15 December 2021 · Planning Committee
Swimming Pool Site, Golf Links Hotel, Fort Island, Castletown, Isle Of Man, IM9 1ua
The proposal involved demolishing the derelict 56-bedroom hotel and replacing it with a new 40-bedroom hotel (ground floor with gym, spa, restaurant), 40 apartments (112-270m² across 4 floors around central atrium), 80-space basement car park, walled garden parking, highway improvements at Derbyhaven/Fort Island Road j…
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Officer assessed proposal against Area Plan for South (Tourism Proposal 1 requires hotel retention unless unviable) and Strategic Plan 2016 (directs development to settlements; countryside protection …
Strategic Policy 2 - Priority for new development to identified towns and villages
Directs new development to existing towns/villages; countryside only exceptionally (e.g. agricultural/redundant buildings reducing impact). Site outside settlements; residential unacceptable despite hotel allocation.
General Policy 3
Restricts development outside zoned areas except previously developed land where redundant use and redevelopment reduces landscape/environmental impact. Proposal increases volume 121%; does not reduce impact.
Environment Policy 1
Countryside/ecology protected; development only with overriding national need/no alternative. Site in countryside adjacent ASSI; no overriding need justifies residential.
Environment Policy 4
Prohibits adverse effects on ASSI/protected species/habitats. Increased residents/human activity disturbs birds despite mitigations.
Landscape Proposal 22
New/replacement buildings on Langness must not significantly increase landscape impact/respect Hango Broogh. Mass/scale larger than existing; significant views harm.
General Policy 2
Requires compliance with Area Plan/other policies; respects landscape/amenity/highway/ecology. Fails countryside/location/landscape/ecology tests.
Environment Policy 22
Prohibits unacceptable light/noise pollution. Residential activity/lighting disturbs ASSI/birds.
No objection
Acceptable after amendments to visibility/footpaths/parking
No objection to drainage subject to modifications for adoption
Supports aims of Destination Management Plan
Multiple objections from Langness Golf Course Limited, local residents, Manx BirdLife, and AstroManx highlight fundamental policy conflicts with Strategic Plan and Area Plan for the South, significant landscape/visual impacts, ecology concerns in ASSI/Bird Sanctuary, inadequate p…
Key concern: Fundamental conflict with Strategic Plan spatial strategy (SP2, SP5, HP4) - unsustainable countryside housing location outside towns/villages
Langness Golf Course Limited (Steven Abbott Associates LLP)
Objection"proposals for redevelopment or re-use will not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated that hotel use is no longer commercially viable"; "Landscape Proposal 22: design of any new or replacement buildings on Langness should be such as not to increase significantly their landscape impact"; "Environment Policy 1: countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake"; "Housing Policy 4: new housing located primarily within existing towns and villages...permitted in countryside only in exceptional circumstances"
Manx BirdLife
Objection"Langness peninsula ASSI still holds one of the two most important populations of wild bird diversity and abundance on the Isle of Man"; "The proposed development sits within a quadruple-designated landscape"; "The potential impacts of the increased footfall on the foreshore by residents and, in particular, the impact of pets on ground-nesting and migrant/wintering ground feeding species has not been afforded an appropriate level of evaluation"; "Recent studies indicate that LED lights alter bird behaviour, producing potentially negative effects of bio-rhythms, daily activity and reproduction"
Conditions requested: independent compensatory fund for monitoring/remediation; enforced cat ban and pet control; alternative surface water disposal route; dedicated ASSI warden funded by developer
AstroManx (Howard L.G Parkin)
Objection"Langness, specifically Fort Island was designated as one of the original seven Dark Sky discovery sites back in 2012"; "excessive light causes budburst in trees up to a week earlier in light polluted areas...knock on effect on...circadian rhythm on wildlife"; "proposal is far too intensive and would have a severe detrimental impact on this area that is one of the most significant areas of outstanding natural beauty on the Isle of Man"
Conditions requested: rigid lighting adherence to protect Dark Sky designation
Derbyhaven Residents Society Ltd
Objection"a quality, single-use hotel would not be compromised by residential development...guaranteed for future generations"; "recent investments made in the hotel industry...investors have actually been prepared to develop schemes that they consider are viable"; "Knight Frank’s 2018 review showed average selling prices...north-west at £144,000 per key"
Cameron Court Residents (Peter & Martine Vermeulen)
Objection"Financial viability calculations...do not indicate that a hotel-only model could not work"; "actual change in visual impact is at least a 95% increase with a volume increase in excess of 150%"; "current roads could handle the increase in traffic — we can show this not to be the case"
The original 2017 application for redevelopment of the disused hotel site with a new hotel, leisure facilities, and 40 apartments was refused in 2021 for reasons including location outside settlements, adverse impacts on wildlife/habitats, light/noise pollution, and unacceptable landscape impact due to scale/massing. Appellant Fort Island Developments argued compliance with Area Plan for the South Tourism Proposal 1 (TP1) as hotel use no longer viable without enabling residential development, supported by viability assessments. Third parties, including Langness Golf Club, contested viability, claiming alternative hotel options viable without residential enabling development, and raised landscape, ecology, traffic concerns. Inspector found proposal compliant with TP1's viability proviso but in material conflict with Strategic Plan policies on countryside protection, landscape, ecology (via Precautionary Principle), traffic/parking; potential hotel failure could lead to full residential conversion in unsustainable location outweighing benefits. Appeal dismissed April 2023.
Precedent Value
Dismissal sets high bar for enabling residential at protected rural hotel sites; TP1 viability proviso met insufficient without full Development Plan compliance; Precautionary Principle key for ASSI-adjacent schemes; site-specific parking/traffic beyond standards decisive; future applicants must robustly market/explore alternatives before residential enabling.
Inspector: B J Sims
