RegenerationUpdate

Government’s Regeneration Scheme is continuing

to deliver improvements to the commercial

centres of the Island’s towns and villages in

order to support businesses and economic growth.

This publication provides an update on the

progress being achieved.

August 2014

Market Square proposals seek to enhance one of Island’s most visited areas

Regeneration a catalyst

for future prosperity

CASTLETOWN

“ “I am pleased to see prospects of other

economic activity in the private sector

— Richard Ronan MHK, Committee Chairman

FLEXIBLE SPACE: The proposed design for Castletown Square

will provide flexibility, allowing the level of parking and open

space to be managed easily and on demand

With the GeorgeLane projectcompleted, the

Castletown RegenerationCommittee has been verybusy working on its plansfor an enhancementscheme for Market Squareand is now awaiting adecision on its recentlysubmitted planningapplication.

The proposals seek to

enhance the quality of one of

the most visited parts of the

Island by providing a flexible

area that can adapt quickly to

meet the needs of the

community.

More public space will be

provided for pedestrians and

events as part of a scheme

which allows parking to be

increased or decreased on

demand.

Crucially, the proposal will

mean that it will not be

necessary to close off the

entire Square to vehicles

during all events. Instead,

smaller events will be able to

be accommodated by a

permanent space adjacent to

the Castle and only larger

events will require parking to

be suspended.

Castletown Commissioners

have already released parking

in George Paddock to more

than make up for any loss of

parking in the Square. To

support this, the recently

upgraded George Lane now

provides an attractive

pedestrian link into the Square

from the George Paddock

parking area.

High quality stone paving,

Continued on page 3

Port St Mary has aunique new visitorattraction in the form

of a heritage trail made upof a series of informationsigns which provideinteresting facts, historyand images about the Port.

The scheme was led by the

Local Authority and Business

Association which successfully

secured regeneration funding

for the project.

Michelle Haywood, of Port

St Mary Business Association

commented: ‘The idea was to

provide visitors and residents

with more information on Port

St Mary in an easy to use way.

But even more exciting is the

way in which the heritage trail

encourages people to walk

around the Port and discover

more about its history. The trail

has proven to be very popular,

so much so that we are adding

two signs in order to extend it.’

Phil Gawne MHK, Chairman

of the South West

Regeneration Committee

Flexible space will

adapt to meet

community needs

SOUTH WEST

PUBLIC FEEDBACK: Two public exhibitions have been held in

the Square to explain the plans and to allow people to share

their feedback

increased seating and low

energy lighting will be used to

make the most of the historic

setting and show off the town’s

assets.

Richard Ronan MHK,

Chairman of the Castletown

Regeneration Committee

commented: ‘I am pleased to

announce plans to transform

Market Square and the Parade

are now complete, marking the

culmination of two and a half

years of hard work by the

Committee and extensive

public consultation. I have

been keen to bring together

various sectors of the

community to ensure that this

important project meets a

range of requirements and I

am grateful for the time and

effort that everyone has put in.’

He added: ‘This will be a

catalyst for Castletown’s future

prosperity and will link in with

plans by others such as Manx

National Heritage which is

bringing forward a scheme for

the Castle Rushen Speaker’s

Garden. I am also pleased to

see prospects of other

economic activity in the private

sector which will complement

the regeneration scheme.’

Continued on page 4

Continued from page 2

Heritage trail highlights

Port’s many attractions

added: ‘The Heritage Trail

project was locally driven

which shows in the care and

attention taken to compile the

information on display. By

encouraging people to spend a

little more time in the Port it is

hoped that businesses will

benefit.’

He added: ‘Smaller projects

such as this will help to support

the larger planned

infrastructure schemes and in

combination will add to the

quality and uniqueness of each

Port’.

The South West

Regeneration Committee has

also been busy bringing

forward two projects aimed at

enhancing Port St Mary and

Port Erin and these have now

moved closer to being

implemented with the project

teams being appointed.

Under the plans, Port Erin

Railway Station will become

the main transport hub for the

town achieved through making

the outside space more

attractive and allowing buses

to arrive and depart from

outside the station.

