Lonan3 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Prince's Street, Tynwald Street, Allan Street, Mona Street, Christian Road, Buck's Road - all very old buildings that were once boarding houses and have, in many cases been 'converted,' very badly, into flats. They need knocking down and rebuilt as proper dwellings with parking facilities. Willow Terrace, Hatfield Grove, Wesley Terrace (All behind Rosemount). Middle Farm - the one they want to convert to the new Douglas Golf Club - is actually very suitable for housing and not too far from the centre of things. Ramsey - still plenty of room for new housing by the Lezayre Estate/Greenlands Avenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Prince's Street, Tynwald Street, Allan Street, Mona Street, Christian Road, Buck's Road - all very old buildings that were once boarding houses and have, in many cases been 'converted,' very badly, into flats. They need knocking down and rebuilt as proper dwellings with parking facilities. Very difficult to achieve without government support. They're mostly owned by each tennant in management companies where each flat collectively is worth more than the building. They need to have government support to redevelop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha-acid Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Middle Farm - the one they want to convert to the new Douglas Golf Club - is actually very suitable for housing and not too far from the centre of things. That is a green field site and is not zoned for building Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I think we need to look at this taking into account a wide variety of factors, not least: Economic strategy - what work are we going to be doing over the next 20/50 years and where are we going to be doing it (home/office)? What type of businesses are we going to attract here or encourage to start here? etc. Residency - what is the point in building 500 homes a year here, if in effect, they are taken up by retired pensioners coming here to live. If we do continue to allow people to come here to live, perhaps there should be incentives (e.g. tax breaks) to encourage non-working people to live outside Douglas and encourage development in other areas All island towns - the redevelopment of not just Douglas - but Ramsey, Peel, Castletown etc. - whilst encouraging the location of new businesses, relocation of government offices etc. to more central areas of the island such as St Johns etc. This also includes building facilities such as shopping areas, cinemas and swimming pools etc. away from Douglas. If we don't, then we will just end up with sprawling housing estates and more congestion in a limited space in Douglas. I feel that we are being badly let down on the strategy front by many of our 'leaders', who just seem to be 'firefighting' the situation. We need people with the same vision that attracted the finance-sector here in the 70s and 80s - to put together and enact a plan suitable for the 2020s and 2030s, which encourages the development of the media, knowledge and high tech industries (including environmental technologies) likely to be the main drivers for any economy during the next 20 years, including providing the training and courses that these industries will require. This could include the development of out of town business parks to attract the businesses we want, in areas that need or have space for further infrastructure/housing developments. In short, our 'strategic plan' is not working IMO, and whilst there may be many good ideas in the current plan, few if any people seem to be getting off their backsides to enact them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 In short, our 'strategic plan' is not working IMO, and whilst there may be many good ideas in the current plan, few if any people seem to be getting off their backsides to enact them. A long term view is bad politics. Nobody wants costs without returns, especially during their term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wright Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 All developments must contain adequate parking and also adequate low cost homes for 1st time buyers. If the development site is not suitable on that site for the latter the developer should be made to develop some social housing elsewhere I don't agree that some of the smaller terraces should go. Most have been gentrified or in the process of gentrification or are in the ownership of a few landlords who provide a useful social service in providing flats to benefit claimants for whom there is no other provision. Down to actual sites in Douglas. South Quay, South Quay Industrial Estate, The river bank from EB's to the Nunnery, the old NCB site below Brown Bobby and coming out at Peel Road, the bus station site, the site opposite on Lord Street and Castlemona Avenue, the site next to the back of the co op on Lord Street, Pulrose Manor, land at Whitehoe down to the golf course, the entire site of the Palace hotel, car park, upper carpark (ex Lido)and the cinema and the Castlemona extension, the block including the Imperial to the Savoy (Burnbrae already own the Imperial and only the Savoy is now operating as a full time guest house), corner of Merton Bank/Alan Street and Bucks Road, much of old Nobles including the car park areas at the back. And government owns nearly half of it so its ideal for starter homes, sheltered accomodation nad lots of it is in the btown cente for regeneration purposes Enough for 5,000 apartments and 2,000 first time buyer homes, all within Douglas town boundaries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 All developments must contain adequate parking and also adequate low cost homes for 1st time buyers. If the development site is not suitable on that site for the latter the developer should be made to develop some social housing elsewhere Won't any large scale development create homes for first time buyers by allowing people to move on the ladder? I don't agree that some of the smaller terraces should go. Most have been gentrified or in the process of gentrification or are in the ownership of a few landlords who provide a useful social service in providing flats to benefit claimants for whom there is no other provision. Can you expand on the social service connection to benefit claimants? I wasn't aware of the connection between private landlords? The problem with owning flats is, you're not eligable for government grants. As many converted flats in douglas are in very old buildings, this is a serious problem that contributes to the decline in condition dramatically in douglas. South Quay, South Quay Industrial Estate, The river bank from EB's to the Nunnery, the old NCB site below Brown Bobby and coming out at Peel Road, the bus station site, the site opposite on Lord Street and Castlemona Avenue, the site next to the back of the co op on Lord Street, Pulrose Manor, land at Whitehoe down to the golf course, the entire site of the Palace hotel, car park, upper carpark (ex Lido)and the cinema and the Castlemona extension, the block including the Imperial to the Savoy (Burnbrae already own the Imperial and only the Savoy is now operating as a full time guest house), corner of Merton Bank/Alan Street and Bucks Road, much of old Nobles including the car park areas at the back. Agreed. Add the old Summerland site too, that'd make a cracking apartment block, with no shortage of parking and provide a nice boost to the business down that end of the prom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
