Ballacosnahan Farm is applying for planning permission (22/00725/B) to set up a farm shop and tourist accommodation.

An accompanying planning statement explains that the farm, on St John’s Road, Patrick, wants to expand its business (it already has an existing shop) after the number of tourists that have been visiting increased. Some of them are from cruise ships. The main products that will be sold are Manx loaghtan wool and meat.

Extra staff are needed for the expansion, namely a person to work on the farm and another to run the shop and tourism aspect.

Those behind the application say that after consulting with those in the tourism sector (such as Blue Badge Guides and cruise ships liaison officers), ‘it was pointed out that visitors who have been touring around the British Isles have seen many castles and historic sights and would welcome seeing Manx loaghtan sheep, a working farm, a farm shop and farm walks as a change’.

There are also plans to invite school groups to the farm for educational purposes.

Two new buildings would be constructed next to the wool shop, a ‘purpose built butchery with a holiday flat on the upper floor’ and the second a three-bed holiday let.

The farm owners said that they were at the point of needing their own butchery and cold store because they were finding it difficult to find butchers who were willing to take and butcher their loaghtans while leaving them hanging for the correct amount of time.

Relying on external butchers, they say there has been no consistency in the burgers and sausages made using the farm’s meat.

The last expansion the farm underwent was the building of a bespoke wool shop, with success in exporting loaghtan wool all over the world – with 80% at one point going to the US.