The demolition of the old site of the former Ballacloan Infants’ School has begun, with builders and demolition machinery being pictured at the site.

The former primary school will be used as ‘temporary parking for storage of plant vehicles and equipment’ of the redevelopment of the old nurses’ home in Douglas, this is led by the Manx Development Corporation.

The site is also included in the preliminary plans for the expansion of the development to incorporate 133 new homes into the area to create ‘Westmoreland Village’.

This new village is to be a ‘20-minute neighbourhood’, with all necessities for the residents of the area said to be within a 20-minute return journey.

Ballacloan is needed by MDC because the area it is working on ‘does not have sufficient area in which to accommodate all the requirements’ needed to complete the initial redevelopment of the old nurses’ home.

The MDC has been granted use of the site, which is owned by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, for two years while the work is being carried out.

The site of the school, which was on Demesne Road in Douglas, closed in 2016 along with nearby Fairfield Junior School in order to move to the new Henry Bloom Noble School, following the two schools merging in 2013.