Anyone driving or walking along Douglas Promenade may have noticed the section of sea wall built earlier this year being demolished.

But this is not a case of the contractors making a blunder and having to start again.

This small section of wall near the cenotaph on Harris Promenade was only built as a test by Department of Infrastructure (DoI) contractors and give members of the public a chance to see how the wall will look.

Posts on social media have shown the wall being demolished with concerns raised some mistake had been made.

But a spokesman for the DoI said: ‘The sample panel was constructed to help the Department and the contractor establish how the wall will be built and the finish. It has now served its purpose and is being removed as planned.’

With the sample wall section so close to the cenotaph, the DoI wants to ensure it is removed and cleared in plenty of time for Remembrance Day on November 11.

However, the main construction work is currently taking place opposite the Empress Hotel and is expected to be completed early next year but the exact date is dependent on the weather conditions.

The section of sea wall near the cenotaph on Harris Promenade in Douglas being demolished in a planned move
The section of sea wall near the cenotaph on Harris Promenade in Douglas being demolished in a planned move (Media IoM)

The structure will replace the current railings along a 500-metre stretch of the seafront, starting just south of the cenotaph and extending to a point opposite the Empress Hotel on Central Promenade.

Initially estimated to cost around £500,000 when the project was first unveiled in 2018, that figure has since risen due to increases in labour and material costs in the intervening years.

The scheme’s budget is now expected to be in the region of £900,000 - around £1,800 per metre of wall erected.

Project bosses say the wall will be 1.2m (3ft 11ins) high which will allow people to continue to enjoy views out to sea from the promenade. But its design will allow for a future increase in the height of by up to 0.6m, should it be necessary.

The wall will feature a series of artwork panels designed by local artists.

Public access past the worksite along the Promenade Walkway is being maintained throughout the project.

Planning approval has also been granted to replace a further section of railings with the new sea wall between the Sea Terminal and the TT Cafe.