Businesses and residents have put forward their objections to plans for Duke Street, Douglas, but the public bodies are supporting it.

The planning application (18/00641/B) is for numbers 40 to 52 Duke Street to be demolished and rebuilt as retail, office and residential space.

Planners have received objections to the applications from residents and businesses which are based around the site.

The reasons behind the objections have included the height of the building, its mass, inadequate parking provision and a lack of detail in the planning regarding several details.

The applicant is Duke Street Commercial Ltd, working with Thomas Hunter Architects of Kilmarnock in Scotland.

Helen Clarkson from property management company CBRE responded to the application on behalf of Aviva Investors.

Aviva owns the land adjacent to the Duke Street site.

The company has objected to the plans because of a lack of detail for the demolition process, parking and has not carried out any archaeological assessment.

Pauline Stewart of the Natural History and Antiquarian Society has also criticised this and called the proposed development ’inappropriate’ to its surroundings.

She added: ’The existing size contains some of the oldest remaining buildings in this part of Douglas.

’The basement contains, or did at the last time members of the society were able to access it, cobbled floors.’

Mrs Stewart said the society wants to see details of the interior building which currently exists before the application is continued.

Patricia Newton from South Cape, Laxey, said she is concerned the new building will ruin the view and landscape of the area.This includes overshadowing the Villiers Square, which all objectors have pointed out Duke Street Commercial doesn’t own, and criticised comments regarding the development of the Villiers Square.

Karen Tiplady from MAS Real Estate, said the company has parking in the area of the Duke Street site and fears that a lack of parking spaces in the building’s plans will increase the problem of parking in the town centre.

However, despite these objections, public bodies are backing the scheme.

Douglas Council has said in its response to planning it wants to see the ground floor used as retail units and off street parking be provided for the office staff, but has no objection to the plans.

The Department of Infrastructure has also put its support behind the plans.

But the DoI suggested the developers enter into a section 13 agreement to promote a commuted sum in lieu of 25% of affordable housing.

The DoI said that it didn’t support affordable housing in leasehold flats because of charges which impact upon the ability of low earners to afford them.