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The property is located on Athol Street, Douglas and is currently an unoccupied office building formally occupied by an accountancy company, the site has been unused for approximately 2 years, there is rear access and a parking area to access the ground floor at the rear
The building was formally The Court House Hotel until around 1869 when the buildings name was changed to the Talbot Inn, the last mention of the Talbot Inn was around 1898, the building was reportedly converted into offices in 1930
The site lies within an area designated as proposed mixed use but with a “primary office frontage” within the Douglas Town Centre Area Plan
Within the Area Plan for Douglas Town Centre reference is made to “promotion of the town centre as a residential location (especially on upper floors) to encourage evening activity and retain residential catchment expenditure”
The development would also align itself with planning policy (Chapter 9 – item 9.10.5) which also states that “more residential uses would benefit the area and help support the nighttime economy
The establishment of the site as residential dwellings for tourist accommodation should appeal to either businesspeople visiting the Island on business or short-term tourist visitors wishing to be located within walking distance of everything Douglas Town Centre has to offer whilst reducing the need for travelling for shopping and entertainment greatly
The proposal is to convert the current office building into the following accommodation: Basement – 1No 1 Bedroom Apartment Ground Floor – 1No 1 Bedroom Apartment First Floor – 1No 2 Bedroom Apartment Second Floor – 1No 1 Bedroom Apartment & Lounge & Kitchen for Duplex Attic Floor – 2No Bedrooms for the Duplex apartment, Lounge/Kitchen on 2nd Floor
The site has been subject to the following previous applications: -
04\00036\B – Conversion of existing office into 2 separate offices including an extension to the rear elevation – Permitted
13\91474\B – Installation of 2No roof lights – Permitted
The key tests are whether the proposed development would enhance the character or general appearance of the area. The area does not benefit from having empty buildings on what was once the main business centre of the Island, there have been a few other buildings now used for coffee shops etc on Athol Street which has diversified the area somewhat
We would suggest that the conversion from an unused office building (which if left as it is currently would fall further into disrepair) into a useable building with 1 & 2 bedroomed apartments near to secure off-street parking within the Town Centre would be an upgrade to the general area and may lead to other buildings in the near vicinity being used in this way to hopefully contribute to the desired planning policies of re-establishing residential uses within the town centre rather than leaving buildings empty which will obviously fall derelict
We would also suggest that the proposal satisfies all the relevant planning policies and would enhance the conditions of the general area by bringing an unused building back into use
We have also consulted with the Director of Destination Development at Visit Isle of Man who outlined the following:
The following is taken from ‘Our Island, Our Future’ Isle of Man Visitor Economy Strategy 2022-2032 which was unanimously voted through Tynwald in May 2022:
Our Island, Our Future outlines the strategic plan for growing the Island’s Visitor Economy over the next 10 years through to 2032. It has been developed by the Visit Agency (‘Visit Isle of Man’) in partnership with the Island’s Visitor Economy sector and partner government departments, agencies and organisations. It is through improving the quality of the destination that the quality of life for our residents will improve too, and it is this association that makes the Isle of Man the natural choice to live, work and visit.
The strategy is the culmination of a comprehensive programme of market research and consultancy studies, which have consistently shown great potential for growth in the Island’s Visitor Economy. It outlines a clear way forward for fully capitalising on all of these opportunities and provides the context and mandate for the work of Visit Isle of Man and the starting point for business cases for Government policy and investment support. It is designed to complement and inform the strategies, policies and ambitions of all partner government departments, agencies and bodies, and support the future prosperity of the Island’s existing and new Visitor Economy businesses.
Visit Isle of Mans visitor accommodation studies have shown that the Island is lagging behind our competitor island, coastal and rural destinations in terms of the quality and choice of visitor accommodation on offer. The Island needs to secure investment in distinctive, contemporary and sustainable visitor accommodation that will attract new visitor markets to the Island, help boost off-peak demand, and enable the Island to get ahead of the competition.
We need to widen our non-serviced accommodation supply with the introduction of the innovative offers that are finding a strong market in competitor destinations.
As well as attracting visitors to the Island the local economy will also benefit with the employment of cleaners, handymen and maintenance staff and the general supply chain of the Island.
Mick Stott MS Design Ltd Rev A – 09-01-2025
MOBILE: 07624 434790 EMAIL: [email protected]
DIRECTOR: M. Stott MCIAT INCORPORATED IN THE ISLE OF MAN. REGISTERED NUMBER: 135874C REGISTERED COMPANY: MS Design Ltd, 2 Cronk Rhenny Villa, Quines Hill, Port Soderick, Braddan, Isle of Man, IM4 1AU
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