The Cosy Nook Cafe Port Erin

[Declan]

Turn it into home and flog it to one of the petitioners that claim to love it so much, then.

[quilp]

I can understand Viking burial sites, Peel castle, Castle Rushen, stone circles, ley lines, Knockaloe, Tower of Refuge, Laxey Wheel and many other sites being worth considering, maintaining and financing as part of the collective Manx Heritage but not some run-down old fisherman's cottage come cafe that has outlived its purpose. The romanticism attached to the nostalgia of Victoriana and other examples of long-gone quaintness on this Island is laughable. Get it levelled, build anew. 

Edited December 16, 2020 by quilp
Spelling, etc.

[Chef Raekwon]

13 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

I don't think anyone is calling it an "amazing historic experience", but characterful, modest, vernacular buildings like that do add to the atmosphere of the place and attract people to use the place. 

It's only ever going to be a fair-weather destination because of the lack of parking.  You'll see no cars in those pretty pictures and the same thing will stop it being a destination restaurant.  Something imaginative and attractive could be done with it with not much money, but I'm afraid the Commissioners are all set on doing their own Manxonia House, but for a lot more money.

In an ideal world they'll be able to retain the building and do something else there.  I have no objections to retaining it if it's viable.  I don't even care if it's left as it is either, as I said before I still use it regularly.  I do not like some of the bile that's been flying about over it though; there's objecting to something (which plenty of people have done constructively) and there's being abusive to people who don't agree with you and being generally ridiculous (which plenty of people have also done).

There's no reason it couldn't be an all-weather attraction if done properly either.  The Bay does alright all through winter down the other end of the prom.

On the parking issue, there are literally steps and a path down from the upper prom to the building so it's entirely possible to park close by but not on the lower prom.  Loads of people park further down the lower prom and walk over too.  I'd probably just make it disabled parking in the part next to the Cosy Nook, it probably should be now tbf.

[Kopek]

6 hours ago, The Phantom said:

So, they'll have a protected building that is about to fall down.  Brilliant, that'll attract the tourists. 

The protection order is temporary to prevent the demolition before PE comms have planning permission for their projected replacement.

If they are refused permission and have already demolished the Cosy, bit like the Islands famous fires where rebuilding is desired?

[tetchtyke]

The PE Commissioners voted to bulldoze it anyway, even though their plans for the new building were pretty much universally hated. We all know why they did that.

So of course the protection order comes in, otherwise you get a pile of rubble and PE Commissioners getting their building through planning at the second time of asking because it's better than a pile of rubble.

The building isn't great inside and there's not much you can do with it to improve it, but my God that replacement was hideous. Maybe keep the frontage and build a new restaurant out back. But just don't build that nasty little greenhouse.

[Apple]

6 hours ago, Happier diner said:

The fact that I see it coming from recent little Englander arrivals makes it especially grating.

Why is that ?. Aren't new comers entitled to express their opinion?

[Uhtred]

5 hours ago, quilp said:

I can understand Viking burial sites, Peel castle, Castle Rushen, stone circles, ley lines, Knockaloe, Tower of Refuge, Laxey Wheel and many other sites being worth considering, maintaining and financing as part of the collective Manx Heritage but not some run-down old fisherman's cottage come cafe that has outlived its purpose. The romanticism attached to the nostalgia of Victoriana and other examples of long-gone quaintness on this Island is laughable. Get it levelled, build anew. 

And for anyone who doesn’t like that...there’s a jet ski in the morning.

[Neil Down]

4 hours ago, Uhtred said:

And for anyone who doesn’t like that...there’s a jet ski in the morning.

Will there be a voluptuous stunner awaiting us... asking for a friend

 

[Happier diner]

9 hours ago, tetchtyke said:

The PE Commissioners voted to bulldoze it anyway, even though their plans for the new building were pretty much universally hated. We all know why they did that.

So of course the protection order comes in, otherwise you get a pile of rubble and PE Commissioners getting their building through planning at the second time of asking because it's better than a pile of rubble.

The building isn't great inside and there's not much you can do with it to improve it, but my God that replacement was hideous. Maybe keep the frontage and build a new restaurant out back. But just don't build that nasty little greenhouse.

Why do you say universally hated. That's not true is it. Many people think it's great. You should have correctly said some people don't like it, some people live it.

Opinions are divided I agree

[asitis]

12 hours ago, tetchtyke said:

The PE Commissioners voted to bulldoze it anyway, even though their plans for the new building were pretty much universally hated. We all know why they did that.

So of course the protection order comes in, otherwise you get a pile of rubble and PE Commissioners getting their building through planning at the second time of asking because it's better than a pile of rubble.

The building isn't great inside and there's not much you can do with it to improve it, but my God that replacement was hideous. Maybe keep the frontage and build a new restaurant out back. But just don't build that nasty little greenhouse.

Ahhh the developers dodge, maybe learning from our esteemed concrete coverers !

[Chef Raekwon]

14 hours ago, Apple said:

Why is that ?. Aren't new comers entitled to express their opinion?

I've literally said that all opinions are fine, and it's the over the top reactions which are the issue. And yes, I find someone who's lived here for less than a year gobbing off about it even worse than when it's someone who's lived here for a long time. 

[Amadeus]

Just had a look at it as considering opening a cafe somewhere. Current structure seems in a sorry state. Wondering if all that outrage is just misplaced nostalgia. Seems it would need major work to keep in acceptable and usable state. 
 

 

[Neil Down]

Why  not just demolish it with the proviso that any replacement has to be of a similar style?

[Happier diner]

43 minutes ago, Amadeus said:

Just had a look at it as considering opening a cafe somewhere. Current structure seems in a sorry state. Wondering if all that outrage is just misplaced nostalgia. Seems it would need major work to keep in acceptable and usable state. 
 

 

Misplaced Nostalgia is the best description so far

[Kopek]

6 hours ago, Amadeus said:

Seems it would need major work to keep in acceptable and usable state. 

That state of affairs is just the way it has been allowed to deteriorate to? A deliberate ploy?

Any developer would have proceeded in the same manner. However, we don' texpect our Govt or LAs to be so mercenary?

If Dandara said that is irreparable and they want build 10 half mil flats there, would we be so generous in our thoughts?

Viability.. if the PE comms spent 100k on repairs, a 6k rent would cover their outlay in 16 years, small mainly summer business.

If PE spend, they haven't revealed to cost of the new building, but let's say, 1.5 mil, that would require a rent of 50k per year to recover cost over 30 years!!!

That's not viable, no matter what the |PE comms think is the future for any business there???

I don't object to the new design, wondered about the Pill Box on the top, turns out to be the lift and stairwell header, OK but still OK. 10 years from now we would look at it and say.....''What the hell''???

However the PE rates would have to reflect this expense for ever???