'Radical' proposal for Douglas Bay cruise ship terminal

Douglas Bay is one of 10 marine nature reserves

An Isle of Man firm has published a "radical" proposal for a cruise ship terminal on the Douglas seafront.

Inspired by San Francisco's Pier 39, the development would also include an entertainment area and 1,500 parking spaces on reclaimed land.

Ellis Brown Architects, the firm behind the idea, said it believed the project could be "self-funding".

A Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) spokeswoman said a marine nature reserve was "not the right place" for the development.

Douglas seafront has previously been described as "tired and tatty" and its promenade is undergoing a £25m revamp.

The new proposals would place a cruise ship berth to the north of Conister Rock, which could take larger ships "without dredging", said Ellis Brown director Mark Pearce.

The proposal for Douglas Bay includes a lagoon and a berth for cruise ships

Reclaiming almost 20 acres of land in Douglas Bay would "solve a multitude of problems" he said.

Carbon footprint

Spaces for cars was a major concern and shops were "dying" due to a "lack of parking" in the capital.

MWT Marine Officer Lara Howe said additional parking was a "poor" reason for the development when "we should be looking to reduce our carbon footprint".

Douglas Bay is one of 10 marine reserves in the island's waters and is home to "array of species" including juvenile queen scallops and whelks, and herring, which spawn in the bay in autumn.

Mr Pearce said "impact assessments" would be done should the project go ahead.

In March 2018, the Isle of Man parliament approved plans to spend more than £80m "to develop Manx harbours", including £11m to build a deep water port for cruise ships at Victoria Pier in Douglas.

The Manx government said it had "no involvement" but added it was "always interested" to hear of such plans.

No cost has yet been given to the proposals.