Old nurses' home development finished

It's the first project to be completed by Manx Development Corporation

The first project by the Manx Development Corporation has been completed.

The old nurses' home in Westmoreland Road in Douglas is now finished.

Built in 1953, the site provided temporary accommodation for hundreds of nurses working at Noble's Hospital.

Originally home to 126 individual bedsits, 'Thie Clag' - which means 'Clock House' in Manx - now has 37 apartments and a commercial unit which is on the ground floor.

It's believed to have cost more than £11 million to redevelop the facility, which has been done by the Manx Development Corporation (MDC) - a government-owned company established in 2021 to restore brownfield sites on the Island.

This is the first major scheme to be completed by the MDC.

In 2022, it said the one and two-bedroom flats would be aimed at returning students and key workers and not sold to investors.

They'll now be available for rent, with prices starting from £795 a month including rates.

The Chief Minister, Alf Cannan, says: "This fantastic project represents a delivery milestone for Our Island Plan on two fronts: the regeneration of brownfield sites has been a strategic priority of this administration from day one together with improving the availability and affordability of housing. 

"I look forward to seeing this development breathe new life into central Douglas."