Council commits £40k to sea wall artwork lighting

The flood defences will be introduced in three phases

A local authority has agreed to spend £40,000 on lighting to illuminate artwork on a concrete sea wall designed to protect against flooding.

The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) asked Douglas Council to fund lights for 28 art panels in its £900,000 scheme on capital's seafront.

Councillor Falk Horning said although the figure was "a lot of money", it "made sense" to invest in the scheme as the area was a "focal point" for the city.

Work on the 4ft (1.2m) high structure along a 0.3 mile (500m) section of the Douglas Promenade walkway is set to begin on 22 January.

Mr Horning said the council was the public lighting authority for the island's capital and the move was "consistent with other installations" supported by it.

It was confirmed at the council's January meeting a suitable low energy LED design had been developed, and agreed with the department’s project team to make sure it was compatible with the construction process.

Aesthetically attractive

It was also noted that the illuminated art was subject to an Isle of Man Arts Council initiative, with three designs set to be chosen.

The funding, from an existing electrical services revenue budget, would be redistributed from projects that could not be completed due to a shortage of "man power", he said.

The council said the DOI had confirmed the first stage of the works, which will run from the war memorial to the Empress Hotel, was expected to be completed by September.

The project would then focus on an area between the Sea Terminal and Bottleneck pump station, between September and January 2025.

However there was currently no construction plan for the third phase of the scheme, which would be between the Empress Hotel and the end of Queen's Promenade gardens.

Mr Horning said updated plans for the sea wall, which included the artwork, meant the project was set to be more "aesthetically attractive".