The demolition of the old Ballacloan Infants’ School on will begin this week.

The Manx Development Corporation (MDC) will use the Demesne Road, Douglas, site as ‘temporary parking for storage of plant vehicles and equipment’ for its nearby redevelopment project of the old nurses’ homes on Westmoreland Road.

In a cover letter, the MDC said: ‘The former nurses’ home site does not have sufficient area in which to accommodate all the requirements and for this reason we are seeking approval to utilise the former Ballacloan School site.’

Parking on the unnamed road leading to Crookall House behind the school will be restricted from January 9 until March 10 while work takes place.

The Ballacloan site and that of Fairfield Junior School nearby shut in 2016.

The schools had already merged to become Henry Bloom Noble Primary School in 2013 and the moved to the present site on Westmoreland Road three years later.

Permission for this move was granted by the planning committee last July and the MDC has been granted use of the site for just over two years while work is being completed on the nursing home project.

The old building will be converted into one and two-bed flats along with a cafe with a modern glazed rooftop extension to provide additional top-floor flats with views over Douglas Bay.

The project is still listed on the planning application site as ‘awaiting decision’ However, the project has been approved in principle, with a legal agreement between the Department for Education, Sport and Culture, the estates director and the MDC being the only obstacle.