This will mean that footfall

Projects will add to

quality and unique

character of Ports

Continued from page 3

LOOKING GOOD: This property in Port St Mary has benefited

from external improvements part-funded by the Regeneration

Scheme

SIGN OF THE TIMES: One of the Heritage Trail signs that are

proving popular in Port St Mary

“ “

By encouraging people to spend a little

more time in the Port it is hoped that

businesses will benefit

— Phil Gawne MHK, Committee Chairman

will be directed to the town

centre and will make it easier

to make connecting journeys

from the steam train to a bus

and vice versa.

In Port St Mary, the paving

around the retail area on Bay

View Road will be replaced

with high quality materials to

make it more attractive to

those visiting the shops.

In addition to these larger

schemes, the Committee has

been looking at public art to

add excitement and interest to

each Port.

NATIONAL PRIDE: The regenerated area in the town centre became a focal point of Ramsey’s National Week

New businesses, shops and restaurants popping up in Ramsey at a rapid rate

Projects help to create a

real buzz about the town

RAMSEY

Ramsey has beenseeing some veryexciting changes

over the last year or so.Not only has the areaaround the Courthousebeen transformed intowhat is now undoubtedlythe heart of the town, newbusinesses in the form ofshops and restaurants havebeen popping up at a rapidrate.

There is a real buzz about

the town which is an excellent

example of what can be

achieved when stakeholders

work together.

And works are continuing

along Parliament Street with

wider pavements, traffic

calming and new street

furniture being provided to give

an enhanced experience for

those visiting the thriving town

centre.

And the shops within the

retail area have also been

getting spruced up. These

include Feltons, a long

standing landmark building

which has received a fresh coat

“ “

I hope the people of Ramsey will

continue to support these efforts to

revitalise the town

— Allan Bell MHK, Committee Chairman

of paint and Sadler and

Vanderplank who now occupy

their smart new premises on

Parliament Street.

One of the real talking

points of the Ramsey

regeneration story is the piece

of public art that the

Commissioners have placed

outside the Courthouse. And

not content with just one new

sculpture, the Commissioners

have raced ahead and will soon

be unveiling a sculpture by a

Continued on page 6

local artist which of all the

proposals that came through a

call for public art ideas, the

Ramsey Regeneration

Committee felt resonated most

with the town.

The Committee is now

turning its attention to the

Market Square area and is

looking at ways to make this

space work better for

pedestrians and vehicle drivers.

A scheme for the Square is

being drawn up and once

finalised a planning application

will be submitted.

Allan Bell MHK, Chairman of

the Ramsey Regeneration

Committee commented: ‘The

changes being brought about

in Ramsey are very exciting

and represent years of hard

work from those on the

Committee. I am pleased that

the benefits are now being

seen on the ground and hope

that the people of Ramsey will

continue to support these

HEART OF THE MATTER: The Court House area offers a real heart to Ramsey town centre

BRIGHT FUTURE: Ramsey shops have been given a lift

Improvements represent years of hard work

efforts to revitalise the town. I

strongly urge those that own

or lease properties in the town

centre that are vacant or in

need of external improvement

to do all they can support us in

improving Ramsey. With

Government’s regeneration

funding available to specifically

target town centre

improvements, there is no

excuse for anyone not to join

in with the spirit of what we

are trying to achieve.’

He added: ‘It is important

that we keep the momentum

of progress and Government is

leading the way with other

projects such as the completed

Albert Road car park and the

planned Ramsey Interchange.

These important improvements

will help to ensure that Ramsey

continues to provide an

exciting place for visitors and a

town that its residents can be

proud to call home.’

Continued from page 5Work on the current phase of

the regeneration scheme in

Ramsey is ahead of schedule,

with an expected completion

date before the end of August

2014.

It had been anticipated that

the works would run up until

November, but the contractor

has made excellent progress,

allowing a much earlier

completion in time for late

summer. The scheme sees the

section of Parliament Street

running from East Street to the

Court House enhanced with

new, wider, high quality

pavements, street furniture and

signage.

has taken longer than we had hoped to

get the first phase of Peel’s regeneration

programme underway. However, we now

have planning permission for the scheme

and can take the project forward.

‘Shopkeepers and business owners

have continued to improve the exterior of

their properties with the help of

regeneration funding and we hope that

more will follow to make the most of the

retail area.’

