There are plans for a major development of a 72-bedroom nursing care home in Port Erin with the creation of 60 jobs.

The proposal - Pa 17/00947/B by David Wormald of Spaldrick Care Limited - is to demolish Spaldrick House, on the corner of Bradda Road and Bradda Glen Close, and erect a replacement three-storey building.

Spaldrick House is a disused hotel which is privately owned and occupied.

In the design statement, McGarrigle Architects wrote: ’It is widely acknowledged that nursing homes are required to provide much needed nursing care beds to meet demand where currently it remains unmet by the local supply, a lot of which is past its "sell by date".’

It continues: ’It is generally accepted that a modern-day nursing care facility needs to be of this size as a minimum to operate effectively both in practical terms and for sustainability of the business model.’

The nursing home will be around one metre lower than the existing building.

Two lifts would provide access to all three floors. Facilities would include three lounges, with the ground floor lounge leading out on to a paved terrace and the upper floor lounges opening on to a balcony.

There would also be assisted bathrooms, dining rooms, quiet lounges , offices and a hairdressers.

A total of 24 parking spaces would be provided, with a disabled parking space and drop-off area close to the main entrance.

In addition to employing people to build the home, it will create 60 full and part time jobs.

Port Erin Commissioners will consider the plan at their next meeting, on October 10.

The site had been zoned for tourism but has now been zoned as ’predominantly residential’ in the Southern area plan.

Approval in principle was granted in 2014 to Trevor Leach for the redevelopment of the site for residential purposes.

In the planning officer’s report for that application, it stated: ’It was originally a hotel but has not been used as such for some time and was, until the vacation of the applicant and his wife to alternative accommodation, a single dwelling.’View the plan at https://services.gov.im/planning-applications/