Manx Electric Railway Derby Castle Depot potential sale

If you owned a heritage railway, would you even consider selling it's workshops and depot that dates back to the start of the railway in 1893?
Well, the Isle of Man Government would!!
https://mers.org.im/.../MER%20Derby%20Castle%20Depot%20...

 

Surely it will be seen by the government as just another asset.

At least it appears to be far from a done deal and the full pack includes the following which sort of implies they have little hope of selling it.


"MER Depot / Additional Land The Department may consider development proposals which involve the purchase and redevelopment of the adjacent MER Depot on the basis that existing or similar facilities will be provided within an enlarged scheme. Please contact us for additional information"

 

The wording of the offer more or less says "we'd like to sell but you'd have to be daft to buy".

 

The Summerland site has been on and off the market for years. AIUI the problem is that the skeletal remains of Summerland are holding back the cliff and to make it safe (it's already 'pinned') the cliff would have to be cut back to achieve a reasonable angle of repose. Unfortunately (or fortunately as regards the MER depot) the person who owns the land above the cliff is less than enthusiastic about losing his land. I'd put it in the 'It'll never happen' box.
Ray.

 

Having just read that, I wonder if it was simply a case of trying to show that we are doing our best to look after IOM taxpayers without selling the family silver to do it.