Members of the public will next month have another chance to contribute and give their views on the emerging plans to revamp Douglas Promenade.
Douglas City Council intends to improve the Marine Gardens No. 4 and No. 5, and Queen's Promenade Gardens, as part of a £1.4 million project to regenerate Douglas Promenade.
In July this year, three different concepts were presented for each of the three sites, aimed at beginning a discussion about potential designs, gaining feedback from the public and a wide range of stakeholders in the process.
Information gained from the initial public event has formed the basis for the design concepts moving forward and Douglas City Council has now confirmed the design team (erz Studio Ltd) will return to the Island on September 7 & 8.
This will give members of the public the chance to comment and contribute before the design is finalised ahead of a planning application being submitted towards the end of 2024.
On both days, the team will be based at the Strand Shopping Centre from 11.30am until 3.30pm where there will be a display of the designs to date.
Council Leader, Claire Wells, said: ‘This is another opportunity for members of the public to have their say on what are exciting plans and we are very keen to hear feedback and encourage people to come along and share their views.
‘The ambition is to create a leisure and recreation space for the whole community to enjoy, incorporate a new planting scheme, provide seating and areas for relaxing, encourage play for children of all ages and provide shelters from the weather.
‘We have been working with erz Studio Ltd to create initial plans and these two days offer an opportunity to catch up with representatives from the design team who will be on hand to answer any questions.’
At Marine Garden No. 4, opposite Jaks, the Council’s key aim is for a play park that will create an iconic play space with varied heights, an adventurous, accessible, and imaginative playground all year-round, with a strong narrative to Manx history.
During the first public engagement event, the preferred option for Marine Garden No. 5 (opposite Quids Inn) where a wheeled sports garden is to be installed, was for a linear play area. The design so far is focused on an exciting space offering something unique on the promenade and attracting a mix of ages and abilities through a careful balance of sculpture, planting, activity and spectating.
At Queen’s Promenade Gardens the three concepts were a beach-themed garden, a maritime-themed garden and a dune-themed garden. Although the beach-themed garden was the public favourite, elements of the other two concepts were also welcomed. The design for the gardens aims to be a subtle mix of all three concepts, focusing on their key attributes.
The final design will focus on gardens with a strong identity that offers a range of opportunities for play, activity and relaxation, situated within complementary planting and comfortable sheltered spaces.
By improving the gardens, the Council wants to Increase pedestrian footfall with focused viewpoints and spaces for events and performances in the capital.
