The Sea wall getting built in the City of Douglas

[Dirty Buggane]

2 hours ago, Two-lane said:

This photo was taken from the north of the construction site, looking south. You can see where a digger has moved pebbles so that a platform level with the walkway has been constructed.

My earlier photo was taken just south of the construction site, and looking south. The build-up of the beach against the sea wall in that photo was created only by nature.

 

And god, and he was displeased by how naughty the Manx race has become. He was going to rain pestilence on us but thought no I'm going to be a right twat and gave us this government instead

[Roger Mexico]

Printed without comment:

A retrospective planning application to build a sea wall in Douglas has had to be submitted by the Department of Infrastructure (DoI).

Work on the new flood defence, which will protect the promenade, road and horse trams from wave overtopping during storms and very high tides, began with little fanfare a couple of weeks ago.

Work had been due to start in January but it only began in earnest recently which was after the expiry date of the planning permission granted on appeal in May 2020.

A spokesman for the DoI said: ‘The Douglas sea wall project is designed to reduce the effect of overtopping in the future as well as protect Isle of Man Government assets, specifically the promenade highway and horse tram tacks.

‘A new planning application is now in place (24/00743/B) with work fully commenced on a section to the north of Broadway. The new submission is identical to the previous one (19/00755) which expired on May 1, 2024.

‘The DoI notified the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture that it wished to continue with works and confirmed that a further planning application would be submitted in order to regularise the situation.’

The application will be considered at a later date but it is high unlikely the plans will be turned down at this stage.

The new wall will replace the existing railings along a 500m stretch of the Promenade from a point just south of the Douglas War Memorial on Harris Promenade to a point opposite the Empress Hotel on Central Promenade.

The scheme was originally estimated to cost £500,000 back in 2018 but the price tag is now expected to be £900,000 – equal to £1,800 a metre.  A dramatic increase in the costs of labour and materials is being blamed for the price hike.

A short section of wall has been erected by the Cenotaph to give an idea of what it will look like. But the main construction work is currently taking place opposite the Empress Hotel. Work is due to finish in September.

The wall is being constructed from cast in-situ reinforced concrete with decorative surfaces that mirror the features on the existing concrete pillars. It will be 1.2m (3ft 11ins) high, which will allow people to continue to enjoy views out to sea from the Promenade.

But its design will allow for a future increase in the height of by up to 0.6m should it be necessary.

Planning consent (19/00755/B) was approved on appeal in May 2020, having previously been refused by the planning committee.

The wall will feature a series of artwork panels designed by local artists.

Public access past the worksite along the Promenade Walkway is being maintained throughout the project.

Planning approval has also been granted to replace a further section of railings with the new sea wall between the Sea Terminal and the kiosk at the Bottleneck Car Park.

[Gladys]

A DOH moment from the DOI.  

[Kopek]

That's nothing to do with a Seawall. It's the barrier they will put up to reserve Amadeus' parking space in the side street!!!😁

[Dirty Buggane]

Still a blot on the promenade's once elegant Victorian  landscape. And whats with the wall at the bottleneck car park, is it a look how well it works here. The least effected part of the whole prom you could think of, you could put a fence of pallets there (obviously the good blue one's) and they would produce the same effect ie stop people falling over the edge.

[Mistercee]

The fact that the work started after the planning permission expired shows an appalling lack of project management capabilities. Checking that the planning permission was in place and that all conditions have been met should be in the very early stages of check lists to authorise commencement of the works. The expiry date of the planning permission should have been part of a diary system / timeframe chart for the project  I would also have expected the project manager for the contractor to be on top of issues such as this, cross checking every step of the project with his counterpart in the department.  

It is gross incompetence such as this that has landed us with the Liverpool Terminal fiasco.     

[finlo]

2 minutes ago, Mistercee said:

The fact that the work started after the planning permission expired shows an appalling lack of project management capabilities. Checking that the planning permission was in place and that all conditions have been met should be in the very early stages of check lists to authorise commencement of the works. The expiry date of the planning permission should have been part of a diary system / timeframe chart for the project  I would also have expected the project manager for the contractor to be on top of issues such as this, cross checking every step of the project with his counterpart in the department.  

