Former nursing home to be converted into houses

Six town houses are to replace the derelict building on Groves Road

A former nursing home that has remained empty for 15 years is to be redeveloped into six town houses.

Proposals for the building in Douglas, which was previously the Saddle Mews Nursing Home, have been approved by the planning committee.

The site on Groves Road sits between the National Sports Centre and the Saddle Mews retirement village.

Committee chairman Rob Callister said while he was saddened the site would no longer be a nursing home, he believed the development would be good for the area.

Previous plans for a block of 34 apartments on the site were approved in 2017.

With those proposals abandoned, the applicants Kirindolam 2 Ltd are now planning to create six four-bedroom town houses, with front and rear gardens and two parking spaces per property.

The former nursing home closed in 2010 and has been sat derelict

Objecting to the plans, residents of the retirement village next door expressed concern over the number of car parking spaces.

Resident representative Henry Chaplain said a family of four could have two adult children driving and have up to four cars, and there was no provision for guest parking.

He also said there were fears over potential "trespassing" onto the adjacent land.

But Sarah Corlett, speaking on behalf of the applicants, said it was "unreasonable" to assume new residents would be anything but "neighbourly".

She also explained that two parking spaces per property complied with the city standards.

The committee noted that the latest plans would have a "lesser impact" on residents nearby than previous proposals for 34 apartments.

The plans were unanimously approved by the committee and objectors now have 21 days to make an appeal.