Investment in Isle of Man glens praised – BBC News

The replacement of play equipment in Silverdale Glen has given children in the area more opportunities, a Malew Commissioner said.

The £90,000 project, funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA), includes swings, slides and climbing towers.

Commissioner Margaret Mansfield said the board was “delighted” by the work.

A spokesman for DEFA said it was part of a programme of works to encourage use of the island’s 18 glens.

A further £5,000 was spent on “essential maintenance” of a Victorian carousel in the glen, the spokesman said.

Powered by a water-wheel, the structure was first added to the area in 1911.

‘Enjoyment’

The glen, in Ballasalla, also boasts a small boating lake fed by the Silverburn River.

Mrs Mansfield said: “People complain about the lack of facilities for young people on the island but the refurbishment of Silverdale is another string to the bow.”

The commissioners hoped the works would “bring more visitors to Malew as well as providing another area of enjoyment for our residents,” she added.

In the 2018-19 Isle of Man budget, the government pledged to make £1m available over a four-year period for enhancements to the island’s glens.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said the funding was to “improve the pathways, play areas and car parks” in the island’s 18 national glens.

Other areas have also seen refurbishment as part of the programme, including the installation of new bridges in Dhoon and Tholt-y-Will glens, improved picnic facilities in Ballaglass Glen, and path upgrades in Port Soderick Glen.

Source: bbc.com