Recommendations from a Tynwald select committee report on the Poacher's Pocket development at Ballasalla received unanimous approval in Tynwald on Wednesday.
The investigation was ordered after objectors said planning procedures had been flouted.

The report said planning director Ian McCauley had been 'unwise' using his delegated power to pass amendments to the development.

Although he had not acted unlawfully, it said he should have referred the amendments back for planning committee approval.

Tynwald approved a number of recommendations from the report, including a requirement for significant post planning approval changes to be notified to interested parties.

The parties' comments should then be considered by the planning committee. The report recommended, further, that the planning director should only have the power to approve minor conditions to which no serious objections had been raised. Major conditions should require planning committee approval.

The independent planning process reviewer will also consider whether interested parties should be allowed to speak at planning committee public meetings in the future.

A proposed amendment from Graham Cregeen (Malew and Santon) to compensate home owners close to the development was defeated by 22 votes to six. Mr Cregeen said compensation would redress residents' costs for a petition of doleance (later withdrawn) and devaluation of their properties because of the development.

A second section to the amendment would have provided for further review of a planning decision once all other options apart from court proceedings were exhausted.

This was defeated by 23 votes to five.

Anne Craine (Ramsey) said there was clear evidence of nimbyism in the objections raised to the development.

'In planning matters we jump from one side of the fence to the other,' she said.

'One minute we say people should get on and make a decision then when we don't like what they decide, we say hold back.

'It is not fair to criticise one of our civil servants for doing his job.'

Planning committee chairman Clare Christian said it was always difficult balancing the views and rights of the parties involved in such disputes.

'There needs to be more dialogue between the department and the construction people but we are not in the pockets of these people and we take great strides to avoid this, whatever the perception,' she said.

On the amendments, she said compensation should not be given when the planning officer acted lawfully, as in this case, and an extended right to appeal was not desirable.

Chief Minister Tony Brown added his voice to those opposing the amendments, saying properties were rarely if ever devalued by such neighbouring developments.

The controversial changes to the 22-home development included felling 50 trees, amended flood protection measures and raising of the site level.