Planning permission granted to demolish and refurbish part of Newson’s building

Development will include apartments, a bar and a restaurant

Planning approval has been granted to Kelproperties to demolish and refurbish part of the Newson’s site.

The planning committee voted five votes to one to allow the plans to go ahead for Number 27 and 28 on Douglas' North Quay.

The plans were recommended for approval by the planning officer with a number of conditions attached based on representations made.

These include preserving and using as many original Manx slate tiles as possible, not demolishing No 28 until No 27 is underway and sliding sash windows must be installed on the ground floor.

As part of the development, number 27 will become a bar and restaurant with an apartment on the third floor, whilst 28 will have a retail unit and an apartment which will take up three floors.

The planning officer said the two building have ‘significant’ structural issues.

He added these were built in around 1785 and are believed to be among the oldest on the quay.

Representation was made by former town planner, Patricia Newton who said demolishing and rebuilding number 28 would remove the heritage material from North Quay and registering a building should ‘protect’ it.

Mark Savage, representing Kelproperties, told the hearing that three structural engineers had said ‘considerable’ internal works were needed and the inside of the buildings needed ‘stabilising’.

Planning committee chair Rob Callister said he was ‘comfortable’ with the proposal for No 27, and appreciated the change in plans to make the development less ‘uniform’.

Committee member Adele Betteridge, who voted against the development, questioned whether an increase in the height of the building would be detrimental to those around it.

The planning officer confirmed it would not.

However, committee member Helen Hughes said the development would bring the buildings into the 21st century and make the area ‘safer’.

Registered building consent to make the changes was also granted at the same time.