Highways officer XXRedacted NameXX report on property at IM2 1JN Feb 25

Summary

A request was made for a highways officer's report regarding potential road collapse and culvert blockage at Springfield Cottage, New Castletown Road. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed the full report, which details erosion risks, hydraulic issues, and plans for a structural inspection.

Key Facts

• The property at Site 26 Springfield Cottage has been owned since October 2024.
• The culvert inlet beneath the highway is constricted and lacks debris protection, causing frequent blockages.
• Erosion of the original bank has exposed a retaining wall, creating an immediate risk of highway failure.
• A structural inspection was arranged to take place the week following the report.
• The watercourse originates from the Scoill Vallajeelt catchment and terminates in a chamber in the Golf Course.

Data Disclosed

• October 2024
• 10 to 15 years ago
• IM2 1JN
• 2025-03-12
• 2025-04-09
• 4511257
• 4 pages
• 2 documents

Original Request

Report by XXRedacted NameXX to Highways engineer XXRedacted NameXX regarding life danger and road collapse adjacent to Springwell Lodge IM 2 1JN. THIS REPORT RELATES TO POTENTIAL ROAD COLLAPSE ANS CULVERT.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Site 26 Springfield Cottage, new Castletown Road. Springfield cottage is owned by

since October 2024. He has observed the inlet to the culvert leaving the property under the main road (New Castletown Road) that flows into a chamber in the Golf Course is constantly blocking with detritus and he is continually remove this to prevent surcharging in his garden. He has contacted Ian Wade who directed him to contact Ellersley Control which he has done on several occasion to no avail and he eventually caught Peter Norman who explained he was rather busy and would get round to it eventually. After being contacted I went out to the property and recall that we did some work here some 10 to 15 years ago when the property was being built.
The watercourse running through the property is the watercourse from the catchment around
Scoill Vallajeelt. As it approaches the Old Castle Town road it turns sharp left for a short distance before turning sharp right and entering the culvert beneath the road and terminates in a chamber int the Golf Course. From here it is culverted down and into the river at the NSC. There are two main issues for consideration here:- 1. The entrance to the culvert beneath the highway is small, very constricted and poor hydraulically. There is no debris protection so regularly blinds up with having to clear it to prevent his garden flooding and a substantial risk of debris becoming trapped downstream causing upstream surcharging and may become a major project to clear!. 2. As the watercourse turns left and runs parallel to the highway there is a line of concrete bag work which was once the base of the right bank which has been eroded away to the small retaining wall along and supporting the edge of the highway.
There is an immediate risk of this being further undermined exposing the highway to potentially failure and collapse

We need to assess who is responsible for the inlet to the culvert and decide what work? If any is to be done and by whom? We also need to determine the risk to the highway, I’ve arranged for a structural inspection to take place next week, and subsequently who is responsible for any remedial works to be undertaken? Site 26 Springfield Cottage, new Castletown Road.

The culvert inlet can be seen at the rear and is relatively small the mesh has been placed by

The original bank can be determined by the bag work and the stone retaining wall is now exposed Close up of the culvert entrance

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 4511257 8 April 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 12 March 2025, which states:

"Report by XXRedacted NameXX to Highways engineer XXRedacted NameXX regarding life danger and road collapse adjacent to Springwell Lodge IM 2 1JN.

THIS REPORT RELATES TO POTENTIAL ROAD COLLAPSE ANS CULVERT."

Our response to your request is as follows: I have attached the information that is being released to you.

Please quote the reference number 4511257 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision.

More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.