A vision of the future for the Island’s capital has received initial Tynwald approval.
A week after Douglas Council gave its backing to the proposed Central Douglas Masterplan, the Manx parliament has done so, too.
The local authority's members were unanimous in their support of it, and Tynwald almost followed suit with just one member, Onchan MHK David Quirk, voting against it.
Unveiled by the government’s Cabinet Office, it outlines a detailed regeneration of the town, including the construction of new hotels, restaurants and cinemas.
The creation of an all-weather winter gardens, a new civic square and a pedestrian bridge over the river at the Nunnery is also proposed.
Although some members questioned whether the scheme would ever become a reality, all bar Mr Quirk supported it – but they stressed the need to sympathetically maintain Douglas’ architectural style and not repeat the same mistakes as some UK town centres.
Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly, who brought the motion forward, said approval was a vital step forward for the Island’s capital:
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