Plans have been submitted to transform a Port Erin pub into a new Spar convenience store and Subway outlet.

Mannin Retail has lodged a planning application seeking permission to change the use of The Haven on Station Road, which is one of two Okell’s Inns pubs currently operating in the village the other being the Station Hotel.

Both Mannin Retail and Okell’s Inn are owned by the Heron & Brearley Group.

The proposals would see the building converted into a convenience retail unit incorporating a Spar store, a Subway franchise, a hot food deli serve-over counter and internal customer seating.

Oddly, the planning documents describe the site as a ‘former public house’, despite The Haven currently remaining open for business.

In its planning statement, Mannin Retail says the existing business is ‘quiet and under-utilised, particularly during daytime hours and does not make effective use of the building or its associated external areas’.

The company says the redevelopment would provide a ‘beneficial reuse of an under-performing site’ and create additional employment opportunities in Port Erin.

According to the application, the current pub employs around six people, while the proposed development would support approximately 23 jobs – a net increase of 17 positions.

Mannin Retail says this would contribute ‘positively to local employment, skills development and economic resilience within Port Erin’.

The plans include external alterations to the building, including moving the main pedestrian entrance to a central position on the front elevation, changes to window openings and improvements to the appearance of the property.

The application states the site is within an established high street area where retail and commercial uses are appropriate, and argues the proposals would support the ‘ongoing vitality and viability’ of Port Erin.

The company has expanded its presence on the island’s high streets in recent months, reopening the global sandwich chain Subway in new locations.

A new Subway store opened in Ramsey in September 2025, two years after the previous outlet closed following the closure of Shoprite.

If given planning permission, the new store would operate from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 8am to 9pm on Sundays.

Mannin Retail’s application concludes: ‘The proposal represents the beneficial reuse of an under-performing site, delivering an appropriate retail and food use within an established settlement.’

Isle of Man Today has contacted Mannin Retail and Okell’s Inns for further details.

The full planning application is available to view through the Isle of Man Government’s planning portal.