to the right people who need it.

‘But I would also like to work with other organisations here if that would help and work under their umbrella, then I would be accountable to them and be able to perhaps get advice from them and explain my hopes.’

Isaiah is still looking for football kit donations, especially from any football clubs who may have complete kits they no longer use.

If you have anything you can donate or you can help in any way contact Isaiah on 328478 or via agalisaiah@gmail.com

Fire crews were called to help free a trapped horse yesterday afternoon.

The animal was found to be trapped in a door opening at the rear of a horse box trailer and was in a distressed condition.

Fire crews from Douglas were called to the scene in Main Road, Foxdale, and helped the owners of the horse and were able to keep it calm until a vet arrived to administer a sedative.

However, while they were preparing to free the animal it managed to release itself.

The horse was given a full health check on site and was transported to nearby stables.

The Tower of Refuge and Pulrose Power Station will be lit purple tomorrow (Monday) for World Prematurity Day.

The event, which began in 2009, aims to raise awareness about premature births which number around 15 million a year, roughly one in every 10 babies born.

Since January 2007, 988 premature babies have been admitted to the neonatal unit at Noble’s Hospital.

Dr Prakash Thiagarajan, consultant paediatrician and neonatologist at Noble’s Hospital, said: ‘The advances in medical science mean that babies born prematurely have a higher chance of survival than ever before, which is very reassuring to the parents of pre-term babies.

‘Premature birth cannot always be prevented, but about half are a result of lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and stress or medical conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.

‘By making people aware of the risk factors and encouraging these issues to be discussed and managed as part of prenatal care, we hope we can help to reduce the number of premature births.’

While many premature babies will grow up to lead normal and active lives, they do have a higher risk of learning and behavioural problems, cerebral palsy, sensory and motor deficits, infections, and respiratory diseases.

World Prematurity Day is also a day to celebrate the adversities overcome by these babies and their families and to thank the neonatal teams that provide care for these babies.

Paul McCann, lead nurse for neonatal services at Noble’s Hospital, said: ‘Having a premature baby is a very distressing and demanding time for the parents, but the advances in neonatal nursing and medicine in terms of knowledge and skills means that we are able to deliver a very high standard of care even to the most premature of babies. We work very hard with these babies and their families to ensure that every possible support is given.

‘Education and support, both pre-birth and post-delivery, is vital and this is a big part of what World Prematurity Day is all about.’

The care needs of premature babies range from special care, to high dependency care, and intensive care.

The island’s neonatal unit is a ‘level two’ unit, which means that it can provide both special care and high dependency care. Short-term intensive care can be provided in the island, but there remain occasions when some babies require transfer to a level three unit in the UK.

Minister for Health and Social Care Howard Quayle MHK said: ‘We are fortunate to have a new state-of-the-art neonatal unit under construction, which will improve the ward environment and the already high quality of care, allowing us to meet the latest standards. But we must continue to educate people on the risk factors – particularly lifestyle choices – that are likely to lead to chances of pre-term labour.’

The Tower of Refuge and Pulrose Power Station are already lit for the month of November for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month in a campaign being led by the family of John Dale, who lost his battle against pancreatic cancer in July.

The family has agreed to share November 17 in aid of raising awareness of both causes.

The department thanked to the Dale family, the Department of Infrastructure’s estates shared services and the Manx Utilities Authority.

A special re-dedication ceremony at the newly-refurbished garden of remembrance was held in Port St Mary on the centenary of the outbreak of World War One last Tuesday.

It was ‘a wonderful service in the storm,’ said commissioners’ clerk Alastair Hamilton, led by Rev Joe Heaton there was music by some members of Rushen Silver Band.

‘There was an incredible community response,’ added Mr Hamilton. ‘Two people wanted to donate roses for lost ones.’

One of the 60 present was Port St Mary’s Hazel Dean, aged 103, and it prompted memories of her brother Vernon, a test pilot lost during the Second World War on a test flight of a bomber.

