An historic Manx cottage is to be demolished to make way for a bypass.

Planning consent has been granted to homebuilder Dandara for a massive housing and bypass scheme for Ballasalla (19/00137/B).

The development of 282 houses will fund the bypass which has long been mooted to help reduce traffic congestion in the village.

This road will begin at a roundabout at Glashen Hill on Douglas Road, cross the Steam Railway on a new bridge and then rejoin the existing main road at a new roundabout at Balthane Corner.

But it will be the responsibility of government to obtain the land at Balthane Corner which will be necessary to complete the bypass route.

This includes the historic Balthane Cottage, understood to date back to 1785, which will have to be flattened to make way for the new link road.

The Department of Infrastructure said it has been working closely with Dandara on the bypass scheme.

A spokesman said: ’The developer will construct the majority of the highway with the department building the roundabout at the southern end of the bypass.

’The department has prepared a preliminary design for the roundabout, and detailed design is to be completed this winter. Dandara will take around 14 months to build phase 1, prior to starting the bypass.

’The department has been in negotiations with the owner of the cottage on the current roundabout and discussions are almost complete, with the intention that the property is demolished.’

He explained that the current mini-roundabout, installed in March last year, is a temporary measure. The new roundabout will be ’more formal’ with a full-size central section and four arms, he said.

Dandara’s planning approval is for development in two phases of 135 and 147 homes respectively. It was granted on condition that work on the bypass will begin no later than the completion of the 75th house and no houses in phase two are built until the new road is finished.