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16th December 2019
1907440
The Workshop, Parsonage Road, Ramsey, Isle Of Man IM8 2EE - Planning Application for the creation of the new Fynoderee Distillery
The Fynoderee Distillery is a premium Manx spirits producer, founded in November 2017. Initially we operated out of premises to the rear of the founders' family home in Grove Mount, Ramsey but we quickly outgrew that space and relocated our distillery to a unit within the Jurby Industrial Estate in mid-2018.
The success of the business to date has resulted in a long search for the right premises to provide room for expanded growth of the distillery's Manx Dry Gin production, as well as development into other premium spirits such as Manx Rum and Manx Malt Whisky. We have also now outgrown the warehouse in Jurby and wish to return to the Town in which the Founders and many of the existing staff live.
The operation of a craft Distillery such as ours, involves an incredible amount of hard work and effort from a presently small team of dedicated founders and employees. Whilst production of premium spirits with a true Manx heritage and provenance is the mainstay of the business, the survival of craft producers such as Fynoderee relies greatly on tapping into multiple sources of income whilst the export side of our business continues to grow.
Distillery tourism is now a fast-growing industry in the UK and indeed worldwide. According to a recent survey carried out by the Scotch Whisky Association visits to Scottish Distilleries were up 6.1 % year on year and 56% more than in 2010. This is a trend now supercharged by the interest in gin production. We consider that there is a significant opportunity to not only achieve a much needed scaling up of our production capacity to meet demand and increase our exports but also the opportunity to create a new premium visitor experience and attraction here in the town of Ramsey.
Being located opposite the end-of-line MER tram stop in Ramsey, we consider the warehouse premises applied for are not only of perfect dimensions, scale and layout for increasing our production, but also will enable us to attract tourists and locals alike to come and experience 'Fynoderee' from start to finish.
The proposed mixture of uses are all those which we consider will not have any negative impact on the surrounding area or neighbours, as distilling is essentially an almost silent process. We distil our products on either gas flame burners or we will be using new steam heated stills.
The process of distilling occurs in a sealed unit and as such, generates limited odour and no noise, vibration, smoke, fumes, soot, ash, dust or grit. Any waste is essentially inert and, at most, subtly aromatic by nature and we do not see any real possibility of our production processes causing nuisance to our neighbours.
Registered Office: First Floor, Bourne Concourse, Peel Street, Ramsey, Isle of Man, IM8 1JJ Isle of Man Company number 131320c and VAT Registration number GB 005 0162 41
Directors: Paul Kerruish and Tiffany Kerruish
Our proposal is also to develop further products, including Manx Rum and Manx Malt Whiskey expressions using the larger floor areas the premises gives us and this will involve further processes of making what is called a fermented 'wash'. Again, this is essentially a silent process and will generate limited odour and no noise, vibration, smoke, fumes, soot, ash, dust or grit.
Our bottling and labelling procedures are also very quiet, as we do not intend to use mechanised production lines; even on a semi-automated system we are investigating, it remains a predominantly hand controlled process (both bottling and labelling) that will not create any noise levels that we would anticipate could be heard outside the premises themselves.
We propose to create an immersive distillery shop facing onto Parsonage Road that will enable the direct 'Distillery door' sale of our premium products but also enable us to showcase other complementary premium local artisan products for sale. We propose this front-end aspect of our business to include a tasting bar and visitor reception area where we intend to host pre-tour talks, cocktail master classes, distilling classes and other similar complementary experiences. By the very nature of our branding, we are about the promotion of local folklore and culture and whilst atmospheric background music would be used in our shop and other parts of the property for specific distillery experiences for visitors, this will be managed in accordance with our proposed licensing terms and conditions and at all times managed in a manner which is considerate to our neighbours.
We propose that the entrance and exit to the property for visitors and customers to the Distillery, shop and tasting room will be via that entrance on Parsonage Road, which is conveniently located and orientated away from the neighbouring residential properties and thus directing patrons of the Distillery back towards town and hopefully their continued enjoyment of the offerings of the town's commercial centre. The rear entrance to Tower Road will be for staff and trade access and not used as a public access to the property and hence the request for permission to erect security fencing and gated access to the rear Distillery yard.
As we are also seeking essentially mixed use of the property, we have considered the issue of operating and opening hours. Whilst our proposed mixed use is relatively unusual for the Island to date, we have had cognisance of the Planning Approval Decision 15/00618/B made in respect of our fellow Distillery and tasting facility Seven Kingdom, albeit this also operates as a bar and restaurant. We note in this decision that in the interests of the residential amenity of the area in which that Distillery is located, there was a planning condition that:
"No customer shall be served or remain in the building outside the following hours 0800hrs till 2330hrs Monday to Thursday, 0800hrs till 0130hrs Friday to Saturday and 1000hrs till 1830hrs Sunday."
We confirm that for the purpose of the present Application we would be willing to accept the same hours of operation.
Registered Office: First Floor, Bourne Concourse, Peel Street, Ramsey, Isle of Man, IM8 1JJ Isle of Man Company number 131320c and VAT Registration number GB 005 0162 41
Directors: Paul Kerruish and Tiffany Kerruish
We are a brand that lives and dies by the public support we generate and we would never operate our premises in any manner to harm the goodwill and brand values which we believe we have already achieved and have worked very hard to generate to this point.
Our use will in our opinion certainly generate much less noise and nuisance than that which could result if the property remains with its intended use as a garage and workshop and the noise associated with the operation of the equipment usually situated within the same.
The new premises will also enable us to bring together our management and administration functions with that of the production and warehouse facilities. We consider this will be essential to create more cohesion within the fast growing business, enhance the efficiencies of the business as a whole and improve our carbon footprint, by avoiding the need for various members of the Fynoderee team to constantly drive between disparate locations.
The location next to the MER stop enables the business to engage with Visit Isle of Man and Isle of Man Transport to promote visits via public transport and in particular, increased use of the historic Manx Electric Railway for both public and private visits and tours.
We consider that the location in the town of Ramsey enables us to generate new footfall into the town and encourage visitors to move on from Distillery tours and experiences we host, into the town as a whole. We are proud to live in Ramsey and have, since we first started, been champions of the potential of Ramsey to become an ever more thriving hub of independent businesses, retail and craft trade, and we consider that the proposed mixed use of the property will be a further catalyst business to help the continued regeneration of the town as a viable commercial centre with diverse offerings to locals and tourists alike.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Kerruish Founder - CEO
Tiffany Kerruish Founder - Marketing Director
for and on behalf of The Fynoderee Distillery Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fynoderee/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/fynodereedistillery
Registered Office: First Floor, Bourne Concourse, Peel Street, Ramsey, Isle of Man, IM8 1JJ Isle of Man Company number 131320c and VAT Registration number GB 005 0162 41
Directors: Paul Kerruish and Tiffany Kerruish
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