Developer Hartford Homes has submitted more evidence to planners as it continues to seek approval for its plans for a landmark former hotel.

The company wants to demolish to Bayqueen Hotel in Port St Mary and replace it with two buildings with 45 apartments, a restaurant with car parking and a new electrical sub station (planning application 18/00637/GB).

Ever since it submitted the proposal, Hartford Homes has faced a lot of questions over its plans, mostly from the government, and has had to contend with attempts to register the existing building.

Hartford Homes said its latest update to its plans were as a result of questions from Department for Environment Food and Agriculture registered planning officer Ross Brazier.

The company said that while it ’appreciates Mr Brazier’s specific remit is to manage and expand the island’s list of registered buildings, his demands that the building should be retained in its entirety are overridden by area plan policy’.

Hartford Homes added: ’The requests for additional information are disproportionate in view of the numerous specialist reports already provided, and have no explicit foundation in relevant policy or guidance.’

In its summary of the options presented to it, Hartford Homes said that refurbishing the current building or retaining its facade were not viable as ’both schemes are not capable of meeting their own costs’.

The company also noted that it is ’not proposing demolition due to its structural condition’, however it does note that some materials and techniques used in the building made it hard to work with.

Rather Hartford Homes said it is seeking a demolition because ’development options involving the retention of the existing building, either fully or partially, are not viable’.

It has now provided a new viability assessment, carried out by Charles Garside from estate agent DeanWood, which came to the same conclusion that retention of the building is not viable.