Douglas City Council is seeking expressions of interest from landowners, developers and potential partners as it looks to acquire development sites in central Douglas for new social housing.

The council said it is looking for freehold sites capable of accommodating a modern housing development as part of its longer-term plans to expand public sector housing in the capital.

The move follows the announcement that a number of long-term vacant council-owned properties in Marathon Drive and Falcon Cliff Terrace will be sold, with the proceeds reinvested into new homes.

The authority said the sale of vacant properties would free up capital for direct investment in new, energy-efficient housing and forms part of a wider strategy to increase housing supply while reducing the number of empty public sector homes.

Council leader Devon Watson said the approach is intended to address housing need in Douglas while making better use of existing assets.

‘Everyone deserves a safe, decent place to call home - it’s a basic human right,’ he said. ‘We have a financially sustainable development model that lets us use the assets we already have to open up more housing options, both in the public and private sector.’

Mr Watson said the council is aiming to tackle two issues at the same time.

‘There are a number of vacant properties and there’s a lot of people who desperately need housing,’ he said. ‘There’s 250 families who need housing, so we want to tackle both those problems with one policy.’

Under the Marathon Drive and Falcon Cliff Terrace proposals, the council owns 35 properties across the estate, many of which are older three-bedroom homes that require significant modernisation. Around half are currently occupied, with several long-term vacant.

Vacant properties will be sold individually on the private market, with the first six expected to be listed in the coming weeks. The council said all funds raised would be reinvested into new public sector housing, including a proposed development of between 60 and 100 new homes.

Housing officers have met with tenants to outline the plans and gather views on longer-term housing needs. The council has stressed that no tenants are being asked to leave their homes.

‘Rather than refurbishing ageing properties one-by-one, which would cause major disruption, we believe the best approach is to invest in new homes,’ said Councillor Peter Washington, chair of the Housing and Property Committee. ‘This is very much a long-term project and tenants can remain in their homes.’

He added that if a property could no longer be repaired to an acceptable standard in future, the council would work with tenants to find suitable alternatives.

Alongside the disposal of vacant homes, the council has issued an invitation for expressions of interest in potential development sites within central Douglas.

The authority said it is seeking land suitable for a minimum of 10 apartments, with no upper limit. Sites with outline or full planning permission are preferred, although land with demonstrable development potential will also be considered. Design-and-build proposals that include the freehold transfer of land are also invited.

Councillor Washington said the council wants to build on recent developments, including the Thomas Keig and Mary Halsall apartments on Peel Road and the recently completed James Brown apartments on Snaefell Road in Willaston.

‘These projects set a clear benchmark for quality, environmental performance and accessibility, and the council intends to maintain this standard for all future housing schemes,’ he said.

Interested parties are required to submit details including site information, planning status, indicative layouts and partnership proposals through the council’s procurement portal.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 5pm on December 31, 2025.