Firm closing

[Freggyragh]

One of my first jobs was in Castletown. It was a very busy little town, full of independent traders and out of town visitors all year round. It had a great fish mongers, a good little butchers, a couple of little bakeries, a laundrette, a health food shop,  two record shops, two busy chemists and more. It was a really friendly, bustling place with lots of community spirit. I had to go there last week — to see an old friend. I left very upset. It has clearly been 'regenerated' by clowns who couldn't accept a Manx market town for what it was, and turned it into a ghost town. You can blame brexit, the war in Ukraine, the awful government in England or whatever, but this is really down to a terrible lack of sympathy from the commissioners for a traditional town that relies on passing trade.

Edited November 8, 2023 by Freggyragh

[Passing Time]

1 minute ago, Freggyragh said:

One of my first jobs was in Castletown. It was a very busy little town, full of independent traders and out of town visitors all year round. It had a great fish mongers, a good little butchers, a couple of little bakeries, a laundrette, a health food shop,  two record shops, two busy chemists and more. It was a really friendly, bustling place with lots of community spirit. I had to go there last week — to see an old friend. I left very upset. It has clearly been 'regenerated' by clowns who couldn't accept a Manx market town for what it was, and turned it into a ghost town. You can blame brexit, the war in Ukraine, the awful government in England or whatever, but this is really down to a terrible lack of sympathy for a traditional town that relies on passing trade. Peel is almost as dead, and so are most of our towns, with the possible exception of Ramsey. 

That just about describes most of the island sadly. Not sure why you think Ramsey is fairing any better.

[Cueey Lewis And The News]

3 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

That just about describes most of the island sadly. Not sure why you think Ramsey is fairing any better.

Castletown is desolate. Ramsey has to be an improvement. 

[CrazyDave]

5 minutes ago, Cueey Lewis And The News said:

Castletown is desolate. Ramsey has to be an improvement. 

There are a lot of good things coming to Castletown over the next few months.

The place is on the up.

[Cueey Lewis And The News]

1 minute ago, CrazyDave said:

There are a lot of good things coming to Castletown over the next few months.

The place is on the up.

Name them.

[Happier diner]

2 hours ago, Jarndyce said:

What was different?

Have you been?

[Freggyragh]

I've edited my post. Ramsey isn't quite as vibrant as it was, but it hasn't been ruined like Castletown.

[Cueey Lewis And The News]

1 minute ago, Freggyragh said:

I've edited my post. Ramsey isn't quite as vibrant as it was, but it hasn't been ruined like Castletown.

Everywhere else has been ruined by the DOI. Castletown has been specifically ruined by Roy Tillyard.

[Freggyragh]

Well, the DOI have devastated Peel and done some damage to Ramsey. What did Tillyard do that was more bone-headed  than pedestrianising a ghost town?

Edited November 8, 2023 by Freggyragh

[Omobono]

20 minutes ago, Passing Time said:

That just about describes most of the island sadly. Not sure why you think Ramsey is fairing any better.

they have ruined Peel that silly waste of money on the quayside  huge wide pavement   loss of parking    and chinese sandstone and silly non effect lighting in  market square  making every where look like Milton keynes  or little England  does no one in the DOI value the islands heritage ?

[Freggyragh]

The blighting of Peel with the eye-sore granite in place of parking has been horrific for businesses, and ruined the look of the place.

[Roger Mexico]

4 hours ago, fredtosser said:

I had a look at the Bushys application, as you say, every objection thus far is from someone who was knowingly bought a workers cottage in the centre of the only remaining industrial section of the town. Fancy that.

Edited to add, I forgot about the excellent objection from the children's nursery, that can't see the irony that they set up in the middle of a busy garage and then complain about traffic.

To be fair to the neighbours what noise and traffic problems they currently have are in the daytime.  They're probably worried about stuff going on in the evening where it would be much more noticeable.   It's because it's an industrial area that it's so quiet at night and the Commissioners' Yard isn't used that much at the moment.

Actually think that the application[1] has made this worse.  The impression I got was that the hospitality side would be fairly minor with perhaps 30-50 people there at max. There's 18 spaces for customer parking which would match that.  However the plans show a downstairs restaurant area with 36 covers but also an upstairs restaurant/bar with 50-60 covers and outside seating for around 90+[2].  How practical that would be is another matter, I suspect you'd be pushed to service even 36 covers out of that kitchen and the bars looked cramped as well if you're going for big numbers.  But having the potential for a maximum of 200 is going to worry the neighbours, especially as most of the larger events are likely to be at night and possibly well into it.

The most coherent of the objectors has already picked up on these points and makes the valid planning point that the current plans would effectively change the use from Industrial to Hospitality, something that isn't really allowed.  In truth the developers have allowed themselves to become too ambitious/greedy and would probably get away with a small tap room added to the brewery works and expanding if it was successful.  This way they've managed to put people's backs up by trying to get a large venue from the start.

 

[1]  Planning application is ref 23/01235/B with all the usaul plans etc (including those I've linked above) downloadable from there.

[2]  The Planning Statement says: The existing workshop will become the restaurant with up to 90 covers with a further outdoor seating area which could accommodate up to an approximately further 60 persons.  But just counting the layout shows 5 booths that will easily take 8 (40); 4 tables of 4 under the glass roof (16) and 9 tables of 4 on the terrace (36), totalling 92 before you start adding extra tables or chairs.

[Freggyragh]

Good luck to Bushys, it's not easy opening a restaurant in a town with no food retailers bar Tesco and the Coop. 

Edited November 8, 2023 by Freggyragh

[Jarndyce]

21 minutes ago, Happier diner said:

Have you been?

No - that’s why I’m interested to know what was non-traditional.

[Happier diner]

5 minutes ago, Jarndyce said:

No - that’s why I’m interested to know what was non-traditional.

Ok. Well when you walk in you are greeted by the tradition fryer arrangement. However this is not used. Everything is cooked downstairs and out of view. All cooked to order which is not a bad thing but not traditional.

The fish and chips were nice enough but not quite the same taste and look of fish and chips you'd expect.

Hope that makes sense.