Plans to demolish a large part of Duke Street in Douglas and replace it with a six storey building have been approved subject to a legal agreement.

The planning committee has agreed to accept the application (18/00641/B) by Duke Street Commercial Ltd subject to it reaching an agreement to avoid providing affordable housing or open public space.

Under plans, numbers 42-50 Duke Street, the former KFC to Fenton’s butchers, will be demolished and be replaced by the six storey mixed use building including retail and office space as well as 11 apartments.

The apartments will include three single-bed, seven two-bed and one three-bed flats for the development with all flats including an en-suite bathroom and some of the upper level properties will come with balconies.

While the planning committee has agreed to approve the application, it is dependent on Duke Street Commercial Ltd reaching an agreement on a commuted sum in place of affordable housing and appropriate open space.

If that agreement is not reached within the required six month, the application will be referred back to planners.

However, while it appears the plans will move forward, another significant developer in the capital had lodged its objections.

The Tevir Group, which owns the Castle Mona and the Villiers Square site adjacent to Duke Street said it has concerns over the impact of the building.

Managing director Ciaran Doherty said in an email to Gavin Speirs, representing Duke Street Commercial Limited that Tevir’s ’current view is that based on the information provided within the application it is difficult for us to understand how a building of the scale you are proposing, on the entire footprint of your land will not adversely impact us and our tenants in the immediate and long term’.

There has been a number of oppositions to the plans from societies and companies such as Pauline Stewart of the Natural History and Antiquarian Society has also criticised this and called the proposed development ’inappropriate’ to its surroundings.

She added: ’The existing size contains some of the oldest remaining buildings in this part of Douglas.

’The basement contains, or did at the last time members of the society were able to access it, cobbled floors.’

However, public bodies including Douglas Borough Council and the Department of Infrastructure supported the plans, with the latter previously stating it would prefer to applicant not to include affordable housing, doubting the ability of low earners to pay.