Injections of colour helping to enhance properties in Peel’s retail area

Lift-off as plans are

ready to be progressed

PEEL

Peel has continued with itsimprovements to commercialproperties with more external

painting schemes going ahead andseveral more in the pipeline.Injections of colour are lifting theappearance of the town centre,enhancing the many historicproperties which line the retail area.

Plans are also moving forward on the

initial regeneration scheme for Derby

Road. A revised planning application for a

scheme to improve this prominent

entrance to the town centre has just been

approved and works are planned to get

under way before 2015.

Adding to the excitement for this area,

the Cathedral has drawn up plans for a

new lychgate which has also recently

received planning approval. It is intended

that these schemes can be coordinated to

maximise their impact and bring a real

wow factor to those arriving in Peel by

bus.

Whilst a decision on the revised

planning application was awaited, the

Committee decided to explore initial plans

for Market Place and has shared the

scheme with the public.

Feedback will be key in establishing the

best layout for this important space and

the Committee is keen to make the most

of the setting provide by St Peter’s Church

and the attractive buildings which front

onto the square.

A vital element will be how the space is

designed to accommodate pedestrians and

vehicles to ensure that both coexist in a

safe, attractive and convenient way.

Tim Crookall MHK, Chairman of Peel

Regeneration Committee commented: ‘It

A TOUCH OF

COLOUR:

Commercial

properties in Peel’s

historic centre have

been improved with

help from the

regeneration fund

“ “We have planning permission for the first phase of Peel’s

regeneration programme and can now take it forward

— Tim Crookall MHK, Committee Chairman

LAXEY

Coach park is a gateway to popular tourist destination

Offering an even

warmer welcome

WARM WELCOME: Laxey’s new coach park provides visitors to the village with a warm welcome

Laxey now has asmart new coachpark to receive

passengers arriving tosee all that the villagehas to offer.

Laxey is one of the Island’s

most popular tourist

destinations, being home to

the Laxey Wheel, MER Station

and the Woollen Mills. In order

to enhance the villages existing

assets, the first regeneration

scheme which was completed

ahead of TT focussed on

improvements to the coach

park area at the entrance to

Mines Road. This is an

important gateway for visitors

and is often the first

impression that they get when

arriving in Laxey.

The Laxey Regeneration

Committee has been keen to

ensure that the maximum

number of coaches can be

accommodated whilst providing

pedestrians with a dedicated

area where they can orientate

themselves or simply sit on the

new benches and take in the

view. A dedicated information

sign will be installed in the

future to ensure that those that

are new to the village can

easily find the attractions on

offer.

Following the coach park

enhancements, the Committee

has plans for the creation of a

new square for the village. This

will be formed by enlarging the

existing area outside

Whitehouse Close and

remodelling the Rose Gardens

to create an enhanced public

realm. Not only will this

provide better pedestrian

facilities, it will create a better

linkage to the MER Station

which has recently undergone

a maintenance scheme.

Meanwhile, a number of

commercial properties have

undergone external

improvements with financial

support from the Regeneration

Scheme. The Heritage Trust

Gift Shop has been spruced up

ready for this year’s tourist

season and the buildings at

Whitehouse Close have been

painted giving a smart new

appearance.

Steve Rodan SHK,

Chairman of the Laxey

Regeneration Committee

commented: ‘The coach park is

an important part of the visitor

welcome and it now offers an

attractive arrival point to the

many coach visitors that come

to Laxey each year. The project

shows the benefits that the

regeneration scheme will

deliver when the main phase

for the Rose Gardens and

pavements follow later in the

year, subject to funding.’

SMART SHOP: The Heritage Trust shop has been given a

boost thanks to a new paint scheme

Latest improvements in Douglas are helping to revitalise the main retail zone

Driving forward vision

for a thriving capital

DOUGLAS

ALPHABET STREET: The Manx A - Y takes pride of place in the recently completed Regent Street scheme

One of the mainphases of Douglasregeneration was

completed early in 2014and sees Regent Street,Drumgold Street and DukeStreet transformed withnew high quality stonepaving, benches, artworkand lighting.

