A planning hearing into a big development in Douglas is to take place on Tuesday.

Jade Tree Ltd, the company behind the plans, wants to build a headquarters on a big site on Victoria Road for gaming company King Gaming Limited, which specialises in online sports, casino, bingo, lottery and financial products.

It says it would create around 300 jobs.

It has been described as the ‘largest single private investment in the Isle of Man’ and will ‘represent the best of architecture and design’.

Excel Construction Group is working with Dutch architecture firm HofmanDujardin on the development of the site which used to house Cunningham’s Holiday Camp.

The proposal has won the support of the Department for Enterprise and the Department of Infrastructure and the planning committee has backed it.

But Isle of Man Enterprises, the owner of Shoprite, which is a close neighbour of the site. is opposed.

In a statement given to Isle of Man Today, it says it does not object to the principle of a proposed major new development in Douglas 'as long as national planning standards and regulations are followed'.

With only 80 parking spaces allocated for both the 330-staff HQ and 66 residential flats proposed on the site, Isle of Man Enterprises believes it is' imperative the same planning conditions are applied to this proposal as to all other applications Island-wide'.

Andrew Thomas, Isle of Man Enterprise's chief executive, said: ‘There is a misconception that Isle of Man Enterprises is opposed to the principle of development on this site and that is simply not the case.

'In fact, we sold the land in question to King Gaming and would welcome a vacant site being developed but not at any cost, especially if it means the planning rules that all other applicants have followed and have to follow are disregarded.’

The statement from Isle of Man Enterprises says that inadequate parking, road safety, flood risks, loss of trees and the impact on heritage have all been cited as concerns, most notably the inadequate parking provision.

Under the plans, it’s estimated around 100 of the e-gaming company’s workforce of 330 would be housed in accommodation which would form part of the development.

The site would also include a restaurant, cafe, working areas and gym/mindfulness area.

The proposers of the development argue that the residents of the flats are unlikely to have their own cars (as they will be foreign nationals employed under the Visa Waiver Scheme) so, with 66 staff accommodation units set within a landscaped parkland setting, only 80 car parking spaces will be required.

Yet Isle of Man Enterprises disputes this and say there will still be up to 200 local staff requiring spaces.

‘Whether this is a long-term development or the site ends up being owned by someone else further down the line, there is inadequate parking under these plans and that needs to be addressed at this stage,’ Mr Thomas added.

Both the Department for Enterprise and the Department of Infrastructure are backing the proposal. Click here to read more.