Isle of Man medicinal cannabis facility progresses

Peel NRE has submitted plans to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for a science and innovation centre, sustainable energy park and cannabis facility.

This is the first phase of Peel’s plans for the 72-acre site. Principle permission is being sought for another eight stages.

When all eight stages are complete, the cultivation facility would be 178,000 sq ft across six buildings. This first phase only includes two of those buildings, which will be 25,000 sq ft.

The proposed science and innovation centre would be 102,000 sq ft, also divided across six buildings.

The sustainable energy park will include 8,600 solar panels, that are predicted to create 9.2MW per day, according to a planning statement.

Located across two sites, one to the west of Cooil Road and the other north of New Castletown Road, the project represents around £150m of potential investment by Peel NRE into the island economy. The scheme is expected to create around 250 jobs.

According to Peel, the project has received overwhelming support from the community following a public consultation for the project.

These panels would be the only renewable energy project on the island, showing the government’s commitment to tackling climate change.

Peel NRE hopes that the project would provide a place of global scientific and technological excellence that will continue to contribute to cutting-edge research.

Myles Kitcher, Peel NRE managing director, said: “We will continue to work with the community over the coming weeks and months as the project progresses and will be holding an industry event later in the year for businesses interested in finding out more about available opportunities.”

AXIS Planning and Design is the planning consultant for the development. Garry Stewart Design Associates is the architect.

The planning application reference number is 22/00678/B with Isle of Man Government.