Council backs £1.5m car park cladding works

The car park has a total of 692 car parking spaces

Cladding works for a Douglas car park that will cost £1.5m have been approved by the local authority.

Shaw's Brow car park in Douglas, which has 692 spaces, will undergo a 40-week programme of phased activity to carry out the remedial works.

Chairman of the council's Housing and Property Committee Devon Watson said replacing the cladding was "essential maintenance" and "not for the sake of aesthetics".

He said without the work the building would become "quite unsafe" and could fall into "disrepair" and the project would begin "as soon as possible".

'No significant disruption'

He said the remedial works would also extend the life of the building.

In last year's budget car parking brought in a revenue of £1.2 million for the local authority, Councillor Watson said.

He said losing the facility it would affect surrounding businesses and office workers, and have a knock on effect on nearby residential streets, which would "have to take on the burden of the car parking flow".

Users of the car park should not face "significant disruption" as the works were to be phased and will start "as soon as possible", he added.

Council leader Claire Wells praised the housing and property committee for "getting it done" and said the works were "in desperate need of doing".