Where Is Ripe For Development?

[John Wright]

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?

 

Not necessarily. The shortgae is in the sub £150,000k bracket. We need about 1500 units to satisfy the demand and stabilise the market. Then we need more sheltered accomodation and so on.

 

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?

There are a number of landlords who have properties in the triangle from Circular Road to Old Nobles to Telephone Exchange to Mount Havelock whose properties are sub divided, cheaply converted and rented to benefit claimants at the benefit rate. They do provide a useful social service. The rent is guaranteed as its paid by DHSS. if they did not provide there would be a lot more homeless.

 

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.

 

No not true. It depends on the conversion, whether there is an active management company and al sorts of other things. A lot of older conversions hav elost their management companies and so the grants cannot be secured and there is no one to enforce the obligations of the individual owners or collect for communal repairs. We need some sort of condominium legislation or horizontally divided property law to set up communities of owners, each one with a manger who will do the work and pass onthe cost and recover it. What is more there should be sinking funds

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.

[ai_Droid]

Not necessarily. The shortgae is in the sub £150,000k bracket. We need about 1500 units to satisfy the demand and stabilise the market. Then we need more sheltered accomodation and so on.

 

What I'm worried about is the focus in building new affordable accomodation, which means you end up with a lot of rabbit hutch style estates. This is good for the developers, it keeps the prices high for less.

 

What would be better for the island is to build more larger properties, which would reduce the prices of the current bottom end and make them more accessable. You're not going to do this in a free market, but it's something the government should be supporting, particularly through planning.

 

Any quantity of product will reduce the price in the market, so why build at the bottom end?

 

There are a number of landlords who have properties in the triangle from Circular Road to Old Nobles to Telephone Exchange to Mount Havelock whose properties are sub divided, cheaply converted and rented to benefit claimants at the benefit rate. They do provide a useful social service. The rent is guaranteed as its paid by DHSS. if they did not provide there would be a lot more homeless.

 

Hmm really? I know of a well known antique shop owner who has a lot of those properties, but I wasn't aware of the DHSS connection? Why would you do that when private rents are so high at the moment?

 

No not true. It depends on the conversion, whether there is an active management company and al sorts of other things. A lot of older conversions hav elost their management companies and so the grants cannot be secured and there is no one to enforce the obligations of the individual owners or collect for communal repairs.

 

No, John, it doesn't matter a jot on the status of the management companies, or the conversions, here's the actual line from the home improvement grant docs:

 

"Must be a house or bungalow (not a flat – except for certain heating works shown overleaf)"

 

Actually this isn't the only problem, the grants are owner occupier only, and as you said, most of the flats in that 'triangle' that so badly needs rejuv'ing isn't owner occupier. The governments solution to this area was compulsary purchase, but the funds ran out. Now the owners seem to be on their own. It'd be nice to have something for this rather grubby area of town.

 

We need some sort of condominium legislation or horizontally divided property law to set up communities of owners, each one with a manger who will do the work and pass onthe cost and recover it. What is more there should be sinking funds

 

I've lots of experience at the sharp end of this, so couldn't agree more.

[Albert Tatlock]

Cripes! I thought my eyes were bleeding with all that red.

[Skig]

What’s with the old Mylchreest site on Westmoreland road?

They built a multi-storey on most of the site years ago, but the piece that was the old petrol forecourt is left like a rubbish dump.

Why don’t they do something with that?

[copycat]

and with the DHSS selling off the old nurses home site on Westmoreland Road (so it can re-build accommodation up close to the Strang) that building can be renovated to provide some larger private town apartments

[Heathen]

and with the DHSS selling off the old nurses home site on Westmoreland Road (so it can re-build accommodation up close to the Strang) that building can be renovated to provide some larger private town apartments

 

Or maybe adapt it for the 16,17,18 year old girls who get pregnant just to get a Corpy house? Some work inside to make it suitable for a young,single mum to look after her new-born for a few years. Even have a creche there so these young ladies could eventually return to/start work. Have 24 hour security on site so their boyfriends can visit through the day but cannot stay overnight (not that they ever do in their Corpy houses either).

[copycat]

Birmingham according to Dandara in today's FT:-

 

"The V Building would be built by a joint venture of Miller Developments, the construction business, and Bridgehouse Capital, a private equity firm. Dandara, an Isle of Man-based developer specialising in residential property, is a development partner".

 

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7f7f2498-1eca-11dc...0b5df10621.html

[Alias]

You know Dandara do more than just build manx houses? They already have portfolio developments in Manchester, Glasgow and probably a few other cities too.

 

If there's a viable development over here, then they'll probably consider that as well -- you don't need to be 'exclusively manx'

[homarus]

Great idea Vinnie! .But i'm not too sure about the portacabins on the seafront or the two skyscrapers on the left of your picture, they look a little bit too much like the twin towers used to, and as such could provoke a possible terrorist strike . I think a better design would be in the shape of two interlinked giant H's. " A La "Heritage Homes "., after all the're pretty much running the island anyway?.laquote name='VinnieK' date='Jun 20 2007, 01:26 AM' post='246651']

I don't think you're giving the skyscraper idea the consideration it deserves.

 

It's merits are clearly demonstrated by the following, professionally produced and entirely unbiased images:

 

 

Douglas as it is now - Rubbish.

 

 

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.

[Karellen]

What’s with the old Mylchreest site on Westmoreland road?

They built a multi-storey on most of the site years ago, but the piece that was the old petrol forecourt is left like a rubbish dump.

Why don’t they do something with that?

 

I believe that wasn't one of Dandara's developments.

[cheeky boy]

DD always get a slagging but they are only the biggest and most successful shark in a shark filled pool.

 

If unpopular developments are allowed to go ahead the the fault lies with the planners, the planning system and the cozy relationships which exist between senoir public sector employees and the developers themselves.

 

Oh, and don't forget the odd MHK who will roll over like a spaniel after being taken to lunch or flown off to watch the footie, I doubt if they have the balls to ask for a decent backhander.

[hboy]

If unpopular developments are allowed to go ahead the the fault lies with the planners, the planning system and the cozy relationships which exist between senoir public sector employees and the developers themselves.

 

Can you never trust Spanish civil servants?

[cheeky boy]

If unpopular developments are allowed to go ahead the the fault lies with the planners, the planning system and the cozy relationships which exist between senoir public sector employees and the developers themselves.

 

Can you never trust Spanish civil servants?

 

 

Sorry, I come from Barthelona