A proposed big development in the heart of Douglas is to include 133 new homes if it gets planning permission.

It would be built on Westmoreland Road and Demesne Road.

The Manx Development Corporation scheme is next to the old nurses’ home development and will encompass part of Westmoreland Road up to Crookall House, on Demense Road. It includes 20,000 ft of office space.

The development will create 170 homes in total, including the 37 homes created by the old nurses’ home project in that area.

It will be called Westmoreland Village, initially eluded to by MDC in July, will provide ‘a mixture of residential dwellings, affordable housing, high-quality public spaces and places to work’ said an MDC spokesperson.

The MDC is a government-run commercial company, of which the treasury minister is the nominated shareholder.

It focuses on developing government-owned and unoccupied or previously developed sites using government funds.

The homes will be made of a mix of flats and three-bed townhouses.

The spokesperson said: ‘Sustainability is at the heart of the project.

‘The scheme will utilise the latest solar and heat pump technology to significantly reduce carbon output and running costs.

The development is to become a ‘20-minute neighbourhood’, which is meant to mean all of ‘residents’ everyday needs can be met locally within a 10-minute return journey from home by walking, cycling or via local public transport’.

The village will be a 10-minute walk away from Douglas city centre and four retail units and a community pavilion have also been proposed, ‘complementing the existing educational, health and recreational facilities already in the area’ according to the MDC spokesperson.

They continued: ‘MDC is committed to continued community engagement and would welcome input from island residents to help inform the design prior to taking the planning application forward.’

The corporation will hold two drop-in public consultations at the Douglas Lawn Tennis Club on Kensington Road, where people can go to voice their opinions and also to find out more about the plans.

They are on Friday, January 27, from 3.30pm to 6.30pm and Saturday, January 28, from 11am to 3pm.

Chair of the board, Sean Gilbert, said: ‘We are particularly delighted with how well the design for “Westmoreland Village” has progressed; integrating into the existing fabric of Douglas, providing revitalisation and regeneration of the area.

‘It is a pleasure to be able to provide new build contemporary homes that will deliver sustainable living in a town centre location, and to reimagine another iconic Manx building in the form of Crookall House.’