The Department of Education plans to close Ballacloan Infants' School and Fairfield Junior School and relocate them to a new, 350-capacity primary school it hopes to build on part of the old Noble's Hospital site in Westmoreland Road, Douglas.

Tynwald will be asked to approve the first phase of the project, at a cost of £927,905, to clear the site, removing asbestos, demolishing buildings and carrying out works on buildings that will be kept as part of the scheme.

Following the clearance of the site, it is hoped to proceed with detailed briefing/site investigations in 2011, with full design, planning and tender commencing in 2012 and construction in 2014, for completion by July 2015.

The estimated overall cost of the new school is £11.1m.

Work is already well underway on a £30 million new secondary school at Bemahague, Onchan, that will house pupils aged 11 to 14 from St Ninian's High School. Work began last July and is set to be completed by July 2012, ready for opening that September.

It was decided in 2004 that part of the old hospital site should be considered for educational use and a feasibility study established it was suitable.

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YOUR COMMENTS

When built, New Nobles was not big enough for all the departments, and stayed on the Westmorland Road site. Where will all the many medical services currently on old site be located to if it becomes a school?
HAMER