These works led on from

the enhancements to Upper

and Lower Nelson Street and

Wellington Street and create a

much more appealing setting

to enjoy shopping in the

Capital.

Perhaps one of the most

exciting areas of the completed

phase is Regent Street which

features dramatic circular

benches, trees and a unique

piece of public art in the form

of the Manx A to Y.

To those not overly familiar

with the Manx language the

omission of the letters X and Z

will likely seem strange.

However this omission was in

fact intentional as the Manx

language does not feature

either of these letters.

The images in the paving

depict the rich culture of

Douglas and the Island as a

whole and include reference to

the Giant Elk which resides at

the Manx Museum and of

course the world famous

Tourist Trophy motorcycle

SITTING PRETTY: A place to watch the world go by in Regent

Street, Douglas

“ “Douglas town centre is really starting to

look like a quality destination

— DavidCretney MHK, Committee Chairman

Continued on page 9

races which have been running

since 1907. The position of the

artwork denotes the area

where performances will take

place and a dedicated electrical

hook up point has been

provided to support this.

With the milestone of the

completion of Phase 1 being

reached, work began on Phase

2 soon after and is currently

focussed in Strand Street. The

poor quality and uneven paving

is being removed and the

street is being reconfigured to

provide a uniform surface

paved in the same high quality

stone used in the completed

sections. Douglas Borough

Council will be continuing with

its programme of installing

modern lighting to further

enhance the Island’s main

retail street.

Alongside the main project

to enhance the street, a

number of commercial

properties have benefited from

regeneration funding aimed at

supporting quality

enhancements. Included in this

is the recently established

Cotton Traders building which

now has a sleek new shop

front.

In a similar vein, The Get

Gorgeous Company situated on

Wellington Street has been

transformed with a one and a

half storey frameless shop

front and new signage.

Finally, those of you who

have visited the stunning first

phase of the Douglas

Promenade scheme,

implemented by the

Department of Infrastructure,

may have noticed the

impressive external lighting

that has been installed to

Jubilee Buildings. The

architectural detailing of the

building is now highlighted to

add to the dramatic first

impression of this gateway.

The combination of all of

these enhancements is driving

forward the vision for Douglas

This year Douglas gave TT visitors a

great first impression of the Island

Continued from page 8

STREET SCENE: The improvements in Regent Street have transformed this important retail area

GORGEOUS: The Committee

has been working with shop

owners and tenants to

support improvements to the

exterior of their properties

to be a thriving, cosmopolitan

capital.

David Cretney MHK,

Chairman of the Douglas

Regeneration Committee

commented: ‘Douglas town

centre is really starting to look

like a quality destination. As

works have progressed through

the main shopping streets the

improvement has been

dramatic.

‘I’ve been particularly

pleased to see how many

people are using the new

seating areas in Regent Street

and the interest generated by

the artwork. This year the

town gave TT visitors a great

first impression, helped by the

improvements made to the

Promenade and the lighting

scheme at Jubilee Buildings

which was part funding from

the Regeneration Fund.’

He added: ‘I am excited to

see the improvements

continuing along Strand Street

which are already brightening

up the main shopping area.

The Committee is keen to

encourage shop owners and

tenants to support the

enhancement of the retail area

by improving the exterior of

their properties and

regeneration funding is

available towards this.’

SHOP IMPROVEMENTSThe grant scheme to help encourage improvements to the exterior

of commercial properties located within the regeneration areashas continued and the results have been impressive.

If you own or lease aproperty within orabutting theregeneration area thenit may be eligible forregeneration funding toimprove the externalappearance of theproperty.

Improvements can

include painting, new signs,

lighting, renewing guttering,

scaffolding, roof and

window repairs but the

improvements must be to

the outside of the property

and they should not be

undertaken before an

application is submitted and

agreed.

There are some

additional criteria for

eligibility such as the

property must be of a

commercial nature, have

public access and you must

try to obtain 3 quotes for

each aspect of the work.

In order to assist you in

making an application to

the fund an information and

guidance for applicants

booklet and an application

form is available on the

Regeneration webpage:

www.gov.im/regeneration.

