Motorists are being urged not to drive up to the site of a new £10m leisure centre.

The renewed call comes ahead of this year’s Isle of Man TT.

In February the government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) stopped vehicles from driving to the Roundhouse in Braddan just weeks after parts of the facility started opening up to members of the public.

The move was the latest twist in a long running row with Braddan Parish Commissioners (BPC) over access to the site, which includes a cafe, playground, sports hall, nursery and health facilities.

But in a surprise development, the DHSC and BPC have now joined forces to issue a statement reminding drivers about the restrictions ahead of the busiest two weeks of the year on the Isle of Man - the TT races.

BPC say that activities at the Roundhouse will be reduced for the duration of the 2024 Isle of Man TT.

The joint statement read: ‘The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Braddan Parish Commissioners (BPC) request users of the Roundhouse facility to use the pedestrian access only.

‘This is to help alleviate traffic on the hospital estate roads, and to safeguard both normal and emergency services, particularly with the upcoming TT festival period.’

BPC claimed that they had a historical agreement in place with the DHSC which allowed Roundhouse customers to access the site using the existing road infrastructure.

But the DHSC said it took action to block vehicle access to the Roundhouse on health and safety grounds, fearing it could pile pressure on the existing road network around the nearby Noble’s Hospital.

Although currently prohibited, anyone currently wanting to access the leisure centre in a vehicle would need to drive on public roads which are also used by hospital patients and staff.

The DHSC said at the time that the ‘smooth operation of the hospital [was] the department’s primary concern.’

Work to prepare a new access road to the Roundhouse, which will be built on a patch of land owned by the DHSC, started back in April.

The joint statement said that both the DHSC and BPC hope that the transfer of that land will be ‘completed quickly’ and that the building work on the site will start ‘as a matter of urgency’.

The statement added: ‘In the interim users of the facility are requested to use public transport, or park and walk using the pedestrian entrances to the building - which are all now open. Use of hospital car parks should be for hospital business only.

‘BPC, in recognition of the increased traffic in and around the hospital over the TT fortnight, have given a commitment that the activities in The Roundhouse will be heavily reduced over the festival period.