Douglas Council is to sell a former block of flats on Lord Street

A four-storey block of flats in the center of the Isle of Man’s capital, previously used as local authority housing, is set to be sold on the open market.

Built in the 1930s, Douglas Council’s 56-unit Lord Street project was boarded up in 2022 after tenants were moved to a more modern building on the Peelweg.

Housing and Property Committee chairman Devon Watson said the former flats were “no longer suitable” due to a “lack of modern facilities”.

Proceeds from the sale would be reinvested in future housing projects and in the maintenance and renovation of existing properties, he said.

The building on Lord Street is split into four blocks connected by a communal garden.

Watson said the facility had no lift, parking or a secure entrance, and while the flats had “served Douglas well”, they were some of the “more outdated” apartments on the council’s estate.

The authority has expanded its housing stock with the completion of the 66-apartment project in 2022, and planning permission was also granted that year for the creation of 48 two bedroom apartments in Willaston.

The authority was committed to providing ‘quality, efficient and affordable housing’ and the team was ‘dedicated to improving living standards’, Watson added.

Council leader Claire Wells said it was an “obvious step” for the authority and offered investors the chance to “revive a prominent area of ​​Lower Douglas”.