Feedback from tenants of Douglas Borough Council’s Lord Street flats due to be relocated to apartments in the Council’s £12.6 million Peel Road social housing development has been overwhelmingly positive, after they attended an open day at Douglas Town Hall.

Housing officers, together with representatives from utility and service providers, were on hand to provide tenants with information, while a digital tour gave tenants an opportunity to view the interior of typical apartments and details of fittings and fixtures. 

Also on display were floorplans, the choices of carpets available and an example of the washer/dryer to be fitted in each apartment.

Leslie Smith has lived in a Lord Street flat since the nineteen-nineties and has been allocated a one-bedroom apartment in the new development. He said: ‘At first I was happy to stay where I was, but then circumstances led to me gaining a new perspective on life and I am now looking forward to moving. It is great to know that there will be carpets and a washer/dryer provided, and the open-plan kitchen/living room arrangement will give me more room to manoeuvre. To have a lift will be great and I’m sure there’ll soon be a little community formed of familiar faces from Lord Street. I’ve been very impressed with how the Council has been so supportive throughout the whole process, keeping us up to date with progress and the open day’s been very useful to give us an idea of how our new homes will look. I can’t wait to get my keys.’

John Halsall, a Lord Street flats tenant for many years, is looking forward to be living in one of the new two-bedroom apartments. He said: ‘The Council has been with us every step of the way and kept us well informed. And it’s great that they’re organising the removal and taking care of everything.'

Stephen Cubbon has lived in a top-floor Lord Street flat for several years, and is looking forward to moving into his new fourth-floor apartment accessible by lift. He said: ‘What’s been really impressive is how the Council officers have visited me at home so I haven’t had to go to the Town Hall; they’re all very friendly and even brought the carpet swatches around so I could choose which shade I wanted.’

James McBurnie will be moving from his top-floor Lord Street flat where he has lived for many years, to a one-bedroom apartment. He said: 'The Council officers have been very helpful and all the signs point to a fairly seamless move.’

Pat Rooney summed up the mood of her fellow Lord Street tenants when she said: ‘The Council have been absolutely wonderful. I’ve lived in a Lord Street flat for many years and the thought of having a brand-new apartment makes me really happy’.

Housing and Property Committee Chair Councillor Janet Thommeny said: ‘I’m delighted with the encouraging feedback we received from the open day. We aimed to provide tenants with as much information as possible and thanks to the hard work of our officers and other parties in arranging the event it’s fair to say that we achieved our ambition. 

‘Moving home can be stressful so the Council was determined to communicate with our tenants in an effective and clearly presented way that would be involving and interactive. We’re truly grateful to our tenants for sharing their views. Findings from the open day will not only help to strengthen engagement with our tenants but will also serve to inform the Council’s programme of future social housing developments’.

Peel Road Apartments at a glance: 

• The £12.6 million project is being delivered by the Council in partnership with developer, Dandara, and with support from the Dept of Infrastructure;

• The 66 apartments occupy the site of the former Athol Garage on Peel Road;

• There is a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments, a number of which are designed for disabled use;

• The design provides high standards of energy and thermal efficiency;

• Heating is all-electric in support of the Council’s move away from fossil fuel power;

• The development provides level access and individual door entry phone security systems;

• There is provision for recycling, secure cycle storage and some off-street parking;

• Completion is anticipated to be March 2022.

To view a 3D  virtual tour of a typical one-bedroom apartment, click here.

To view a 3D virtual tour of a typical two-bedroom apartment, click here.