The sale of part of the former Albert Road School site in Ramsey will not go through until redevelopment plans have been approved.

Braddan firm Wardsley Ltd wants to build a ’mixed use development’ of commercial units, offices and homes on the western section of the land.

Ramsey Chamber of Commerce has flagged up concerns about the impact on established retailers in the town centre. It favours a combination of residential and office use, or leisure space, with better parking provision than it says has been set out in the planning application.

The eastern section of the former school site has already been developed as a car park by the Department of Infrastructure.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan told the House of Keys on Tuesday that the Department of Education and Children had entered into a conditional agreement to sell the site to Wardsley.

He added: ’Completion of the sale is subject to obtaining a suitable planning approval for a mixed-use development on the site and negotiations as to a suitable scheme took place with the department.

’Following discussions, Wardsley submitted a planning application for the site for a development comprising three units of commercial use, four apartments, together with three townhouses with associated parking and access.

’The application is currently noted as "pending consideration" on the government planning portal. As such, no development has commenced on site.’

The former junior school was demolished in 2011 in favour of a new site next to Auldyn Infants. The two merged to form Bunscoill Rhumsaa.