The historic horse tramway stables and Tramway Terrace are to be given listed status.

It was announced in April that the stables had been saved as a heritage attraction after being bought by government for £600,000.

The old horse tram stables were put up for sale by Douglas Council in 2016. Enthusiasts feared they could be demolished for development.

A planning application to construct temporary horse tram facilities on the Summerland site was approved last year.

But in a change of heart, the Department of Infrastructure decided that buying the existing building was more cost effective, as well as helping to retain part of the island’s heritage.

Now the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture has announced that the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway stables and 1-3 Tramway Terrace have been entered onto the protected buildings register because of their special historic interest.

This prohibits the alteration or demolition of the structure or appearance of any part of the building.

The site includes the cobbled stone courtyard and brick forge.

In its registration, DEFA explains that the buildings are a ’unique survival’ and are of more than national historic interest, given the tramway is the last one remaining in the British Isles.

The site of the current stables was bought by the tramway’s engineer Thomas Lightfoot in 1877. He expanded the stabling facility with a new purpose built three-storey facility of stables with hay storage above and he redeveloped the site of a cottage into a three storey three dwelling terrace on Tramway Terrace.

Meawhile, plans have been submitted for a £1.5 million project to demolish and rebuild the Strathallan horse tram depot in Douglas .