Isle of Man Enterprises, the owner of Shoprite, has appealed against the decision to grant approval for a parkland campus on Victoria Road.

The Excel Group’s application to build a campus-like facility built which, developers say, would create 300 jobs, was approved in November.

Across the former holiday camp site, the company intends to build a campus facility comprising of a headquarters office building with restaurant, café, collaborative working areas and 66 staff accommodation units.

However, while approval was granted, with some 17 conditions, Isle of Man Enterprises PLC, which owns the land next door, has appealed against that decision.

In its appeal letter, submitted by Hargest Planning Ltd of Edinburgh, the store chain owner said that it ‘does not object to the principle of either/or both commercial and residential development on the application site’.

The letter also noted that the company considers that the principle development of the site should be supported but that ‘it should be well designed meeting the standards and requirements set out in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan and the Area Plan for the East’.

It added: ‘However, Isle of Man Enterprises considers that the proposals set out in this application constitute over-development which result in a wide range of significant adverse impacts that outweigh any potential benefits that would arise from the proposals.’

The reasons given for the appeal range from road safety, parking and pedestrian access to heritage impact, environmental impact and the economic impact of the proposed development. With reference to the last point, Isle of Man Enterprises has asked that any assessment of the proposed development that led to support being indicated by the Department for Enterprise be released for independent review.

In response to the appeal, the Department for the Environment, Food and Agriculture has said the request for the appeal to be heard in the form of a hearing will be conveyed to the chief secretary.

While a planning inspector will provide a report on the application, the minister will make the ultimate decision.