An application for a new care home in Douglas has been given the green light by the planning committee.

Homefield Care Limited has been given approval (19/00959/B) to redevelop the site of the former Department of Home Affairs offices at Homefield in Murrays Road.

The existing buildings on the site will be demolished to make way for a 73-bed care home, car parking, retaining wall and landscaping,

In documents submitted as part of the application, the company said it would be investing up to £5m in the site to build a three-storey care home, which would create up to 60 jobs.

Homefield said it wanted to provide predominantly nursing care.

However, it could also cater for more specialised dementia and residential care which it said is required in the island. Approving the plans, the planning committee put down 11 conditions including the usual requirement for work to begin within four years.

Other conditions included a ’detailed landscaping plan’ being submitted to the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and approved in writing.

This must include details of how existing and proposed planting will be undertaken taking into account not only proposed new building but also engineering and excavation required for the laying of services within the site.

Homefield must also carry out a bat survey ahead of demolition to identify the possible impact on bat species together with mitigation.

Prior to occupation of the development, the widened access on to Murrays Road should be surfaced over its entire width over a distance of at least 5m back from the pavement and the redundant access onto Murrays Road should be reinstated with a raised kerb to match the footway on either side of it.

The L-shaped building will have 23 to 25 bedrooms on each floor. Landscaping works are planned for the exterior. The existing building and plot of land was valued at £1.25m by Black Grace Cowley when it was put up for sale by the government.