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Bittylicious (Isle of Man) Limited The Chapel Onchan IM3 4HG Isle of Man
Planning and Building Control Directorate Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas IM3 4HG Isle of Man Friday 28^{\text {th }} January 2022
This document is in support of the attached change of use application of the above property from "Performing Arts Studio"/"Community facility" to its former use as "Offices".
The property was in use as offices for a decade (2009-2019) until the current designated use was implemented in 2019.
The property is in an area designated as "Mixed Use" (Area Plan for the East Proposals Map 6 Onchan, 2020). "Mixed Use" includes use as offices (Area Plan for the East 2020 Written Statement, 2020, para 9.11.2, 9.2.1).
Bittylicious (Isle of Man) Limited ("Bittylicious", "the company") would like to use the above property ("the Chapel", "the property") as its main office on the Isle of Man.
Bittylicious is a small tech company which moved from the UK to the Isle of Man in November 2020. Its UK sister company, Bittylicious Ltd ("BUK"), has operated a successful digital currency trading platform since 2013 which was created and programmed by Marc Warne, the CEO and director of Bittylicious.
Following the permanent move of Bittylicious's two directors to the Isle of Man in 2020, the decision was taken to move all business operations to the island.
The directors live in the east of the Island. The company purchased the freehold of the above property in September 2021 in the hope that it will be permitted to use the property as its office. The company believes that this will enable the company to flourish, ideally with the help of locallyhired staff.
Two additional Onchan employees recently joined the existing three-person team in January 2022, increasing island-based staff numbers to a team of five people. In time, the company hopes to provide more employment opportunities as it grows on the island, and believes that the Chapel would give it the chance to do so.
New jobs would support the goal of "growth in new employment sectors" while supporting "existing employment areas", helping the East to establish itself as "a vibrant and sustainable place to live, work and visit" (Area Plan for the East 2020 Written Statement, para 6.2.3, 3.6(iii) and 3.4.6).
One of the reasons the company chose the Chapel was due to its long use as offices for similar startup tech companies, for whose needs the space is perfectly adapted (2009-2019). Both historic and recent use of the property testify to its ability to accommodate numbers well above the applicant's current and predicted staffing levels, allowing for possible future recruitment proportionate to the needs of a small tech start-up without disruption to the area.
The company does not plan to accommodate the numbers of people in line with the current permitted use of the Chapel (e.g. weekly attendance of over 70 choir members in 2019). The company plans to grow its current 5-person team in an incremental way. Predicted occupancy is in line with the needs of a small business: future recruitment will occur only as the opportunity arises, and only at the rate of one or two employees at a time. Given small staff numbers, Bittylicious posses neither the training resources nor the appetite to conduct a sudden and large-scale employment drive.
Another reason the company chose the Chapel is its location in Onchan, with the availability of public transport for commuting, and of local shops and amenities for staff. The location would allow the company "to make the best use of existing infrastructure" and "locate new [...] employment close to existing public transport facilities and routes" while supporting "the viability, vitality and diversity of the economy by enabling improved employment opportunities"(Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, para 3.2, para 3.4-3.5.).
The company is committed to maintaining an office which is outwardly attractive, and in keeping with the traditional and historical look of the local area. The outside of the above property is currently in need of cleaning and repairs, being an older Manx stone building in need of regular maintenance.
Bittylicious is enthusiastic about beautifying its own office space. In this respect, the company's goals align neatly with the government's view that "conservation of the built environment and archaeological features should be viewed as an asset to be promoted" (Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, para 7.25.3). Bittylicious also appreciates the government's priority "to conserve and protect the historic environment" and to support "the sense of wellbeing and improved quality of life brought about by beautiful surroundings" (Area Plan for the East 2020 Written Statement para 6.9.2).
Bittylicious understands that the government is committed to "supporting the continued use and retention of [such] buildings", which "requires a pragmatic and dynamic understanding of different potential uses" (Area Plan for the East 2020 Written Statement para.6.9.2). Reinstatement of the Chapel's use as an office could be a solid example of just such a dynamic approach to use of an older property.
Use of the property as an office would be extremely beneficial to its upkeep, as owners and staff at Bittylicious care passionately about their own working environment. Leaving the property vacant risks exacerbating early signs of dereliction which are already beginning to set in. The property's last full maintenance works were over a decade ago (2009), when permission for use as an office was first granted.
The company has already approached the DfE for advice about how to best achieve repairs and maintenance goals at the Chapel. However, no further arrangements can be made pending a positive decision on change of use to office space.
There are two designated parking spaces on-site at the rear of the property, both of which will be used by members of senior staff during normal office hours and whose specifications are in accordance with the current planning standards (Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, 11.5.3 and
appendix 7).
The company expects other staff to arrange to commute on foot, by bike or on public transport. This approach supports the goal of "reducing the need to use private cars and encouraging alternative means of transport" (Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, para 3.5).
Two of the company's five members of staff live within walking distance of the property. The directors share one fully electric vehicle, and one member of staff commutes regularly by motorbike, all factors which will mitigate the risk of increased traffic and pollution. The nature of the company's business is such that it will not be receiving visitors on a regular basis, which further reduces congestion. The property is on the major bus route for the island, enabling easy public transport commuting along the North-South route.
Where car travel is essential, the company encourages staff to use nearby local parking facilities, including the large car park at the Onchan Community Centre (located a very short walk away at the top of Nursery Avenue), as well as the nearby Village Walk parking facilities.
One year after moving from the UK to the Isle of Man, Bittylicious is ready to establish a permanent base for its start-up operations on the island. The company believes the Chapel would be an excellent place to achieve this goal.
The Chapel's 10-year track record as an office for a small tech firm demonstrates its suitability for use as office premises.
Reinstating use of the Chapel as office premises would reduce the risk of disruption to the local area when compared with its current uses.
Risk would be reduced due to fewer people using the premises, more restrictive hours of use (typically weekdays, core working hours 9.00am-5.30pm), reduced noise pollution and reduced congestion overall due to a dramatic reduction in regular visitors to the property (i.e. currently a small 5-person team, as opposed to existing permission for weekly rehearsals of choirs of 70+ members in 2019).
Use of the Chapel as office space is also likely to benefit the area in terms of new employment opportunities, local business profile, maintenance of the building, as well as forming part of the island's long-term strategy of encouraging new tech businesses to flourish (Area Plan for the East 2020 Written Statement, para 8.1.4).
If you would like to obtain more information about Bittylicious as a business, please consult https://bittylicious.com.
I hope that this letter provides you with all information required for our change of use application. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.
Yours sincerely,
Redacted
Marc Warne Bittylicious (Isle of Man) Limited Director
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