The Hooded Ram has received retrospective planning permission (19/00291/C) for its brewery in Douglas.

Because of confusion between the company and the planning department, it was previously - and incorrectly - believed the building at The Depot on Leigh Terrace, did not need planning permission to operate as a brewery.

The Hooded Ram had operated the premises as a brewery since 2017, as revealed in its application.

But earlier this year it discovered that the building did not have the correct designation status and Hooded Ram needed to change its use from a light industrial premises - its previous designation - to that of a brewery.

Jim Brookman, from Endless Design Limited, said in the application: ’The property has been operating as the brewery for the Hooded Ram Brewery since November 2017.

unwittingly

’However, it has been brought to the applicants’ attention that they have been unwittingly doing so in breach of planning regulations.’

Planners have now granted full approval to the brewery to continue its operations.

But the planning committee has added some conditions to that approval.

The Hooded Ram had wanted to offer tours of the brewery company, on which planners have placed no restriction. But it will not be allowed to directly sell ’products’ to visitors.

The canning operation will also be restricted to the area that Hooded Ram indicated on its planning application floor plan.

Planners said this was to ’safeguard the amenities of the surrounding area’.

The front and western side of the building must be used only for the parking and turning of vehicles associated with the brewery and no waste products can be stored on the exterior of the building.

Representatives of the Riverside Apartments Management Company objected to the application, saying the brewerty had been operating without planning approval since 2017.

The company said in its objections to planners that ’the layout shows that the building has the potential to be an operation of considerable size, greater than the lightweight craft brewery suggested’.

And the management company also raised concerns about the Hooded Ram offering guided tours as it felt the area is not appropriate for a large number of people arriving and leaving the site and wanted to see more defined opening hours for the brewery.

However, while planners restricted certain elements of the application, they decided not to limit opening hours or tours of the brewery.