Crossing allowing safer access to hub completed

A puffin crossing to give pedestrians safer access to a new community centre that was part of the planning condition for the £10m project, has been completed.

Braddan Commissioners said it was part of plans to improve access to the Roundhouse.

Temporary traffic lights had been in place since the centre opened in March, paid for by the commissioners at a cost of £2,500 each month.

The local authority said the whole project had cost £77,410, which included the £20,000 in charges for the interim solution.

It comes after Braddan Commissioners required a further £230,000 to provide an access road due to concerns over traffic using Noble's Hospital estate routes.

Those funds were generated from a 36% rate rise and the sale of the authority's former offices.

The local authority had confirmed the new access road was due to be completed by 19 December.

Chairman Andrew Jessopp said the last few months had been "quite stressful for us" and the the authority had initially been "led to believe that a simple zebra crossing would be sufficient".

But he said it was later clarified by the Department of Infrastructure that a "more costly puffin crossing" would be needed.

"Thankfully the building is open and growing from strength to strength with some fantastic events already been held and great plans for the future," he added.

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