Port Erin Commissioners have submitted an application to de-register the Cosy Nook cafe.

The historic beachside cafe was placed on the protected buildings register in April, meaning it is protected from demolition or any alteration that affects its character, without first receiving registered building consent.

The arguments for de-registration cited by the local authority included the fact the Cosy Nook had ’already been significantly altered both internally and externally from its original form’, and that the building as it stands will not be protected from the increasing flood risk threat.

In addition, the local authority noted that the Cosy Nook had been registered without a full internal inspection (despite this being listed as a requirement of the registration process), that it is in very poor structural condition as recorded in a 2019 engineers report, and it contains asbestos.

If the cafe remains registered, it also ’cannot be upgraded suitably to meet current building control and environmental targets which form part of the government’s strategic targets for carbon reduction,’ the commissioners stated.

Last March the commissioners revealed plans to demolish and replace the Cosy Nook with a modern Art-Deco style cafe, but chair Godfrey Egee explained that this move to de-register was not about resurrecting these plans, which were withdrawn in April.

Rather, he said it was about issues with the way the Cosy Nook was registered, and the fact that registration would make it difficult for the commissioners to pursue any future restoration or improvements.

Mr Egee, who personally voted against submitting the de-registration plans (which passed by a five-to-four vote), said that some board members felt the decision to register the Cosy Nook overlooked their reasons for originally wanting to replace it, such as the flooding issues and the interior condition.

Mr Egee said he felt that at least in the short term, flooding risk could be mitigated by increasing the height of the wall in front of the cafe.

Should the application be approved, he thought that future boards would lean towards new designs that were more sympathetic to retaining the traditional look of the cafe.

Hugh Davidson, director of Rushen Heritage Trust (RHT), said: ’We are pleased that Port Erin Commissioners have withdrawn their application for a new art deco style building on the Cosy Nook site, since we have long opposed this as out of keeping with its heritage built environment.

’Our board was unanimously in favor of registering the Cosy Nook, and very surprised at the commissioners’ proposal to de-register it.

’We hope any new building proposal for the Cosy Nook will as far as possible retain the current building, at minimum have a heritage frontage, while enlarging and modernising the interior.

’It’s also a priority, for both visitors and the Port Erin community, to urgently bring the Cosy Nook site back into active seaside cafe use after three lost summers.

’This application to de-register, which in our view has little chance of success, will waste more time, and should also be withdrawn.’

RHT said it would now be conducting a poll among its thousands of online followers to survey how they felt about the move.