Review begins on Douglas Head conservation plan

Plans to progress work to formally recognise a headland in the Manx capital as a conservation area have been set out.

The Cabinet Office has begun a consultation into the plans to grant Douglas Head a formal designation which it said "reflects the areas distinctive history, architectural value and high-quality natural environment."

It follows a 2021 consultation on whether it should be designated as a conservation area, in which 77% of respondents were in favour of the move.

Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford said: "This proposal gives us the chance to plan carefully for the long term and ensure Douglas Head is properly safeguarded for future generations to enjoy."

An independent report in 2021 said Douglas Head was a "site of an extraordinary diversity of uses" and called for tighter planning rules in the area.

But In late 2021, the then Cabinet Office minister Kate Lord-Brennan announced that there were no immediate plans to progress with making Douglas Head a conservation area.

At the time it was branded by MHK Chris Thomas as "ridiculous" arguing that it had "deteriorated" over the past 20 years.

Under planning laws, the Cabinet Office is responsible for identifying places of special importance due to historic or architectural interest which can be formally recognised as a conservation area.

Proposals have also been outlined to install information boards or plaques at key points around Douglas Head to share historical facts, heritage stories and details about landmarks.

Now, the government is asking for views on specific elements of the proposals, including the boundaries that have been set out and implications for businesses and residents to adhere to stricter planning rules that come with being in a conservation area.

The consultation, which runs until 3 March, will inform the final stages in the designation of the Conservation Area Order - which go to Tynwald for rubber stamping before coming into effect.

It was a "sensible and proactive step to protect what makes this part of the Island so distinctive," Ashford said.

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