The old cafe on Laxey Promenade is in the process of being demolished, which Garff Commissioners has described as a ‘big relief’ to see.

In the last 20 years various planning applications have been approved for residential development on the site but none have progressed.

Chairman of Garff Commissioners Marinda Fargher explained the building itself had become ‘unstable’.

She said: ‘There’s been a landslide behind, you can see how close to the cliff it is, but the major thing in upcoming years is going to be the wave overtopping over the end of the promenade.

‘You get a lot of stones getting thrown over, so it’s probably not going to be a site suitable for residential dwellings but we’ll see.’

Ms Fargher added that the owner of the building originally wanted it to be developed.

‘As time has gone on I think there’s been an understanding that it isn’t a site that’s going to be easily developed,’ she added.

A current application for four dwellings is still pending.

The chairman said: ‘The consideration of the planning application is still pending, so we don’t actually know what’s going to happen but it’s a major thing to have that building gone.

‘The latest planning application was in October but before that there had been very positive dialogue with the owner and the owner has taken on board the considerations of the people.

‘We were representing the views of the Laxey people and they felt [the building] wasn’t any good there.’

The commissioners own the land next to the building where there are currently picnic tables.

Ms Fargher said: ‘The actual site will be fenced off.

‘You can see the promenade walkway actually ends past where the cafe was so people will be able to walk now right along.

‘I think it’ll just be an area that hopefully everyone can enjoy.’