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Appendix 1 | Economic Development Opportunities
Appendix 1 | Economic Development Opportunities
Tiffany Kerruish 14
Tiffany Kerruish 14
This is a supplementary report to accompany the planning application we have submitted for the development of a small working country estate at Ardonan; it focusses on the economic benefits of the proposed development.
There are several reasons for us acquiring Ardonan Farm and wishing to develop it in this way: -
This report is going to focus on this last bullet point to explain these opportunities in more detail and to provide an overview of the benefits not only to us as owners of the business, but also the knock-on positive effect that this business would have for economic development, particularly for the small business community in the north of the Island.
The business proposals for Ardonan Farm can be broadly categorised into three sections:
There is a well-recognised need for more high-quality tourist accommodation on the Isle of Man. The Department of Economic Development has produced a strategic report "Isle of Man Tourism Visitor Economy Strategy 2012-2015" (see Appendix 1.1) which cites as one of its key performance indicators (KPI):
"To achieve a 5% increase in the proportion of 4 & 5 star tourist accommodation properties per annum (from 56% of total registered Tourist Accommodation in 2010)."
Ardonan provides an ideal opportunity to create a number of 5 tourist units through the conservation, refurbishment and extension of existing buildings. It is our desire to preserve and restore the existing farmhouse for the purposes of creating a high-specification 5 tourist let that would provide 8 bed spaces available for year-round rental. The farmhouse already benefits from an extant Planning Approval under Planning Application 12/01695/B and these proposals have been incorporated as approved within the context of the current Application.
The retention and restoration of the 'spud shed' building opposite the farm house would also be desirable and essential if we are to preserve this attractive façade from imminent collapse! This would provide further 5* accommodation with two double bedrooms (4 bed spaces), plus a room for 2 x bunk beds, thus providing space for two families – therefore, without any new-build development, 16 new high-end bed spaces would be provided for year-round let.
In addition to these buildings, we feel there is further opportunity for using the field to the side and front of the farm yard (subject to any necessary consents) to provide a location for either free-standing tents / yurts for hire at certain times of the year, especially during the Island's key events such as TT and MGP fortnights and to support events held on the farm during the main summer season.
All tourist accommodation on site would be provided on a self-catering basis; however, we would partner with local catering companies for large groups hiring the facilities and would also offer services such as "Manx Hampers", bike and other sport equipment hire, baby equipment and we would also promote local beauty and pampering services to our guests, including the spa presently being developed at nearby Brightlife.
Our research on the various Isle of Man self-catering accommodation internet search engines for has shown that the Farmhouse and The Spud Shed will be some of the very few large 5* self-catering offerings on the Island.
Projected Economic development & employment from the Tourist Lets would therefore include:
| Average Weekly Let (subject to seasonal variation) | 50% Yearly Occupancy | 75% Yearly Occupancy |
|---|---|---|
| Ardonan Farm House1 | £45,500 | £68,250 |
| Spud Shed2 | £31,850 | £47,775 |
| TOTAL | £77,350 | £116,025 |
For a more detailed illustration of the anticipated financial benefits of creating and running the tourist accommodation, please see Appendix 1.6.
The number of couples choosing to get married in a civil ceremony (as opposed to a religious ceremony in church) is rapidly rising. In the UK there is a substantial market for civil marriage ceremonies held in rural locations in converted agricultural barns or bespoke, built structures that have tapped into the growing market for these ceremonies, thus providing a lovely private venue for these couples and at the same time allowing farmers and other types of land owners a way of diversifying their incomes.
See examples of this type of venue at the following links (extracts at Appendix 1.2):
http://www.sandholeoakbarn-weddings.co.uk/ http://www.mythebarn-weddings.co.uk/
I also attach at Appendix 1.3 further mood board images reflecting the look and feel we wish to create.
There are no examples of this type of rural venue on the Isle of Man and the provision of licenses for civil ceremonies is largely limited to registry offices (often small and not romantic in nature) and hotels (large, impersonal and not private). This has led to many local couples going 'abroad' or to the UK for their civil weddings as their needs are not being provided for locally.
Due to a combination of factors, we believe there is an exciting opportunity for the first civil ceremony and wedding celebration facility of this type to be created at Ardonan Farm. These factors include:
Given these factors, it would be our intention to work with local timber-frame building specialist Manninwood towards creating a beautiful, modern oak frame barn for civil ceremonies (seating up to 150 guests) comprising a covered entrance area, log burner, WCs, catering area and an outdoor terrace with spectacular views for a champagne reception.
We have had a concept drawing prepared to see what would fit appropriately on site and provide suitable accommodation for a permanent events space, obviously subject to the necessary consents (see Appendix 1.4).
A permanently maintained and well-groomed area next to the barn and overlooking the orchard that can be used for a marquee for a wedding reception would also be created, thus allowing couples to host their entire wedding on site with an appropriately sized marquee to host their wedding breakfast and celebration. This will include plumbing for water and electricity for caterers' use.
