The island could soon have its second drive-thru fast food outlet, barely 200 metres from the first.

The Manx Independent can exclusively reveal today that plans are under way for a KFC restaurant on Peel Road in Douglas.

A KFC spokesman said: ’Talks to develop a drive-thru restaurant in the Isle of Man are still in their early stages, but we hope to have some exciting news soon. Local KFC fans should watch this space.’

He also confirmed that the plans were for a site on Peel Road. Under the draft Area Plan for the East, a 1.22-hectacre site on Peel Road (DM014), between Isle of Man Newspapers’ headquarters and the Milestone Garage is listed for development as a mixed use (employment, leisure, retail and residential) site.

Isle of Man Newspapers previously reported that an agent for the landowner Beaumanx Property Ltd and Buchanan Services Ltd was requesting permission for future development to include a hotel, supermarket, drive-through restaurant outlets, petrol garage and above ground floor residential use.

But it seems unlikely that all the site up to the Milestone will be developed for KFC because the Wine Cellar is in the process of converting the former Waltons store and City Plumbing Supplies and the Nautilus Plus Gym share a building next to that.

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So that would restrict the available space to the former Eurocars site.

Buildings on the site are currently in the process of being demolished, making it the most viable location for a KFC drive-thru and other developments.

If this is the Peel Road site that the spokesman was referring to, that would place it about 200m from and in direct competition to McDonald’s, which has occupied the site next to Douglas fire station since it first opened in 1999.

However, the plans to develop the area with a drive-thru and other additions, could face opposition from Douglas Council.

During the council’s August sitting, council leader David Christian outlined the authority’s position. While it welcomed the development of brownfield sites, it would be difficult to back large developments on Peel Road due to the potential to increase traffic on what is already a busy road.

Mr Christian noted the potential idea for a supermarket as an example, saying that Peel Road may have to be changed to allow for easy access and to ensure a steady continuous flow of traffic in and out of the capital.

However, he added that, as the Department of Infrastructure had carried out major works on Peel Road in recent years, it would be unlikely to wish to carry out extensive alterations.

KFC’s previous store, on Duke Street in Douglas town centre, closed in 2016, with a spokesman at the time citing ’commercial reasons’ for the closure.

The former store was opened by Norman Wisdom in 2002 following the closure of the fast food outlet Griddles.

KFC is unlikely to open a new outlet soon.

It still has to get planning permission and finalise a deal for the site, so it could be some time yet before Colonel Sanders’ face is seen lighting up Peel Road.