Work on new £900k sea wall in Douglas to start in the new year

Areas along Douglas Promenade have previously been flooded during poor weather

A £900,000 project to build a concrete sea wall along Douglas Promenade to protect against flooding is set to begin in January.

The Department of Infrastructure plans to begin construction of the 1.2m (4ft) high structure along a 500m (0.3 mile) section of the walkway.

Work between Douglas War Memorial and an area opposite the Empress Hotel is expected to be completed by September.

Plans for the new sea defences were originally approved in May 2020.

A spokesman for the department said people using the Harris Promenade area would still be able to "continue to enjoy views out to sea" once the structure was built.

The wall was intended to act as a "defence against wave overtopping impacting the highway, tram track and footways in that area", he said.

Plans for the project were approved in May 2020

A contractor will start to take down the existing railings in January and begin work on the wall, which could be made 0.6m (1.9ft) higher in future to counter rising sea levels, the spokesman said.

Under the plans, space will be kept open for the public to use that section of the promenade walkway while the project is carried out.

Work is set to be phased to avoid disruption to events on the promenade and around Douglas War Memorial.

Parts of the wall will be decorated with artwork panels designed by local artists, which the department will seek to commission through the Arts Council.

A separate plan to build a sea wall on the promenade between the slipway at the Sea Terminal and the start of the sunken gardens was approved in June 2023.

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