Planners have given their backing to a plan to demolish the former Salvation Army Citadel and replace it with a hotel.

Permission for the demolition of the citadel, which is on Lord Street, Douglas, and building of a 44-bed hotel was granted, alongside approval for registered building consent.

Keith Lord, of Hesketh Investment Limited, will be building the hotel, which will have four floors above ground, a ground floor and a basement level floor accommodating 44 bedrooms on the upper floors, with a restaurant, small bar area and reception foyer on the ground floor.

Staff facilities and additional storage are in the small basement area.

Mr Lord also owns and operates the Mannin Hotel, serviced flats on Quine’s Corner, Douglas and Bay View Road, Port Erin, and operates holiday cottages in Lonan.

In his application, Mr Lord said the hotel would create 16 full-time jobs ‘within a range of occupations and skill levels with an average annual salary of £30,000’.

The Salvation Army left the Citadel in 2017 and had planned to redevelop it.

However, in 2020 the church announced it had scrapped those plans and would remain at its new base in Braddan.

While the current building itself is not a registered building, the site is within a conservation area.

Despite this decision being confirmed, it does not become final until 21 days after the notice was issued and the window for lodging an appeal has closed, and (if any) appeal has been later determined.