If you are considering

submitting a regeneration

application, then you are

advised to contact Steven

Stanley, Regeneration

Manager, (Tel. 687371 or

email

steven.stanley3@gov.im)

who can help with the

completion of the

application form and advice

on the level of financial

assistance you may wish to

seek. Application forms and

guidance information can

also be sent via post if

required.

How toapply forfunding

A key part of making town and village centres more accessible

to visitors from both on and off-Island is the provision of clear,

consistent and high-quality signage and information.

Commonly known as ‘wayfinding’, this approach seeks to

provide confidence to pedestrians and ensure that they are

directed to the main amenities and attractions of a place.

They can also provide information, stories and images to add

interest.

Signage has already been installed in a number of

locations including Douglas, Ramsey and Castletown and

more are set to follow.

SIGNAGE

HIGH QUALITY SIGNAGE

LIGHTING

If used correctly, lighting has theability to transform areas fromnormal and mundane into unique

and dramatic. This potential is beingunleased in many of the regenerationschemes that have been implementedand more will be incorporated intoprojects in the pipeline.

Ramsey has a canopy of twinkling

lights across the frontage of the Court

House building which comes to life as dusk

falls. In Douglas, the Borough Council has

chosen sleek, modern new lamp posts

which omit changing colours from their

LEDs to add excitement and change the

mood of the shopping streets. George

Lane in Castletown now has neat bollard

lighting to guide pedestrians along in

safety and comfort.

As well as making a space look better,

lighting plays an important part in

supporting the evening economy.

But it is not just street lighting that is

being used to add to the ambience of the

regeneration areas. In Douglas, a scheme

part funded by Regeneration has

transformed Jubilee Buildings by using

discrete spotlights and ground buried

lighting to highlight the architectural detail

of the facades.

Peter Horsthuis, part of Twickenham

Investments Limited said:

‘We are delighted with the outcome of

the lighting project. Jubilee Buildings is a

fine building in a prominent location and

its wonderful to see its ornate architectural

features sensitively highlighted at night by

LED spotlights and up-lights. I think it is

fair to say, the end result has exceeded

our expectations.’

>>> More lighting examples on p13

Let there be light ...New lighting schemes helping to transform areas in a dramatic way

LIGHT SHOW: The Jubilee Buildings in Douglas

George Lane, Castletown

Regent Street, Douglas

Upper Nelson Street, Douglas

BEFORE AND AFTERIn the next few pages you will find a

series of ‘before’ and ‘after’ images of

some of the regeneration areas.

Steven Stanley, Regeneration

Manager commented: ‘Once an area has

benefited from improvements it can be

easy to forget how things looked before

the regeneration works. However by

comparing before and after images it is

clear that dramatic enhancements are

being achieved in our town and village

centres.’

Regent Street in Douglas has been transformed to create a central area characterised by sculptured benches, trees,

modern lighting and a bespoke piece of public art that reflects the rich culture of the Island. A dedicated space for

performers has been included, along with a power supply. A new ramp to the Post Office improves access and

integrates neatly into the overall scheme. The scheme also features a row of pedal cycle stands.

BEFORE

AFTER

Regent Street, Douglas

Upper Nelson Street, Douglas

What was once a dull and uninviting side street is now a bright pedestrian linkage from Shaw’s Brow car park into the

retail centre of the town

BEFORE

AFTER

Court House, Ramsey

An area once dominated by vehicles is now an open

and welcoming space for pedestrians to enjoy the

shops and cafes. Outdoor seating, lighting and a

sculpture donated by Ramsey Town Commissioners

come together to confirm this area as the heart of

Ramsey town centre.

AFTER

BEFORE

George Lane, Castletown

George Lane has been transformed from a run-down passageway to a pedestrian-friendly link from the coach park and

car park area into the town centre

BEFORE

AFTER

Coach Park, Laxey

Laxey Coach park now gives visitors a warm welcome when they arrive in the village. A dedicated area for passengers

to congregate has been provided, equipped with benches, and an information sign will be added to help vistors to find

the many attactions Laxey has to offer.

BEFORE

AFTER

Further

information

Website links:

www.gov.im/regeneration

www.whereyoucan.im/Resources/Fact-Sheets.aspx

Contact Steven Stanley, Regeneration Manager

Telephone: 687371

Email: Steven.Stanley3@gov.im