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Plans lodged for 'community craft brewery' in Castletown

Mon, 25 Mar 2019

Plans have been submitted which, if approved, could see the creation of a ‘community craft brewery’ in Castletown.

The town’s commissioners have applied to planners for permission to redevelop the former fire station off Farrants Way.

Teaming up with local craft beer business Bottle Monkey, the local authority wants to transform the site into a multi-use event space and ‘nano-brewery’, capable of producing 200 litres of craft beer per brew.

The community space will feature an on-site head brewer to lead community workshops on brewing, offer team-building days to employers, and create special brews for events like weddings.

Commissioners also want the old fire-station to act as a place for pop-up food outlets and to foster a culture of collaboration with local businesses.

You can view the plans online via the government website.

The site is currently owned by the government but is in the process of being transferred to the local authority by the Department of Home Affairs.

The Commissioners agreed to buy the site last year for £200,000, with the purchase funded through borrowing from central government.

Should the application be successful, it’s understood Bottle Monkey will become tenants of the site and pay rent to new landlords, Castletown Commissioners.

The partnership with the brewing company was established following an invitation for expressions of interest last year.

Chairman of the board Colin Leather explained to Local Democracy Reporter Ewan Gawne how Bottle Monkey was chosen:

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Media

• Leather brewery