The commodore of Peel Sailing Club says he is ‘angry’ at the decision not to renew the lease on the building after 2028.

Roger Cave says it’s operated from the site for 40 years, and refutes claims it was built in line with the development of the marina.

Club president Harry Owens said that club heard rumours of the closure last year before being formally confirmed to them in March.

Mr Cave says the RNLI, Moddey Dhoo Motorcycle Club and other local organisations are members of the club and use the facilities.

Mr Cave said: ‘We heard rumours at the back end of 2023, so I wrote a letter to the commissioners asking for an extension of our president's lease beyond 2028. I didn't get a reply until March, which categorically stated that the lease would not be renewed.

‘We then wrote to all the commissioners asking them to visit the clubhouse. So far, we've only had one response, and that was negative.

‘One commissioner actually came in and he had a tour of the building, and he was extremely impressed. From what he'd been told, the place was a wreck. It doesn't need new windows and it doesn't need the plumbing sorted out. It's just erroneous information that's been put out there, and we're very, very angry.’

Peel Commissioners have stated that the building will go back through the tender process if the lease is finished.

Talking about this, Mr Cave said: ‘This is another hurtful thing. We asked for reasons why they haven't come back to us to say that they’re going to review our lease or whether we could tender for an extension. It hasn't even been mentioned.

‘We could’ve discussed it amongst our ourselves and with the commissioners to find out what terms they would accept, but they’ve been adamant that it's going to a tender process. Why didn't they tell us that in first place?’

The clerk of Peel Town Commissioners, Derek Sewell, has previously said that despite the intention of inviting expressions of interest from prospective tenants, this does not necessarily mean that the sailing club lease won’t be renewed.

He said: ‘Hopefully, we will get an expression of interest from the existing tenants. Everything is on the table and nothing is ruled out.’

But he said just like any other commercial tenancy, the local authority as landlord will review the properties in its portfolio before leasing them out again.

Mr Sewell said repurposing and refitting the building would enable other people to use it.

Peel Sailing and Cruising Club currently uses the venue to provide shower facilities for sailors, and to host events like the Traditional Boat Weekend.

Reporting from Emma Draper