Isle of Man £80m bid to redevelop harbours

The Isle of Man parliament will be asked to approve more than £80m to "develop Manx harbours" and "grow cruise tourism".

The first phase of the government's three-year strategy, costing £11m, would see a deep water port built at Victoria Pier, Douglas.

The facility would accommodate cruise ships and wind farm support vessels.

Currently, visiting cruise liners must anchor in Douglas Bay and transport passengers to shore by boat.

A government spokesman said about 6,500 passengers visit the island every year but with a deeper port, that figure could rise to 40,000 within the next 25 years.

The rest of the money would be spent over a period of three years and could mean a new marina in Port St Mary, a "marine service centre" in Ramsey and a second deep water port in Port Erin.

Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said: "Ports and harbours play a crucial role in the life of any island, and this document looks at how we can ensure our facilities are robust, modern and practical for both industry and leisure."

The recently published Harbour Strategy will be presented to Tynwald next week.