Plans have been submitted (22/00519/C) for a video gaming ‘lounge’ business to be set up in a small complex owned by the Department of Infrastructure.

Paul Shanley, who currently rents the building behind Ramsey’s bus station from the DoI, wants to set up a lounge with space for up to 24 customers.

There would be a hireable ‘VIP room’ with a Sony PlayStation 5 linked up to a large projector, small arcade machines and older gaming consoles set up in the corridor, and a room with 10 modern consoles.

Mr Shanley, who was previously granted permission for similar plans at a different site in the town, stated in an accompanying planning statement that ‘I feel this is a good chance to offer less sporty people in Ramsey somewhere to go and enjoy themselves’.

He added: ‘It’s also somewhere the whole family could go together if the parents have an interest as they are more likely to enjoy the nostalgia aspect of it.’

Mr Shanley also plans to offer monthly ‘autism-friendly periods’, and the use of the VIP room as an award for students at Ramsey Grammar School. The ground floor of the building is currently occupied by the Precious Paws dog day care business.

There would also be a kitchen area which parents could make use of to wait in.

Proposed opening hours are 4pm-8pm Wednesday and Thursday,

4pm-10pm Friday, 10am-10pm Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday in school term time.

In the school holidays the business would open 10am to 8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am to 10pm on Friday and Saturday and 10am to 8pm on Sunday.

Mr Shanley acknowledges that there is little available free parking, and so would look to encourage bus travel to the lounge by offering money off the entrance fee if a valid bus ticket for the day is presented.