Plans have been revealed to develop new social housing in the centre of Douglas and replace rundown council flats.

The town council has submitted an application (19/01222/B) with property developer Dandara for 66 flats to be built on a former garage site on Peel Road. The residents from the current flats in Lord Street are likely to move there.

The flats would be built on the site of the former Quayle’s Garage and attached land, which is next to the Brown Bobby petrol station.

If approved, the plans, designed by property developer Dandara, would see two blocks of flats built over five floors, each combining a mixture of one- and two-bedroom flats with kitchens, bathrooms and living space, as well as associated parking.

The move could pave the way for the council’s ageing Lord Street flats to be redeveloped.

The chairman of the council’s housing committee, Councillor Claire Wells, told the Manx Independent that the local authority and Dandara had been in discussions for about a year to ’see how this brownfield site within the town centre can be redeveloped to provide more suitable accommodation for those who are currently living in outdated social housing flats in lower Douglas’.

Mrs Wells added: ’It is hoped that the site will be up and running within two years after construction has commenced. This development will kick start the regeneration of the council’s lower Douglas flats, which are some of the oldest social housing properties on the island.

’Once we have approval from both the government and planning for this development, we will look into how we can continue to develop other lower Douglas flats.

’As the largest housing provider on the island, this is a big step in the right direction with redevelopment of older properties and the creation of more social housing properties which is essential to the continued provision of affordable housing for those in need.’

Dandara’s managing director Seamus Nugent told the Manx Independent: ’This is a major redevelopment for lower Douglas and we’re pleased to be moving forward with this project. We’ve been working closely with Douglas Council over the past 12 months to finalise plans and ensure the delivery of high quality social housing.

’This much-needed regeneration project will be a real benefit to those who qualify for social housing and we look forward to advancing this important scheme.’

In its application documents, Dandara said: ’The existing Douglas Council blocks on Lord Street are approaching the end of their practical life span and the provision of new dwellings on Peel Road as proposed will give the council the option of relocating existing Lord Street tenants if required. The long-term future of the Lord Street site is yet to be determined.’

Dandara added that it would be using ’traditional’ materials to build the flats including ’Manx stone cladding’ to ensure they are in keeping with other buildings in the area.

The Lord Street flats were built in the 1930s, with contemporary news reports stating the first four blocks of flats were fully occupied by the end of July 1932.

The Isle of Man Examiner on May 6, 1932, reported: ’These new buildings are at once pleasing to the eye and without doubt add beauty to a town that must live up to and maintain a well-earned reputation for its attractive beauty.

’The exterior elevations of the buildings are a credit to all concerned in the erection of them, and give the flats the quiet dignity and appearance of a high-class residential property.’

The buildings were renamed after the wards of Douglas: Athol, Derby, Hills, Murrays, St George’s and Victoria following refurbishments in 2007.

Last year Isle of Man Newspapers spoke to residents after part of a hallway ceiling collapsed. One resident, Keith Mourant, described the flats as ’just terrible’ citing ’damp and black mould’.

A big regeneration project is intended for further up Lord Street at the old bus station site. The £25m redevelopment of Lord Street was given the go-ahead by planners in February.

Submitted by developers Kane Limited, the plans include a hotel, 20 flats, cafes, restaurant, cinema and car park as well as a bus terminal.