The organiser of the Manx Rally says the loss of the major event in September will be felt right across the Island’s economy..
Mark Ellison from organsiers Manx Auto Sport, says he cannot understand why the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) has refused permission for the next event.
Manx Auto Sport has been organising car rallies for over 50 years on the Island and it’s roots go back to the heyday of rallying.
The Island was home to one of the most famous rallies in Europe, when the Manx attracted the world’s biggest names and works’ drivers.
Names like Pond, McRae, Brooks, Vatanen, Airikkala and many others took on the Manx lanes to compete on what was an endurance of man and machine.
But now, despite running a successful event in May, Mark Ellison and his team are questioning why the DOI had taken five months to deal with their application, only to come back and tell them, it wasn’t good enough.
Ellison said that this left them with no time to be able to provide the long list of additional information the DOI had requested.
Cancelled
As a result of the DOI, the event in September has been cancelled and the organisers will switch focus to their event next May.
Mark Ellison says that all events are in doubt if the DOI continue to make unreasonable demands. He told Manx.News that after waiting five months for DOI to reply, they were given three weeks to provide the additional information.
Our safety plans were OK for May, but it’s not OK for September? It beats me.
Mark Ellison – Manx Auto Sport
“It beats me”, said Ellison talking of how all the information they have submitted in the past, has been submitted again; but this time the DOI want more.
“You can never get to speak to anyone [who makes the decisions]; it is always just “the Department”.
Tourist Economy
The impact to the Manx economy will be huge. The rally visitors fill the local hotels and b&b’s at the back end of the tourist season and a few years ago was estimated to be worth £1.9 million. But Ellison said that was when they ran fewer numbers and this year the event had attracted a higher entry.
Ellison says that despite the loss of the event, not one MHK has contacted him to raise their concerns. He is especially surprised that the Douglas East MHK’s who have so many hotels and guest houses in their constituency, have not taken an interest either.
Unlike the TT which funded by the Government, the Rally is self funding. Ellison says it is the likes of their event which is putting money back in to the Island.
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