Revamp for 'unsightly' Lord Street car park in Douglas

The Isle of Man government has allocated £500,000 towards regenerating towns and villages

An 'unsightly' area of Douglas is to benefit from a £23,000 revamp.

Lord Street car park is one of the first areas to be transformed with funding from the Isle of Man town and village centre regeneration fund.

Plans for the area include screening the parking area as well as putting in shrubs and seating sections.

Chris Pycroft from the Douglas development partnership said: "The unsightly car park regularly prompts negative comments from visitors.

"Anecdotal accounts tell of some first-time visitors believing the police vehicles parked on the site indicate a local disturbance of some sort.

"This is clearly not the image we wish this gateway to the capital of the Isle of Man to portray".

It was announced in the House of Keys in January that the government has allocated £500,000 in 2011 to schemes aimed at regenerating the island's towns.

Douglas Council Leader, David Christian said: "The Lord Street scheme is a cost-effective but short-term solution to enhancing what is a prominent but, until now, visually unappealing site.

"I would emphasise, however, that this is only a temporary measure and should not be considered a substitute for the proposed major development of the car park site which I hope will commence sooner rather than later."