1 May 2025 · Planning Committee
Greystone Llc, 18, Athol Street, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 1ja
The proposal involves converting a vacant mid-terraced office building, historically a hotel and inn, into five tourist apartments: one-bedroom units in basement and ground floor, a two-bedroom on first floor, and a duplex one-bedroom/two-bedroom spanning second and attic floors.
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The officer determined the proposal acceptable in principle as it repurposes a redundant office building in a sustainable town centre location designated for mixed uses including tourism, aligning wit…
General Policy 2
Requires general development considerations including amenity, highway safety, and parking. Officer assessed proposal as compliant due to no significant impacts on neighbours, highways (per DOI), or parking given town centre location and public facilities.
Strategic Policy 4
Seeks to protect or enhance Conservation Areas. No external changes preserve character; income from tourism ensures maintenance of vacant building.
Strategic Policy 8
Supports tourist development using existing built fabric. Conversion aligns with mixed-use town centre goals and visitor economy strategy.
Business Policy 1
Encourages employment growth if policy-compliant. Tourist use boosts local economy in office area.
Environment Policy 35
Preserve or enhance Conservation Areas. No visual impact; supports ongoing maintenance.
Transport Policy 7
Parking standards. Two spaces reserved for tourists; proximity to car parks/public transport; DOI no objection.
Time limit
The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Short-term holiday letting only
The holiday/tourist accommodation hereby approved shall be restricted to short-term holiday letting purposes only. In particular: a) no individual shall reside on site in any accommodation hereby permitted for more than 28 consecutive days; b) the owner/operator of the holiday accommodation shall maintain an up-to-date register of the names of all occupiers of the units. This register shall be made available within 1 calendar month of a written request by the DEFA Planning and, c) the holiday accommodation hereby approved shall not be occupied as a person or persons' sole, or main place of residence. Reason: The Department has assessed the impact of the proposal on the basis of the specific use and the documents submitted.
Use restricted to tourist accommodation
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 2019 or Town and Country Planning (Change of Use) (Development) (No. 2) Order 2019 or any order amending, revoking or re-enacting these Orders, the apartments hereby approved shall be used only for the purpose hereby approved, as tourist accommodation units (class 3.6), and shall not be used for any other purpose without the express grant of planning approval from the Department. Reason: To enable the Department to consider the implications of any subsequent change of use on the amenities of the area.
Exclusive tourist parking
The parking spaces allocated at the rear of the property shall be reserved exclusively for the use of the occupants of the tourist accommodation units hereby approved and retained as such thereafter. These spaces shall not be used for any other purpose, including by employees or visitors not staying in the tourist accommodation. Reason: To ensure that the allocated parking spaces remain available for the proposed tourist use and to reduce parking pressures for local businesses and residents.
No significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as the proposed would have a similar or less travel and vehicular impact compared to the existing use
No objections to the proposals
Joseph Bucknall Limited, an interested party as owner of adjacent car parks, does not object to the conversion of offices to five tourist apartments but strongly objects to the provision and use of the four proposed rear parking spaces for tourists due to space constraints, access issues, and potential illegal overflow parking onto their property.
Key concern: strongly objects to proposed rear parking spaces being used by tourists due to inadequacy and risk of illegal overflow parking onto adjacent tenanted car parks
Joseph Bucknall Limited
ObjectionI do not object to the application to convert 18, Athol Street, Douglas, into 5 self-contained apartments for use as tourist accommodation; I do, however, object strongly to the 4 proposed car parking spaces being used by visiting tourists of the 5 apartments; for all of the above reasons, I strongly object to any of the parking spaces at the rear of 18 Athol Street being used as parking spaces for tourists renting the proposed 5 apartments
