Parade of horse trams to mark the end of 2015 season and possible relocation of trams on Douglas Promenade.

The famous Douglas horse tram service is to be discontinued because of the financial burden on rates payers, Douglas Council has announced.

After a meeting yesterday the decision was made that the historic tourist attraction would not run in 2016 or beyond.

A council statement said the rolling stock would go to museums within the island or UK and good homes would be found for the horses.

The stable buildings are to be sold off.

The statement goes on to say:

‘The decision follows a proposal by the council to amalgamate the Tramway Terrace stables site with the tramway hub at the Strathallan site, a scheme estimated, as of December 2015, to cost in the region of £2.9million. When this was received at a joint meeting of the executive and regeneration and community committees in December, members determined the scheme was not financially viable and presented a number of unresolved issues, and therefore decided not to progress the project.

‘The proposal was to finance the scheme by a 30-year loan, which would have cost the council £4,800,000 over its life.’

Quote:To continue operating the horse tram service would place an unacceptable level of burden on the ratepayer

Cllr David Christian

Council leader David Christian said:

‘The council must always act in the best interests of the ratepayers of Douglas. To continue operating the horse tram service would place an unacceptable level of burden on the ratepayer, not only for the coming financial year, but also for the foreseeable future. The council recognises the important contribution the service has made to the island’s vintage transport heritage but Douglas, as with all local authorities, is having to make difficult decisions to fund, protect and develop key services.

‘The council has a duty to face and adapt to stark financial realities, to maintain a firm grip on its finances and deliver value for money to the ratepayer. Were the council to continue operating the horse tram service it would be failing in that duty.’

The future of the horse trams was already controversial, with plans to renovate Douglas Promenade meaning they could be moved to the walkway.

Isle of Man Newspapers conducted a poll among readers about it.

See here to read the story.

In the postal vote, 732 voted.

The option to scrap the horse trams entirely was backed by 171,

The island’s other historic railways - the steam railway between Douglas and Port Erin, the Manx Electric Railway and the Snaefell Mountain Railway – are run and subsidised by the Manx government.

Council leader David Christian

They, and the horse trams, are said to be big pulls for tourism.

There is already speculation on social media that this decision from Douglas Council will lead to the government stepping in and taking over, although with the public finances already strained that is unlikely to be a popular move with the Treasury.

Douglas Council has in the past handed over legacies from the town’s tourist past to the government.

Summerland and the Villa Marina were once council-owned and run.

Coincidentally, in this week’s Manx Independent there is a nostalgia photo special on the horse trams.

John Turner