A review is under way to establish whether planning consent has been breached over Living Hope’s planned new church in Douglas.

Living Hope Church was granted planning consent in July last year to convert a former music shop on Finch Road into a new place of worship (23/01200/B).

The application outlined proposals for renovation and conversion of Removals House.

Subsequent amendments were also approved covering minor changes to the roof and some external walls, hard landscaping and the historic fountain outside.

But the works as carried out have seen the complete demolition of two of the three linked buildings.

Only one of the two gable ended brick buildings remains standing and the showroom structure between them has also been flattened.

A spokesperson for the planning and building control directorate said: ‘The extent of the demolition is currently being reviewed under the planning enforcement policy to determine whether it aligns with the approved planning consent.

‘However, no formal request to investigate a breach of planning has been made to the department at this time.’

The building is to become the new base for Living Hope’s ‘Douglas AM’ congregation.

This congregation has been without a permanent site or home since it was established in 2008 and currently meets on a Sunday morning in the Palace Cinema.

The average weekly attendance is about 250.

In December 2023 we reported that Living Hope held a gift day when a staggering £150,000 was given and £300,000 pledged towards the Douglas AM project.

A newsletter sent to the congregation stated: ‘Recently we held a gift day and an amazing £450k-plus was given or pledged in a single day!

'Praise the Lord. We’re trusting for £500k by the time we take ownership.’

Removals House has had many different uses over the last 40 years including a furniture shop, lighting shop, gym and more recently a music shop. Since then, the site had been vacant and had become increasingly dilapidated.

The new place of worship’s assembly hall will have 300 seats and the building as a whole including other function rooms could accommodate a maximum of 400-500 people.

No strict opening hours are proposed, meaning the site could in theory open 24/7, including weekends and public holidays, although the report of the planning officer pointed out this was unlikely.

Living Hope’s main service occurs on Sunday usually between 10am and 1pm and youth meetings at weekdays usually finish at 8pm. The building will also be used around Christian holidays, which fall on Bank Holidays.

The plans will also see the restoration of the historic water fountain outside on the front boundary wall which is being repositioned.

Living Hope has eight congregations spread across the island with two in Douglas, two in Port St Mary and others in Ramsey, Laxey, St John’s and Peel.

In February this year it applied for planning consent to covert Commerce House on Bowring Road in Ramsey into a dedicated place of worship (25/90002/C).

That application is still pending consideration.