Consultation has begun on a Living Streets initiative to improve amenities, access, parking and safety in Castletown’s residential areas.

Some 50 to 75 people attended the first of two drop-in sessions at the Castletown Civic Centre on Wednesday this week, organised by the Department of Infrastructure’s (DoI) highway services division.

An online survey has been launched and will continue until January 21.

Topics suggested for consideration include reducing non-essential traffic using the area as a short cut, making some roads and streets one-way, slowing down traffic and improving on-road parking.

But speaking at the drop-in session, Andrea Rivers, engagement manager for the DoI, described the consultation as a ‘blank canvas’ with no firm proposals on the table.

She said: ‘We’re engaging over what changes - if any - the people of Castletown wish to see for their area. It’s imperative that all those who live, work and have businesses here give their views.

‘This has been driven by the local authority which asked about four years ago what changes could be done to improve parking and amenity, reduce commuter through traffic and look at accessibility for wheelchair users and pedestrians.

‘We’ve eventually got to the stage where we can now go and do this engagement with a blank canvas.

‘What we suggested is you may wish to consider parking, you may wish to consider the speed of traffic. But it’s your area - you tell us what you feel is needed. We’ve given examples. and some people have taken that as this is what we’re doing - but that’s incorrect.’

She said that she had had to clarify the situation with 80% of those who attended the first drop-in session.

‘If I were to come here with a list of ideas, people would take it the wrong way that this is already what we’ve decided to do. This gives everybody the opportunity to talk, go back and reflect on what they feel is needed. Everybody who came here has had a different view,’ she said.

The engagement manager said that given the controversy of the planned year-round closure of Castletown Square to vehicles, some people had thought the Living Streets initiative was linked in some way.

‘I’ve had to explain that this was three or four years in the pipeline, long before the controversy of the Square came into it,’ she said.

She said that once the consultation ends in January, the next stage will be to draw up a design brief taking into account the recommendations. Drawing up a design plan could take 12 to 18 months and then the DoI would seek funding approval, she said.

But she added: ‘If no funding is available, it’s not going to happen.’

The second drop-in session takes place at the same venue next Thursday (November 21).