A scheme to stabilise the cliff at Ballure, near Ramsey, will cost the taxpayer £400,000 more than expected - after exceptionally heavy weather caused further landslips.
Environment Minister Phil Gawne has already been forced to apologise to the Tynwald after £328,000 had to be spent on emergency works needed after a serious cliff collapse there in November 2011.
But now he’s expressed concern that a £1.07 million stabilisation scheme approved by Tynwald last year appeared not to be delivering the expected solution.
In Tynwald this week, Mr Gawne said he would need to seek approval at next month’s sitting for an extra £400,000 following two further landslips.
He said the exceptionally bad weather had been a significant factor but told the court he would be asking for a review of the way the whole project has been handled by the design team.
The Minister said he was concerned that the stabilisation scheme was ‘not delivering the solution we assumed it was going to deliver’.
He explained at the end of January this year, during works to the slope, there was a minor landslip at Ballure, which was compounded by a second much larger landslip in mid-February, caused by a period of exceptionally heavy rainfall.
emergency
Emergency temporary remedial works were carried out while the nature, extent and impact of the slippage on the slope were investigated.
This allowed the nearby Manx Electric Railway to continue to operate.
Works on the slope have been suspended and the design team has now come up with a ‘robust and cost-effective’ solution.
Mr Gawne told Tynwald: ‘The impact of the slippage has unfortunately therefore been an increase in the scope of the stabilisation works required.
‘The unforeseen and exceptional circumstances necessitate an unavoidable increase in the costs of the works overall. The proposed work is necessary if we are to continue to commit to protecting the MER line, the MEA power lines and ultimately also the properties and main coast road beyond. Any further delays would also place at risk any benefit the works have already achieved to date.’
Mr Gawne said the extra works would require additional funding and he therefore intended to make a supplementary bid for funding of about £400,000 at the July sitting of Tynwald.