The company behind The Abbey Restaurant at Ballasalla has been given the green light to develop the former Hop Garden at Santon.
Bravo Foods Limited’s application for a ‘small, high quality country hotel with bar and restaurant facilities, small function suite and associated ancillary accommodation’ was approved by planners.
The company says its plans are a ‘natural next step in its expansion’ following its success at The Abbey.
The work involves refurbishing the original building on New Castletown Road and demolishing the outbuildings.
These are described as being ‘completely out of keeping with the context’.
The refurbished original building would then be extended and connected to areas of new-build, including a one and three quarter storey annex building.
The Forge will feature 22 bedrooms while about 170 patrons could be accommodated in the bar and restaurant.
A courtyard will be created, with views across one of the two ponds on site and towards woodland.
In the design statement it says it will ‘create significant employment opportunities, both directly and indirectly, to local supply chain partners’.
The bid was approved with a condition that before work starts, measures to mitigate the potential impact of flooding are approved by planners. There are two interconnected ponds on site, fed by Crogga River.
The Salmon family announced in March 2013 it had sold the business after running it for more than a decade.