Proposals to turn one of Ramsey’s most popular restaurants into apartments have been recommended for refusal.

Owner Kenneth Devaney submitted a planning application last month in which he said he cannot find a tenant to take over the building at East Quay which was home to the Harbour Bistro and then the Harbour View Bistro until its closure in April last year.

The historic building on the quayside was once the Union Hotel accommodating sailors and dates back to the 1800s.

The building includes a restaurant that can serve 70 customers, as well as a commercial kitchen and a bar. Business equipment such as bar furniture and appliances was also be included in any potential sale.

However, the owner has struggled to find anyone to take it over and has now applied to turn the historic building into four apartments.

But the planning officer has questioned whether there is enough evidence to suggest the property should not remain as a commercial premises.

In the agenda for Monday’s planning committee meeting, the officer says: ‘The proposed development is unacceptable because it would result in the loss of the existing ground floor premises as a restaurant with first floor function room to a residential use, particularly at ground floor level.

‘This would preclude a similar business such as a restaurant, comparison goods retail outlet, or a tourism based service, normally associated with the sites location within Ramsey Town Centre from occupying the premises.

‘In permitting a residential use such opportunities to do so in this prime harbourside location, would be lost.

‘No evidence in the form of a marketing exercise to inform the assertion that a continued restaurant use of the premises is unviable, has been provided.’

But in the planning statement, the applicant’s agent says: ‘The proposal for this property is to convert to fully residential accommodation, as the owner cannot find a suitable tenant to take it on as a restaurant business which it has been for over 20 years.

‘When the owner recently retired, a tenant took the business on, but it closed down over six months ago due to not being able to make it financially viable.

‘It is a good use for a vacant building, that has been vacant for a long time now and has had no interest in being bought and re-established as a restaurant/commercial building at ground and first floor levels.’

The former Harbour Bistro closed down in November 2019 having been in operation for 28 years and was renowned for its fresh fish and seafood dishes. Harbour View Bistro opened in 2020 but only lasted three years.