The Cosy Nook Cafe Port Erin

[Pipsqueak]

1 hour ago, Rhumsaa said:

Social housing on a tenancy basis doesn't strike me as being terribly practical due to the costs and if the tenancy ceases you would then have to find replacement homes for tenants.

That aside a commercial property on the ground floor and flats upstairs would probably be a solid business model. Whether H&B wish to diversify into that sort of business is another matter.

we are not exactly short of commercial properties , there are shut premises and the usual charity shops coming out of the woodwork, retail rates in towns dont help.

[TerryFuchwit]

1 hour ago, Annoymouse said:

The only value in the plot would be if they could buy Bourne Concourse and drop the whole lot down in one go, the trouble with potential commercial/residential units as it currently sits is the lack of parking, it would require underground car parking at planning which would then have access issues.

Doesn't need Bourne Concourse.   Sits on a very decent size plot.  Easily go to 4 floors too.  There's car parks nearby.  Plus the actual parking issues in Ramsey need a much wider solution than underground car parking.  Could easily get 12 to 16 apartments above.  Could build a really decent asset on there.

[TheTeapot]

 

[Boris Johnson]

1 hour ago, Rhumsaa said:

They'd probably make an argument for the proximity to Plaza and Market Place for parking

Although that is not ideal, especially as Plaza is not guaranteed to be there

If someone bought the Brit and Bourne Concourse it would be worth them buying that white elephant off the Commissioners, the Courthouse too.

Flatten the courthouse build underground parking and on top make a town square type arrangement , extending the seating areas that are there at present and make more of a feature of the memorial. 

While I am talking planning in Ramsey, it is crying out for some more edge of town industrial space, and an office type estate like you see in the UK.

Don't poo poo that Pie baps because its like the UK 🙂  but I for one, and I know several other businesses, that would love such a development on the island as there is nothing available like that at present.

As they say build it and they will come.

[Rhumsaa]

55 minutes ago, Pipsqueak said:

we are not exactly short of commercial properties , there are shut premises and the usual charity shops coming out of the woodwork, retail rates in towns dont help.

There might be a shortage of premises with a good size and modern facilities - I'm not sure as to the many reasons some shops remain vacant and others have remained used.

As for retail rates. I am unaware of rates being the main driver for a business to start or fail. Change of retail rates would need legislative reform. It was mooted during the recent consultation on rates reform to move towards an all island commercial rate. 

Of course no matter how the changes come about, if the retail rates are reduced or removed from the LA then residents rates will increase to cover the shortfall.

[Rhumsaa]

1 hour ago, Annoymouse said:

As much as I can’t see that transport hub going ahead any time soon you just never know. Market place already serves at lot of the businesses there, loading/unloading for businesses is already enough of a struggle for most of Parliament St

Agree on both points

That argument was most recently used (and accepted by planning) for the residential section of the Nitelife redevelopment though.

[Rhumsaa]

2 minutes ago, Boris Johnson said:

If someone bought the Brit and Bourne Concourse it would be worth them buying that white elephant off the Commissioners, the Courthouse too.

Flatten the courthouse build underground parking and on top make a town square type arrangement , extending the seating areas that are there at present and make more of a feature of the memorial. 

While I am talking planning in Ramsey, it is crying out for some more edge of town industrial space, and an office type estate like you see in the UK.

Don't poo poo that Pie baps because its like the UK 🙂  but I for one, and I know several other businesses, that would love such a development on the island as there is nothing available like that at present.

As they say build it and they will come.

Courthouse is a registered building though....

As for industrial space - completely agree that Ramsey needs some more industry and job options. The owner of the Gladstone Industrial estate recently applied to rezone part of the land as residential interestingly...... seemed an odd move after building some new large units.

Of course the main issue is Ramsey is running out of space for any such development on the edges

[Non-Believer]

1 minute ago, Rhumsaa said:

Of course no matter how the changes come about, if the retail rates are reduced or removed from the LA then residents rates will increase to cover the shortfall.

What about reducing expenditure and staffing costs to help meet the shortfall? 

This is something that's never looked at IMHO. There's always, "The money will have to be found from the ratepayers elsewhere". But never, "We will make economies and cut the coat to suit the cloth"? Not specific to RTC by any means though.

[Pipsqueak]

2 minutes ago, Rhumsaa said:

Courthouse is a registered building though....

As for industrial space - completely agree that Ramsey needs some more industry and job options. The owner of the Gladstone Industrial estate recently applied to rezone part of the land as residential interestingly...... seemed an odd move after building some new large units.

Of course the main issue is Ramsey is running out of space for any such development on the edges

the same person  doesn't own it all though do they ?   the newer builds to the west aren't theirs , another landlord with high rents and low maintenance judging by the looks of the place.

[Rhumsaa]

Just now, Non-Believer said:

What about reducing expenditure and staffing costs to help meet the shortfall? 

This is something that's never looked at IMHO. There's always, "The money will have to be found from the ratepayers elsewhere". But never, "We will make economies and cut the coat to suit the cloth"? Not specific to RTC by any means though.

well in this example I'd be against taking a government imposed loss of income stream and answering that by making staff redundant

Aside from that on a broader base to reduce costs you have to find efficiencies or reduce services. Staff costs are the biggest cost and that will be the case in every organisation. It's incredibly easy to say reduce staffing costs, the reality is make a role and therefore a person redundant to save arguably between 4p and 9p on the rates depending on the position, you'd have to be very sure that the existing workforce could carry on without that person being employed. The other way of looking at it is to see if the existing staff can do more within their role - that is possible however would have no immediate direct impact on costs and because of the way the CS job specs work if you change roles the job spec can get regraded.....

It's a complicated matter with no simple solutions unfortunately, buy me a coffee some time and I'll bore you for hours about it (and sell you a nice camping stove).

[TheTeapot]

12 minutes ago, Rhumsaa said:

 

Of course the main issue is Ramsey is running out of space for any such development on the edges

Could always build a big mixed commercial/residential area on top of the sea.

[Rhumsaa]

7 minutes ago, Pipsqueak said:

the same person  doesn't own it all though do they ?   the newer builds to the west aren't theirs , another landlord with high rents and low maintenance judging by the looks of the place.

That's capitalism in action, create a space that has the right position/demand/quality/price and you'll be successful, don't and you won't

[Rhumsaa]

20 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

 

actually thought this was satirical initially

[Rhumsaa]

1 minute ago, TheTeapot said:

Could always build a big mixed commercial/residential area on top of the sea.

well if it's good enough for the Russians and Nigerians.....

[TheTeapot]

It might have been that one that was satirical