The Tynwald Commissioner for Administration has criticised Malew Commissioners for failing to act over the derelict Castletown Golf Links Hotel.
Paul Beckett said the authority’s decade-long “wait and see” approach was unsound.
Langness Golf Course Limited, which operates the neighbouring course, complained that the abandoned building was damaging trade and reputation.
It said the hotel was “an embarrassment for the Island and its citizens” and warned of health risks from asbestos, vandalism and vermin.
Long-Standing
The Derbyhaven Residents’ Society told the investigation it had a “very long-standing interest and concern in the condition of the hotel” because of the impact on the village and surrounding environment.
Mr Beckett said complaints about the property dated back to 2012 but Malew had repeatedly declined to act while planning applications and appeals were ongoing.
The report noted that in February 2024 “an air rifle was shot towards the window of the clubhouse from the derelict hotel site, damaging the window” following a series of police incidents.
In his findings, Mr Beckett concluded Malew had not met its duty to act and that its position “calls into question the soundness” of its response to the long-running dispute.
The report also published advice from King’s Counsel Giles Cannock, who said: “It follows that it is unanswerable (and agreed) that this building will be demolished. In such circumstances, there is no reasonable or rational reason not to require the demolition of the building now.”
You can find the full report on the Tynwald Register of Business.