The Department of Infrastructure is launching a public consultation today, Monday September 16, on a proposed change to the Interim Planning Guidance for the Lower Douglas Master Plan. This change concerns the Lord Street site currently used as the bus station.
Planning guidance for key sites within the Government’s Lower Douglas Master Plan was finalised in October last year following a public consultation.
The proposed change within the interim planning guidance for Lower Douglas relates specifically to the Lord Street site, which used to house the former bus terminal building and still has the main Central Douglas bus stops on along its border with Lord Street.
Consideration has been given in recent years to relocating Douglas Bus Station, but the proposed amendment to interim planning guidance for Lower Douglas now states that, in light of last year’s consultation, any development of the Lord Street site ‘should investigate the potential to integrate improved bus interchange facilities within the development located off/alongside the Lord Street frontage’.
Laurence Skelly MHK, DoI Political Member with responsibility for Planning & Building Control, said: ‘The proposed amendment to the planning guidance comes after we reviewed the information and views gathered as part of last year’s public consultation. The suggested revision asks the public if they believe the Lord Street site should be considered for improved bus station facilities, and whether they agree with the wording used within the planning guidance that relates to the Lord Street site.
‘The location of the main Douglas bus interchange is an important issue, and one that clearly generates widespread public interest. I would therefore urge anyone who has a view to submit it to the consultation, which will run until 28th October 2013.’
The Interim Planning Guidance document forms the basis for the Department’s vision of creating a key gateway area to Douglas and the Island, based around the ‘Middlemarch’ site, Lord Street and North Quay. The Guidance will be used as a policy document to assist in determining planning applications made within that area, and will eventually be incorporated into the Area Plan for the East, on which work has started/is expected to start on 16th September 2013.
The proposed Lord Street change to the Interim Planning Guidance can be viewed at http://www.gov.im/about-the-government/government/government-consultations/. Alternatively, it can be viewed at Planning & Building Control Division, Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas, IM1 2SF.
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