A date has been set for the official opening of the new leisure and community centre at the Strang in Braddan.
Braddan Parish Commissioners announced this afternoon (Friday) that the multi-million pound facility will be open for visitors from 9am on Monday, January 29.
It also confirmed that the current Commissioners' Office, at Close Corran in Union Mills, will close to the public from 11am on Monday, January 22 as the board relocate to their new office in the Roundhouse.
While it's provided an official opening date, some sporting clubs have already been using the sports hall in a phased opening this week.
The Roundhouse scheme, which includes a cafe, playground, sports hall, nursery and health facilities, is £3.4 million over budget and was originally meant to be open and completed in August 2023.
Work on the project started in June 2021 and was originally due to cost £6 million.
And despite a date being set on its opening, some stumbling blocks still remain.
Originally a dedicated road to the leisure centre was in a planning application that was approved in May 2023, however financial constraints meant the Commissioners opted to use access through hospital roads.
It is now understood that Braddan Commissioners are now having to reinstate their initial plan of a new specific access to the site following these complaints from the Department of Health and Social Care and Manx Care.
But before work on the new route goes out to tender and is constructed, the local authority have worked with Manx Care and Department of Infrastructure’s highway services to determine the best way for visitors to access the facility.
It has been agreed the entrance and access will have directional signage and additional safety measures.
This was necessary for Manx Care who say without these safety measures there is an ‘increased risk of collisions, and potential access problems for emergency vehicles’.
Meanwhile issues have also been raised regarding parking at the facility, with concerns that Roundhouse visitors might take up spots for hospital patients and staff and vice versa. The car park is currently yet to be complete.
The Commissioners say the number of spaces for the car park was determined by a traffic statement submitted with the original planning application, and provides for a steady turnover of users.
It added it will be placing a parking order on the car parking to deter people from using it for anything else than attending the facility which will be overseen by members of staff on a regular basis and parking tickets can be used.
In the midst of discussions between Manx Care, Department of Health and Social Care and Braddan Parish Commissioners, the official opening date will come as a sigh of relief for the parish board.
The commissioners are also reminding tenants and members of the public that they are still contactable during their move up to the new facility.
A statement said: 'If you are a commissioners’ tenant and have a housing emergency, please call our out of hours tel. number: 483003.
'All staff will be contactable via phone and email from 9am on Tuesday January 23 on our usual telephone number 852808.
'We look forward to welcoming you to the Roundhouse!'
Some photos of the interior of the Roundhouse have been shared too.
