10 March 2025 · Delegated - Principal Planner (Chris Balmer)
East Block Nunnery Mills 2, Old Castletown Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 1bq
The proposal involves converting the West Building, a vacant three-storey office building, into three two-bedroom flats at first, second, and third floors, with ground floor ancillary gym and bike store. The site is in a predominantly residential zoned area of Douglas, with no external changes proposed.
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The site is zoned Predominantly Residential and in a sustainable location accessible by foot, bike, public transport, and car, complying with Strategic Policy 10 and Housing Policy 4.
Strategic Policy 1
Requires optimising use of previously developed land and redundant buildings. Officer assessed the five-year vacant office as underused, supporting re-use for housing on residential-zoned land.
Strategic Policy 10
Promotes integrated transport minimising car journeys and ensuring highway safety. Site's accessibility by multiple modes and reduced trips versus offices met this.
Housing Policy 4
Supports new housing in towns like Douglas. Zoned predominantly residential location complied.
Housing Policy 17
Permits flat conversions in residential areas if amenity, parking, refuse, and outlook provided. Flats have pleasant outlook, private garden, bin/bike storage, and parking met criteria.
Environment Policy 10
Requires flood risk assessment on flood-prone sites. Residential above flood level, ground floor ancillary, and consultee no objection with condition satisfied it.
Environment Policy 23
Requires consideration of neighbour amenity impacts from changes. Over 20m separation with trees overruled overlooking objection.
Transport Policy 4
Requires highways to accommodate development safely. Good visibility, reduced trips, and parking met standards.
Transport Policy 7
Requires parking per standards. 2 spaces per flat plus bike storage complied.
General Policy 2
Permits zoned development respecting amenity, highways, flood risk, etc. No external changes, no adverse impacts satisfied multiple tests including flood and amenity.
Time limit
The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.
Secure bicycle store
The development shall not be occupied or operated until the secure bicycle store has been provided in accordance with the approved plans. The secure bicycle store shall be retained at all times thereafter.
Refuse store
Prior to the occupation of the development hereby approved, the refuse store(s) shall be provided in accordance with the approved plans and shall be permanently retained thereafter and solely for the purpose of refuse storage.
Allocated parking
The development hereby approved shall not be occupied until the allocated parking spaces have been provided in accordance with the approved plans. Such areas shall not be used for any purpose other than the parking and turning of vehicles associated with the development and shall remain free of obstruction for such use at all times.
Ground floor ancillary use only
Use of the Ground Floor hereby approved shall be restricted to purposes ancillary to the residential flats hereby approved and shall not, at any time, be used for independent living accommodation.
No objection
no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking... subject to conditions on cycle parking, bin storage and apartment allocated parking
no objection... applicant must ensure internal works do not damage bat roost and consult prior to works
No objection... condition section 3.3 of Flood Risk Assessment
