An appeal against refusal of a plan for wind turbines on the headland overlooking Port Erin bay has been ruled out - as it was lodged a day late.

The turbines were rejected by planners because of their visual impact and potential risk to aircraft safety.

They were to have been installed on land owned by billionaire John Whittaker at his home at Ballaman in Rushen parish.

An appeal by Rushen Eco Energy, whose report had been included with the original planning application, was lodged.

But planning officers said the appeal could not be considered as it was lodged the day after the deadline closed.

’Accordingly the decision to refuse the application in question is now final,’ they said.

The plan (14/00632/B) to erect three 10 Kw wind turbines on a field at Ballaman off Ballnahowe Road was submitted by Cheeseden Investments Ltd.

After a site visit in January this year, amendments were made to the plans to mitigate the impact on the local red chough population.

The layout of the turbines was changed so that they were aligned in a straight line rather than triangular formation and were further away from the hedge.

But the visual impact was the principal concern of objectors, 40 of whom signed a petition saying 18.5m high wind turbines will have ’a significant visual impact on this sensitive coastal location’.

Parish commissioners reiterated concerns they raised in 2014 which were on aesthetic grounds.

They said: ’The site is already substantially developed with the main house and outbuildings - three wind turbines would exacerbate the situation.’

They also raised concerns approval would set a precedent for turbines to go in other parts of the island.

But the planning committee ruled that the applicants had not demonstrated that the turbines wouldn’t affect airport operations ’with a resultant potential significant harm to aircraft safety’.

And it said the visual impact would be so harmful, particularly as viewed from the coastal footpath, as not to be outweighed by the scheme’s environmental benefits.