Isle of Man Government (Department of Environment Food & Agriculture)
Assignment
Development proposals have been submitted to the relevant planning authorities for the redevelopment of a disused hotel at the site of the former Golf Links Hotel in Castletown, Fort Island on the Langness peninsula in the south east of the Isle of Man.
These envisaged a mixed scheme comprising a 40-bedroom boutique hotel with leisure facilities and 40 residential apartments and the new scheme would replace the former Castletown Golf Links Hotel that went into receivership and was closed in 2007 and remains a derelict site. The site is within an area designated for tourism and proposals included elements that needed to be assessed in relation to planning and tourism policy
The Isle of Man Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) is responsible for the determination of planning applications and sought to obtain independent input to determining specific issues relating to both the development and objectors’ views in order to move things forward.
Our role
We were provided with a very specific brief and set of questions that needed to be answered by the relevant authorities.
To answer this we reviewed the concept, scale and standard of mixed use development proposals including the hotel and residential elements in the context of local planning and tourism regulations. This included analysis of all supporting documentation related to the proposals including a detailed feasibility study prepared by GVA and addressing specific comments challenging the concepts put forward.
Outcome
Conclusions on the key issues were provided in an independent Market & Viability report. Ongoing assessment of this project continues by the relevant authorities.
