Plans for a new-build home on Ramsey’s quayside have been approved - despite concerns that the historic former joke shop building previously on the site had been demolished without consent.

The application (25/90689/B) for 11-12 West Quay went before the island’s planning committee on Monday this week.

Applicant Ian Piercy has secured permission to build a four-storey, four-bedroom bedroom of traditional design.

The committee heard that the end-of-terrace three-storey Victorian Manx stone building that had previously stood there had been demolished without planning approval or registered building consent.

It was once home to the Walter Mills gifts and jokes shop which was a go-to place for youngsters for more than half a century until closing in 2018.

A retrospective application to demolish the historic building had been turned down in October 2024 as it would leave the site derelict and would not preserve or enhance the character of the Ramsey Conservation Area.

At that point the building had been partially demolished. The site is now open and vacant.

Enforcement notices imposed following demolition required the site to be re-built.

But the planning officer recommended Mr Piercy’s application for a replacement dwelling be approved, concluding it will preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area.

This was despite concerns raised by the registered building officer about the modern double garage door proposed for the ground floor and the scale and proportions of the first and second floor windows being ‘totally alien’ to the conservation area.

Planning committee chairman Rob Callister said: ‘The Ramsey application did spark some concerns regarding the demolition that occurred without formal permission.

‘However, given that the property has already been demolished, there is little recourse available at this stage.

‘The planning committee found themselves in a particularly challenging situation.

‘If we had rejected the application, the applicant would eventually have been required to rebuild the house, but considering the property was in a very poor condition, it was extremely unlikely.

‘These scenarios can be especially difficult, as we strive to uphold the law and regulations while navigating the practical realities involved.’

The joke shop was opened as a gift shop in 1949 but became an established joke shop in the 1970s, selling classics like fake poo, whoopee cushions and itching powder until its closure seven years ago.

It was one of the first places children went to during school outings and Sunday School picnics.

Since closure, the building had been on Ramsey Town Commissioners’ ruinous property register for a number of years.

The new dwelling to be constructed on the site, to be called West Quay House, will have an open plan living, kitchen and dining space on the first floor, with three en-suite bedrooms on the second floor.

On the third floor level there will be a master bedroom with ensuite, dressing room and laundry room together with a balcony overlooking the harbour.