When Skies Are Grey Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Agreed. Add the old Summerland site too, that'd make a cracking apartment block, with no shortage of parking and provide a nice boost to the business down that end of the prom. Provided they could get rid of the smell down that end!!! VK - love your artists impressions dude...I'm presuming they are not to scale??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 VK - love your artists impressions dude...I'm presuming they are not to scale??? But of course they're to scale (well maybe the sun isn't)! The only thing wrong with that diagram is there aren't enough skyscrapers - the future 7 million + inhabitants of the Island will need somewhere to live after all. We should aim to be the Hong Kong of the Irish Sea, then we'll have a decent stab at all this high tech industry stuff. Also, I think we should change our name. The title "Isle of Man" often carries with it associations of birching, near medieval laws on homosexuality, and grimey seaside resorts. For the sake of the economy I propose we change its name to The Republic of Megaland, and our national anthem to 'Come to Daddy' by Aphex Twin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spermann Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Possible brown field sites Summerland / Derby Castle (Horse tram to work) Victoria Rd (former maisonettes) Victoria Rd Prison for that matter (a year or two off) South Quay (Former Manx Gas Works) Lake Rd, former Douglas Corp / DSSM site (ARE DANDARA TRYING TO GET PLANNING?) Hills Meadow - Knock down the dreadfull looking industrial units and contruct sexy riverside appartments / housing. Former gas works in Onchan (behind Smiths aerospace), not exactly a brownfield site but its not exactly the country and you could fit a lot of houses on there. Possible Government incentives: Speed up the planning process on brown field applications. 0% VAT on renovation works. PFI support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Flynn Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 The final draft of the All Island Strategic Plan (replacing the 1982 Development Order)should be going to Tynwald for approval on 11th July. This if and when it is approved will govern the various planning and sustainable development policies till 2016 when used in conjunction with the Area Plans. It is far more sustainable to develop brownfield sites first rather than greenfield ones, and this is the present government policy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molly Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Prince's Street, Tynwald Street, Allan Street, Mona Street, Christian Road, Buck's Road - all very old buildings that were once boarding houses and have, in many cases been 'converted,' very badly, into flats. They need knocking down and rebuilt as proper dwellings with parking facilities.Willow Terrace, Hatfield Grove, Wesley Terrace (All behind Rosemount). Middle Farm - the one they want to convert to the new Douglas Golf Club - is actually very suitable for housing and not too far from the centre of things. Ramsey - still plenty of room for new housing by the Lezayre Estate/Greenlands Avenue. Is that not what dandara are doing on the prom with the end of life hotels? look at the flack they get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amadeus Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Douglas as it should be - Ace. Of course, my proposal involves drawing in enough foreign residents for the population to swell to 7.3 million in a year, but that's by the by. The point is it looks cool. Nah..sorry..I can't get used to that skyscraper stuff - too boring... Instead, I would like to propose the following: Makes perfect sense: loads of visitors, plenty of jobs, and we can simply leave Tynwald in there as an attraction - right next to Mickey and Goofy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feelslikeitshould Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Prince's Street, Tynwald Street, Allan Street, Mona Street, Christian Road, Buck's Road - all very old buildings that were once boarding houses and have, in many cases been 'converted,' very badly, into flats. They need knocking down and rebuilt as proper dwellings with parking facilities.Willow Terrace, Hatfield Grove, Wesley Terrace (All behind Rosemount). Middle Farm - the one they want to convert to the new Douglas Golf Club - is actually very suitable for housing and not too far from the centre of things. Ramsey - still plenty of room for new housing by the Lezayre Estate/Greenlands Avenue. Is that not what dandara are doing on the prom with the end of life hotels? look at the flack they get. Exactly what I was thinking. They own a few of the places mentioned in this thread already and I wouldn't be surprised if they owned a few more. The only thing you can really build on most of these brown field sites, especially given the land value if it zoned for residential, are flats and possibly mews style houses in some places. But there's always uproar when HH apply for planning permission for flats down on Lake on Road or South Quay or some terrace that's falling down. Come on people, is it only a good idea because you thought of it first? Even though they or Hartford or J G Kelly or someone is one step ahead and already owns most of the near dilapidated brown field sites in and around Douglas. Lonan3, HH applied for planning permission for that part of Ramsey 5 years before it was finally given but in that time, demand for housing in Ramsey had greatly subsided. Seems to be on the way back up now though so hopefully something come of it yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireblade paul Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 why do you think dan the man and his other cronnies have bought middle farm , it is not to put a golf course on when their is a good one across the road. look out traffic jams when that megga estate gets built Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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