It is gross incompetence such as this that has landed us with the Liverpool Terminal fiasco.     

Rules and regulations are only for us plebs.

[Mercenary]

12 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

Printed without comment:

A retrospective planning application to build a sea wall in Douglas has had to be submitted by the Department of Infrastructure (DoI).

Work on the new flood defence, which will protect the promenade, road and horse trams from wave overtopping during storms and very high tides, began with little fanfare a couple of weeks ago.

Work had been due to start in January but it only began in earnest recently which was after the expiry date of the planning permission granted on appeal in May 2020.

A spokesman for the DoI said: ‘The Douglas sea wall project is designed to reduce the effect of overtopping in the future as well as protect Isle of Man Government assets, specifically the promenade highway and horse tram tacks.

‘A new planning application is now in place (24/00743/B) with work fully commenced on a section to the north of Broadway. The new submission is identical to the previous one (19/00755) which expired on May 1, 2024.

‘The DoI notified the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture that it wished to continue with works and confirmed that a further planning application would be submitted in order to regularise the situation.’

The application will be considered at a later date but it is high unlikely the plans will be turned down at this stage.

The new wall will replace the existing railings along a 500m stretch of the Promenade from a point just south of the Douglas War Memorial on Harris Promenade to a point opposite the Empress Hotel on Central Promenade.

The scheme was originally estimated to cost £500,000 back in 2018 but the price tag is now expected to be £900,000 – equal to £1,800 a metre.  A dramatic increase in the costs of labour and materials is being blamed for the price hike.

A short section of wall has been erected by the Cenotaph to give an idea of what it will look like. But the main construction work is currently taking place opposite the Empress Hotel. Work is due to finish in September.

The wall is being constructed from cast in-situ reinforced concrete with decorative surfaces that mirror the features on the existing concrete pillars. It will be 1.2m (3ft 11ins) high, which will allow people to continue to enjoy views out to sea from the Promenade.

But its design will allow for a future increase in the height of by up to 0.6m should it be necessary.

Planning consent (19/00755/B) was approved on appeal in May 2020, having previously been refused by the planning committee.

The wall will feature a series of artwork panels designed by local artists.

Public access past the worksite along the Promenade Walkway is being maintained throughout the project.

Planning approval has also been granted to replace a further section of railings with the new sea wall between the Sea Terminal and the kiosk at the Bottleneck Car Park.

I recall murmurs about this around May time. Would this affect their authority to spend from Treasury (which under their capital procedures is normally contingent on planning being in place) or does it not work like that?

 

 

[Fred the shred]

It wouldn’t work for ordinary mortals that is for sure.

[Casta]

If Planning Permission was granted on appeal what was the reason for the initial refusal?

[finlo]

1 hour ago, Casta said:

If Planning Permission was granted on appeal what was the reason for the initial refusal?

It wasn't refused it expired.

[Gladys]

On 7/10/2024 at 10:23 PM, Roger Mexico said:

 

Planning consent (19/00755/B) was approved on appeal in May 2020, having previously been refused by the planning committee.

 

 

[MadAsHell]

1 hour ago, Casta said:

If Planning Permission was granted on appeal what was the reason for the initial refusal?

1. The Planning Committee is not satisfied that the permanent and detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and on the public view of the sea (both contrary to Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement CA/2 and
General Policy 2.e) are outweighed by the benefit of the proposed wall in relation to reducing the risk of flooding, noting that the level of protection which would be afforded by the wall is lower than that recommended in the applicant's technical report and that the risk relates to intermittent events at certain times of the year.

[Augustus]

World beaters.

[Banker]

Most promenades have walls not railings including on the Isle of Man eg Port Erin, peel, Ramsey, PSM, Gansey, Castletown so no sure why everyone whines about it, let’s see what finished wall is like. DOI aren’t constructing it, it’s tooms bros, part of Martey Downeys group.