Couples would benefit from:
Whilst the primary purpose of the barn would be to host weddings, its permanent nature would mean that it could be used for a myriad of other uses at different times of the week and year, providing hire income for the owners and a venue for other local businesses. These uses could include:
However, the permanent venue will require a substantial financial investment (in the region of £500,000) which, when added to the investment in the purchase of the land itself and the refurbishment and extension of the existing Farmhouse and Spud Shed into tourist accommodation, may make the estate financially unviable, either initially or, certainly, in the early years of operation.
The intention, therefore, is to undertake all the necessary infrastructure works associated with the venue such as developing the access road, field parking, drainage and statutory supplies works, and to initially set-up a fully serviced area which will accommodate marquees of a size appropriate to an event. This will still require a considerable financial investment but the intention is to complete the works
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in a way which means that, when it is time to erect the permanent venue, the first phase of the works is not abortive.
The sheltered site we have chosen for this is indicated on the estate layout and has been selected due to its proximity to the on-site accommodation, the ability to provide green-field parking close by, and the beautiful views that any event would enjoy from this position.
To illustrate the look and feel of the concept we propose to develop, please refer to the mood board images in Appendix 1.5.
Whilst couples would be unable to hold their wedding ceremony here (as current laws dictate that civil ceremonies can only be conducted in hard standing venues), it gives us the opportunity to test the market for people holding celebrations in the north of the Island and in a countryside setting. The hope is that the site will be still be attractive due to having:
One obvious concern when holding regular events in a marquee in a countryside setting is that noise levels may be an issue for the surrounding residents. With this in mind we have commissioned a Noise Impact Assessment conducted by UK based acoustic consultants PDA Limited, who visited Ardonan Farm last month; the full report can be viewed at Appendix 4 of the Design Statement.
To summarise, the report found no problem with projected noise levels for normal events. Where particularly loud amplified music is involved they have recommended that we take precautions in the form of an additional 18mm MDF lining to the western wall of the marquee to limit noise to acceptable levels. Each individual event will be different, so we would discuss the requirements with each booking to ensure that every event falls below accepted levels of noise.
Excerpt from report:
"SUMMARY - At the request of the Ardonan Estate Limited an assessment has been made of the noise impact of the proposed marquee to be located at the proposed development at Regaby.
The noise propagation from the marquee to the nearest noise sensitive residence at Ardonan Nurseries has been calculated.
With the proposed marquee a likely acceptable noise criterion of 5 dB below background in each octave band between 63Hz and 4kHz will be met for typical uses such as funerals and weddings and events involving a medium disco such as typical family celebrations and parties without any further mitigation measures.
Where music is to be the main purpose of the event, or where live amplified singers / musicians are to perform additional mitigation to the marquee is recommended in the
form of an additional 18mm MDF lining to the western wall of the marquee as discussed in Section 8.0 and also noise limits may be required in accordance with Section 8.0"
We see this 'Serviced Events Space' as a necessary stepping-stone to the eventual hard standing venue, which is still our ultimate goal 2 or 3 years down the line, again subject to obtaining all necessary consents; indeed, in effectively acting as a phased introduction of the hard standing venue, we believe it is integral to the success of the working estate.
Again, the economic benefits of both the marquee and permanent venues are illustrated in further detail in Appendix 1.6.
Our ideas for Ardonan are not limited to those described above. As the years go by, many other opportunities will present themselves and with our entrepreneurial approach, we believe we can do something really positive with this small working estate for the benefit of local residents, local businesses and our own families. A few of these ideas already include:
The positive economic impact of the all the activities described in this report will be far reaching, especially for small businesses in the north of the Island. Economic development will be generated from all aspects of this project, from the renovation costs of the existing buildings to 5* accommodation standard and the build of our new high spec, high tech, eco house to the setting up of an eventual 'wedding barn' facility, the creation of the 'Serviced Events Space' and all the investment that will be made in to the agro-environmental aspects of the scheme.
Appendix 1.6 shows the projected economic input that could be generated by a positive decision on this application; the table displays a projected total investment of over £1.3m into the local economy up to and including the first year, with an average of £17,000 being spent locally per Wedding. Additionally, setting aside ongoing benefits, the construction of the new dwelling and (ultimately) the permanent venue will generate work to an approximate value of £2.0m for the local building industry.
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Conclusion
We really have everything crossed that our planning application (which is the precursor to all this economic activity) will be well received within the wider context of the far-reaching positive impact described above. If the Planning authority wishes to work with us in developing and improving Ardonan Farm, this will result in us being able to:
We believe that Ardonan has immense potential to be a thriving small working estate and countryside business of the 21st century, and we really hope that the planning office can share in our vision and enthusiasm for what can be achieved there.
Tiffany Kerruish | November 2014
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