She said: ‘I’m very touched by it, I think it’s a wonderful job done by the local men and it does not depress, it’s a memorial which gives something to our village.

‘We are not meant to stand and cry in front of it, we are meant to appreciate what they gave for us and to look at what they can no longer see. They gave us by their loss what we value most now.’

The authority took over responsibility for the garden when the Port St Mary branch of the Royal British Legion closed in 2012. They decided the garden, first laid in 1975, needed refreshing and the new scheme includes granite slab paving with the names of the fallen from the village carved on two granite sentinels; a brass poppy design screen forms the backdrop.

Mr Hamilton said the scheme cost ‘under £50,000’ and was financed from the authority’s reserves.

Work began in August and was finished on November 7, just in time for Remembrance Day. Commissioners’ chairman Bernadette McCabe said: ‘We are very proud of the men of our village who fought and, in some cases, perished in the World Wars and subsequent conflicts. We now have a fitting memorial to them. In redesigning this garden of remembrance we have sought to make it not only a permanent place of quiet within the village but to make it accessible to all. It is possibly the best viewpoint that we have over the bay and now anyone who wants to sit and appreciate it will have the chance to do so.’

Peel GP John Snelling didn’t need his medical skills to see that the first tranche of evergreen oak trees planted at St German’s Cathedral in Peel are a healthy bunch.

Donated by Dr Snelling, the trees were placed last Monday. A gap in the line shows the position of the new Lychgate.

The Lychgate is part of a community project to provide a new pedestrian route to the Cathedral along with a bus terminus and waiting area for travellers.

The groundwork for the car park is complete and a retaining wall marking out the area for the new gardens will soon be clad with Peel stone.

When completed, the gardens will tell the story of how Christianity has impacted Manx culture from the fifth century to the present day.

The structure of the gardens to the north of the Cathedral will be laid out during the winter months.

Dean Nigel Godfrey said: ‘It is good to be moving forward with the development in the heart of the regeneration district of Peel as well as being able to deal with some of the backlog of repairs on the Cathedral, such as restoring the Great West Window. We are grateful to all those who have made this possible.’

For more information visit www.cathedral.im, contact Val Garrett on 316001 or email info@cathedral.im

An offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea is set to triple in size after planning permission was granted for an extension.

The UK Government has approved developer DONG Energy’s proposal to extend the 102-turbine Walney Array off the coast of Cumbria.

The project could add up to 207 turbines to the west of the site and generate enough electricity to power half a million homes in the UK.

Visible from the Isle of Man on a clear day, the existing Walney Array is around 30 miles away from the island at its nearest point.

The area approved for the extension could see turbines located 10 miles closer to the island and within five miles of the boundary that denotes Manx territorial waters.

It is also around five miles away from the area leased by DONG Energy for a wind farm within Manx waters. See page three for details.

Adjoining the current Walney Array, which began producing power in 2011, is west of Duddon Sands wind farm that was officially opened UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey last month.

Taken together, the three projects will create a 20-mile corridor of turbines that will stretch across the Irish Sea towards the Isle of Man.

The UK Planning Inspectorate’s chief executive Simon Ridley said: ‘The examining authority took full account of views from communities, particularly in the north west of England and the Isle of Man, who might be affected by this proposal, alongside national policy and evidence of the need for the project.’

In a statement, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company chief executive Mark Woodward said that the company was ‘not seriously concerned’ by the extension, describing the issues arising as ‘modest and manageable’.

He said: ‘The approval of the Walney Extension in isolation was not unexpected and should not cause delays for Isle of Man sea services.’

A display in remembrance of Onchan residents who served in the armed forces has opened at Onchan Library.

Photographs include Strand Street during The Boer War and there is fascinating memorabilia from both World Wars right through to the Korean War.

Onchan Commissioners chief executive Malcolm Hulme has been researching the human stories behind the names of Onchan residents involved in the Great War.

