Waterfall Hotel will not be protected from demolition

A Victorian era pub in the west of the Isle of Man will not be protected from demolition, the government has said.

The Waterfall Hotel in Glen Maye was issued with a building preservation notice in June while it was assessed.

However, it has now been deemed the building does "not demonstrate the special architectural interest required" to be added to the Protected Building Register (PBR).

Proposals to demolish the structure are still under consideration by planners.

Built as housing in the 1860s, at time when there was a upsurge in mining in nearby Glen Rushen, it was first opened as a public house in 1865 but closed several years ago and is currently vacant.

Announcing the decision not to protect the building, a spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture said: "We appreciate that the site will hold sentimental value for some members of the public, and that both residents and visitors will have many fond memories of the hotel and pub.

"However, the building itself has not passed the test for registration as having special architectural or historical interest, so won't be added to the PBR."

Two attempts have been made to secure permission to demolish the property and convert the site into housing since 2017.

The latest application to replace it with four terraced houses was initially refused in January this year but is currently under appeal.

In their original decision to reject those proposals, planners said the owners had not proven it could not be commercially viable as a pub.

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