This is how a proposed multi-million-pound hotel, flats, restaurant/bar and exhibition centre scheme planned for the Marine Laboratory site in Port Erin could look.

Planning consent for the development was approved in principle in November.

The artist’s impression of how the scheme will look has just been released by developer Delgatie Ltd.

William Smedley, one of the directors of Delgatie Ltd, issued a progress report.

He said: ’We are completing our requirements schedules for consultants, briefing and looking for interested parties for the retail options.

’Funding is key for progress to site.

’We need to finalise our design after the conclusion of the interest process prior to submission to the planning authority for the reserved matters.

’Reports and surveys are being commissioned at present.’

Mr Smedley is one of three Delgatie directors.

The other two live in Port Erin and Port St Mary and Mr Smedley is planning to leave his home in Leicestershire to come and live in Santon next month.

He said the proposed name of the ’exciting’ development is ’The Breakwater’ and he expects that it will cost in total in excess of £20 million.

He said the firm has released the image in a bid to show people ’it will not be a blot on the landscape’ and that it ’sits well’.

Mr Smedley said they were now at the detailed planning stage and there is still a lot more work to be done.

But he said they have been pleased with the progress made so far.

He said they have set their sights on completing 15 conditions before returning later this year to the planning committee for final approval.

If that was granted then they would hope that work could start on site in a phased way sometime as early as 2021.

The original laboratory dates from 1892, with a laboratory added in 1932 and a library, teaching laboratory and dive centre constructed in 1980.

The buildings have been unused since 2006 when Liverpool University vacated the site and were extensively damaged by fire in on New Year’s Eve 2016.