Peel Commissioners will put forward its objections to plans submitted to redevelop the Empire Garage site.

Members who attended the meeting on Thursday (March 21) expressed their concerns about three applications to demolish the car showroom and redevelop the areas on Marine Parade, Stanley Road and Cross Street in Peel.

If approved, owners Empire Garage Ltd will erect two three-storey buildings providing commercial opportunities on the ground floor with a total of 14 apartments above.

A residents’ meeting to discuss the plans took place last week, with a number of commissioners attending.

Commissioner Ian Davison said: ’There are aspects of the plans I do like, but there are a lot that require changing.

’What they are planning to do is too large a development.’

He said that he understood that ’from Empire Garage’s point of view they are trying to maximise potential’, but believes ’it takes away a lot of the openness and character of the town’. Another concern of his was that traditional redstone was not being used.

He added: ’The parking is a massive issue.

’There’s not enough car parking spaces for each of these apartments. Everyone of those apartments will need two to three cars.

’I cannot see where most of those cars will park. The Creg Malin car park is full every night of the week.

’It needs to be redrawn. I don’t want to lose the openness of the town I chose to live in.’

Commissioner Ben Heath echoed Mr Davison’s comments and praised the ’quality of the objections’ he’s received from residents so far. ’To my mind this development does very little to benefit the town,’ he said.

Commissioner Hazel Hannan added: ’All the way down the promenade we have different heights. It doesn’t replicate that. This is a conservation area. The plans are in for demolition and this is something else we should comment on - the age of the buildings.’

Application numbers are 19/00199/B and 19/00200/CON, 19/00201/B and 19/00202/CON, 19/00203/B and 19/00204/CON.