Douglas Council to sell Lord Street flats 

The last tenants were moved out of the building in 2022

Douglas Council is selling off its Lord Street flats following the completion of the Peel Road development. 

The last tenants were moved from the 'outdated' site in 2022 and the local authority says it will continue to invest in providing 'modern' housing for its tenants. 

It's hoping for interest from a developer to help regenerate the area, whilst the sale of the flats will be reinvested into future council housing projects. 

The block was built in the 1930s and the council says the Peel Road scheme and the ongoing development of flats in Willaston means this is the 'obvious' step to take.

Chair of the Housing and Property Committee Devon Watson said: "At Douglas City Council, there is a tangible commitment to provide quality, efficient and affordable homes for those in housing need and, as the most experienced and largest housing provider in the Island, all of our team is dedicated to improving living standards for those in the community.

"While there is no doubt the Lord Street Flats served Douglas well and housed tenants for several decades, it was also acknowledged they were some of the more outdated flats in the Council’s housing stock.

"As a result, we unequivocally felt they were no longer suitable due to a lack of modern-day facilities such as lift access, parking and secure communal entrances.

"We will continue to drive our vision to provide quality and affordable public sector housing and proceeds from the sale of the Lord Street Flats will be reinvested into future housing projects for Douglas, alongside our own efficient general maintenance and refurbishment programme."

The Lord Street flats comprised of 56 flats across four blocks, Murrays House, Hills House, Derby House and Athol House and are named after the borough wards.

Leader of the Council Claire Wells said: "We are hoping there will be genuine interest from suitable investors given this is a prime site conveniently located in the city centre and an opportunity to regenerate a prominent area of Lower Douglas.

"From a council point of view, and as the Peel Road scheme and the ongoing development of 48 two-bedroom flats in Willaston demonstrates, this is an obvious step to take.

"We place a high value on civic pride, and our priority is always to ensure our residents benefit from high-quality, energy-efficient public sector housing — providing a place they can proudly call home, built to the highest standards."