**Document:** Supporting Statement
**Application:** 23/01398/C — Additional use of 6 to 8 car parking spaces for sale of camper vans and motorhomes.
**Decision:** Application Withdrawn
**Decision Date:** 2024-04-22
**Parish:** German
**Document Type:** report / planning_statement
**Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/56898-st-johns-tynwald-hill-inn/documents/1109860

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# Supporting Statement

Statement to support Planning Application for change of use to allow vehicle sales from part of the Tynwald Hill Inn car park in St Johns. From Spring 2024. Name: Matthew & Katryna Baptist trading as CamperVannin. Rock View Marine Parade, Peel. IM5 1PA Contact: Proposed location: The Tynwald Inn, St Johns, Isle of Man.

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Dear Sirs. It is our request to apply for the appropriate change of use required to allow vehicle sales and advertising to take place on a small sub-section of the existing car park of the Tynwald Hill Inn, St Johns. The existing car park space is more than ample for the business and it is with the Landlords and German Commisioners blessing that we make this request and proposal. Both The Tynwald Hill Inn and CamperVannin are small Manx businesses that continue to be impacted by the rising cost of living, this has prompted us to talk about how we might be able to help each other. One by creating an income stream from a piece of unused car park and the other by increasing our visibility to the public. We are proposing that a ‘change of use’ be applied to a small portion of the car park. We are suggesting 6 to 8 vehicle spaces at the West end of the carpark (furthest from the pub) be used for vehicle advertising and sales. There would be no buildings or permanent structures involved as CamperVannin runs an ‘appointment only’ viewings policy. CamperVannin usually has two or three viewings a week (which equates to around 6 vehicle movements on and off site); therefore the additional traffic to the site would be minimal given its pre-existing role as a pub car park. The car park itself has excellent visibility and wide access/egress for the vehicles moving off and onto the main road. Its size and underuse has resulted in some vehicles and trailers being dumped and a general over-grown/untidy area developing at the West end of the carpark. Both issues would be resolved as part of this proposal. We have been successfully building the CamperVannin business since 2019 and trade for around 7 months of the year. We remain small and specialist in our field (the only Campervan and Motorhome specialists on the Island) with a customer base that enjoys our relaxed style and no pressure way of doing business. Because we are small we can keep costs low, which means we can offer great value with no ‘hard-sell’ required. This approach means we don’t want a large forecourt, office and showroom. The costs of which are out of reach of the business and would require investment that would push us into debt at a particularly risky financial time. This solution helps two Manx businesses in a pragmatic and practical approach. Increasing our visibility and (if only slightly) increasing visitor numbers to St Johns. Please look over the proposed and existing plans and photographs included in this proposal. With Thanks.

Matthew and Katryna Baptist – Owners CamperVannin

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*Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).*
*Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/56898-st-johns-tynwald-hill-inn/documents/1109860*