Douglas City Council has unveiled plans to sell several empty properties and reinvest the proceeds into new homes.

The move, which will see long-term vacant buildings in Marathon Drive and Falcon Cliff Terrace put on the market, forms part of a wider strategy to boost the supply of public sector housing in the capital, the authority said.

Housing officers recently met with tenants to outline the proposals and gather their views on long-term housing needs.

The council owns 35 properties across the estate, many of which are older three-bedroom homes requiring significant modernisation. Around half are currently occupied, with several long-term vacant.

Under the plans, vacant properties will be sold individually on the private market - with the first six expected to be listed in the coming weeks.

The council says all funds raised will be reinvested into delivering new public sector homes, including a proposed development of between 60 and 100 new properties.

An expression of interest for the scheme is due to be issued shortly.

Councillor Peter Washington, Chair of the Housing and Property Committee, said the approach puts tenants at the heart of future planning.

‘Our sessions with tenants were extremely positive,’ he said.

‘We talked through individual housing needs, answered questions openly and listened to what matters most to residents. We want every tenant to be part of the journey as we plan for the future of Marathon Drive and Falcon Cliff Terrace.

‘Rather than refurbishing ageing properties one-by-one which would cause major disruption, we believe the best approach is to invest in new homes.

‘This is very much a long-term project and tenants can remain in their homes. If, in the future, a property can no longer be repaired to the standard they deserve, we would work together to find a suitable alternative.’

Douglas City Council Leader Devon Watson said the policy is designed to tackle two of the city’s most pressing housing issues: high numbers of vacant public sector homes and a long social housing waiting list.

‘One is that there are a number of vacant properties… and secondly, 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.’

Mr Watson said selling long-term vacant homes will help fund new social housing while increasing private sector supply.

‘If we can cover a third of the cost via the sale of these properties, we can increase private sector housing supply… and we reduce the total number of vacant property stock, he said.

‘Then we can build more social housing to reduce the number of people who are homeless or need homes in Douglas.’

He pointed to recent schemes such as the Peel Road apartments and the soon-to-open James Brown Apartments in Willaston as examples of the standard the council aims to deliver.

‘What you're going to notice is that these properties are soundproof, they're really well heated, they're really well insulated… We want to set the new standard for housing.’

Mr Watson stressed that no tenants are being asked to leave their homes.

‘We've met with every single tenant… and while people were initially dubious, by the end, they were supportive,’ he said.

‘This has to work via cooperation with tenants, and we need to prioritise their welfare first and foremost.’