The former Crown post office in Regent Street, Douglas, has been put on the market for sale.

Isle of Man Post Office said the building is now surplus to requirements and would make an ‘exciting development opportunity’.

Chrystals as the appointed estate agents for the Isle of Man Government are marketing the property for sale both on and off the island at the asking price of £1.295m.

The building has planning permission for works involving significant alterations whilst maintaining the front façade making it suitable for modern retail purposes.

Post Office chairman Julie Edge MHK said: ‘The board has made the decision to sell its property in Regent Street.

‘The building is no longer required for the business and we feel the most suitable option is to sell it.

‘The building is in a prime location of Douglas and we believe it is an exciting opportunity for any developer to redevelop this site and turn it into an attractive and modern property for the future.’

There was outcry in 2014 when it was first announced that the Crown post offices in Regent Street and Ramsey were to close and counter services transferred to nearby Spar stores.

The Post Office said its retail network made a loss of £765,000 in 2013-14, of which the two directly staffed offices and their support areas accounted for 70 per cent of the total.

These planned closure were put on hold for three months following an emergency debate in the House of Keys.

Then the plans to move into the nearby Spar store were stalled again while alternative premises were investigated by new operator Mannin Retail. In the meantime, Mannin Retail operated out of the old Crown office at a peppercorn rent and sharing running costs.

Last year, the replacement sub-post office finally opened in the former Strand 58 and Carnival pub premises on Strand Street.

In Tynwald, the relocation and downgrading of the island’s Crown post offices was branded as ‘a bit of a shambles’ by Juan Turner MLC.