A landmark site in the heart of Douglas which has provided housing for generations of Islanders is to be placed on the market.
Lord Street flats, built in the 1930s, have served the community for approaching a century. However, the last remaining tenants were relocated in 2022 and Douglas City Council believes now is the right time to sell the four-storey building as it continues to invest in providing accommodation considered more suitable to modern day standards.
Councillor Devon Watson, Chair of the Housing and Property Committee, said: ‘At Douglas City Council, there is a tangible commitment to provide quality, efficient and affordable homes for those in housing need and, as the most experienced and largest housing provider in the Island, all of our team is dedicated to improving living standards for those in the community.
‘While there is no doubt the Lord Street Flats served Douglas well and housed tenants for several decades, it was also acknowledged they were some of the more outdated flats in the Council’s housing stock. As a result, we unequivocally felt they were no longer suitable due to a lack of modern-day facilities such as lift access, parking and secure communal entrances.
‘Since the last remaining tenants of the Lord Street Flats were relocated to new purpose-built apartments on Peel Road over two years ago, the positive feedback has been overwhelming.
‘We will continue to drive our vision to provide quality and affordable public sector housing and proceeds from the sale of the Lord Street Flats will be reinvested into future housing projects for Douglas, alongside our own efficient general maintenance and refurbishment programme.’
The completion of the Peel Road apartment scheme in 2022 – comprising a total of 66 one and two-bedroom units named after the first Mayor of Douglas, Thomas Keig, and the first female Mayor, Mary Halsall, – helped increase the local authority’s housing stock.
The Lord Street site, which is split into four blocks with a communal yard at the rear of each block, will be marketed by Black Grace Cowley.
The facility comprises of 56 flats across four blocks, Murrays House, Hills House, Derby House and Athol House, named after the old Douglas Borough wards.
‘We are hoping there will be genuine interest from suitable investors given this is a prime site conveniently located in the city centre and an opportunity to regenerate a prominent area of Lower Douglas,’ added Councillor Claire Wells, Leader of the Council.
‘From a Council point of view, and as the Peel Road scheme and the ongoing development of 48 two-bedroom flats in Willaston demonstrates, this is an obvious step to take.
‘We place a high value on civic pride, and our priority is always to ensure our residents benefit from high-quality, energy-efficient public sector housing — providing a place they can proudly call home, built to the highest standards.’