It includes some of the poignant wartime experiences and letters from men with an Onchan connection, which are on display.

A list of names he has compiled is at the library and anyone who can shed light on names included in the list is asked to get in touch.

One of the more unusual items on display is a wooden jointed doll dating from 1915, and its owner would like to establish whether there may be any connection with the Knockaloe Internment Camp.

It was given to Norman McKibbin’s father as a six-year-old boy, whose own father had just been killed while serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Colin Bendall, of Onchan, was a boy living in West Ham, London, during the Second World War and has loaned family memorabilia such as ration books, ARP badges, post cards, records, songs and old newspapers. He is a Korean veteran, and the display features some photographs of his time serving there.

The display continues until November 26.

Patrick Church hall will host a Christmas Chemistry Fun session on Saturday, December 13, at 2pm.

The session will feature DIY snow, the science of sweets and other festive fun.

It costs £10 per child and is suitable for children aged 5 to 11 years.

For more information or to book a place contact Jess Andrews via jessandrews@manx.net or by visitingmanxscienceclub.co.uk

The Christmas lights will be turned on in Douglas on Thursday (November 20).

Ridgeway Street outside Douglas Town Hall will be the setting for an evening of family entertainment that starts at 6.15pm when Douglas Town Band sets the mood by playing Christmas carols before local singer Rebecca Forrest performs some seasonal numbers at 6.30pm.

At 6.45pm the Roc Vannin choir will bring their own musical style to the occasion, to be followed by a preview of ‘Puss in Boots and the Three Musketeers’, this year’s pantomime at the Gaiety Theatre.

Then Mayor of Douglas Stan Cain joins the proceedings accompanied by the mayor’s chaplain, the Rev John Coldwell, who will offer prayers.

At 7.15pm the mayor will switch on the Christmas lights, ‘snow’ will fall, Santa will be in his grotto in the Ridgeway Street garden area, Thursday late-night shopping begins . . . and Christmas comes to the capital.

On Thursday, the section of Ridgeway Street and King Street between Lord Street and Victoria Street and Prospect Hill from Ridgeway Street and Athol Street will be closed to traffic between 6pm and midnight and parking will be suspended on the east side of Ridgeway Street between Lord Street and Athol Street from midday until midnight.

This annual event is always well attended and for safety reasons the council may have to restrict numbers.

There will be free parking in Douglas Council’s Shaw’s Brow and Bottleneck car parks from 5pm to 10pm on pre-Christmas Thursdays from November 20 and all day Saturday and Sunday until December 24.

Additionally there will be free parking in Chester Street car park and on Loch Promenade walkway on Thursdays from 6pm from November 20 to December 18 and on Saturdays from November 22 to December 20.

An event at the TT Grandstand will give young motorists the chance to improve their driving skills next month.

The young drivers’ 2014 Manx Motor Meet is aimed at 16 to 25-year-olds and will take place on Sunday, December 7 between 10.30am and 3.30pm.

The aim is to encourage safer driving and reduce the number of serious incidents on the Isle of Man’s roads, and organisers hope that as many young people as possible will turn up at the Grandstand in their vehicles.

A similar event in September saw more than 150 young people benefit from friendly and practical advice from experienced drivers, mechanics and road safety officers.

The day will include contributions from the police, youth services, the Department of Infrastructure’s road safety team, Manx Auto Sport, Energy FM and a number of corporate sponsors.

As well as receiving a free winter health check for their vehicles, participants will pick up useful tips and have the chance to test their skills in a rally car courtesy of Manx Auto Sport.

Department of Infrastructure member John Houghton said: ‘Statistics show that a disproportionate number of young people are killed or seriously injured on roads throughout the British Isles.

‘Manx Motor Meet is a way for young drivers in the Isle of Man to learn skills that will stand them in good stead for many years to come.

‘The first event at the Bowl car park was a resounding success and a number of organisations have again joined forces to respond to the demand for a follow up.’