The government Cabinet Office has applied to planners to use the site of the former Farmers Arms in St John’s as a Manx-themed garden as part of 2018 Year of Our Island celebrations.

The site, in Station Road, which includes the former mart, would be transformed into a 20 raised beds representing schools across the island.

Children will also create displays to reflect their understanding of the island and there will be a seating area.

The garden would be open to the public from June this year until February 2019.

The garden would then be removed and re-sited with the site, which is owned by the Department of Infrastructure, reinstated to its current condition.

The ’Young Persons Biosphere Garden’ will involve some levelling work before the individual gardens are formed to create a garden with a central feature.

The proposal is for the schools involved with the project to prepare their garden in pre-arranged time slots during the week beginning June 18, ahead of its planned opening on June 22.

Once open, the recommended hours of access will be from 8am to 8pm.

Explaining why the site was chosen, the planning document states: ’The project team identified different areas across the island that are yet to be regenerated.

’The Farmers Arms site was agreed as the fore-running location for the garden show due to its island-central location and link to the cultural and heritage hub of the Isle of Man.

’It was also considered that the site is on main transport routes with the surrounding areas already developed with public parking and amenities.’

Approval in principle to demolish the site for residential use was approved in 2013.