Plans to build a 60-bed residential and day care unit for the elderly on the site of the former Glenside care home have been thrown out on appeal.

A planning application by the Department of Health and Social Care (17/00053/B) for the Glenside site on Victoria Road, Douglas, had been approved in March.

But the following month an appeal was lodged by a neighbour, Mr A. Ranscombe, who lives at the Red House, a registered property next door.

He argued that the site access to the proposed development was unsafe and did not comply with current safety standards.

And now Environment Minister Geoffrey Boot has accepted a recommendation that the appeal be allowed and the original planning consent be overturned.

Mr Boot concluded that visibility from the site access to the south along Victoria Road would be sub-standard and the line of the kerbs could result in refuse trucks or other large vehicles encroaching into the path of oncoming traffic when turning left, into or from the site.

The DHSC began to explore the potential to develop a care home, day centre and extra-care sheltered housing on the site in 2015.

Its proposal was for 60 en-suite care bedrooms arranged into four ’communities’ each with their own lounge and dining room.

One of the communities would be used for residents with dementia and this could be split into smaller seven and eight bedrooms if required.

The care home would also accommodate a catering kitchen, laundry room, care staff room, manager’s office and hairdressers.

Facilities associated with the day care centre, which would include therapy rooms with assisted bathroom and treatment room, a day centre, outreach centre, restaurant/café and small cinema, would be shared with the residents of the care home.

The day care centre would have a separate entrance to the care home and would have 15 beds to accommodate up to 20 people.

The proposal also included the creation of a 36-space car park, two minibus spaces, drop off layby and an ambulance space.

There was outcry in 2012 when it was announced that the Glenside home was to be closed as part of a shake-up of adult social care services which was to save government £3m and see more elderly people receiving care in their own homes.

The 59 residents were offered alternative accommodation. The old building was demolished in 2015.