Officer Report

Application No.: 18/00328/B Applicant: Manx Utilities Authority Proposal: Erection of a cycle shelter Site Address: Manx Utilities Authority Ballacottier Headquarters Isle of Man Business Park Douglas Isle of Man IM2 2QZ Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 06.06.2018 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

Plans/Drawings/Information:

This approval relates to drawing number DW147094-14-P0 date stamped and received 28/03/2018. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons NONE _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site forms the existing curtilage of the Manx Utilities Headquarters on the Isle of Man Business Park. Views into the site are only readily available from within the Business Park as the site is bound from Cooil Road by large sections of hedging and trees and in some places large fencing.

1.2 To the rear of the main MUA building is an area laid to grass and an area of existing paving, adjacent to which is an existing smoking shelter and some outside benches.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the installation of a cycle shelter adjacent to the existing smoking shelter to the rear south side of the MUA building. The proposed cycle shelter is to be approx. 4m x 2m x 1.9m and is to accommodate up to 12 pushbikes.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The headquarters was constructed following the grant of approval to PA 91/01863/B. There have been other applications since that time; the most relevant in the assessment of the current application is PA 17/00622/B for the erection of two smoking shelters which was granted full approval in 2017.

4.0 THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN - 4.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Braddan Local Plan of 1991 as "Master Plan to be prepared which will include areas of Industrial Use, Science Based Industries, High Density Residential Use, Landscaping and Secondary School of approximately 16 acres". This succeeded a planning application in principle for the development of a business park of 40 acres, which was approved on appeal under PA 89/04166. This required, inter alia that the business park comprise light industrial use, warehousing, development associated with new technology companies predominantly involved in scientific, commercial or industrial research and development or electronic systems, micro-engineering, biotechnology, office accommodation as the corporate headquarters of companies which utilise the new information technologies and service other park users but specifically excluding financial and professional services to visiting members of the public, including banks, building societies, estate agencies and betting offices. The approval also required that buildings should cover no more than 25% of the business park. - 4.2 Given the nature of the current proposal it would be most relevant to consider general standards towards development as set out in General Policy 2 in the assessment of the application. - 4.3 General Policy 2: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

• b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape;

• g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
• h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
• i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;

• n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 The Department of Infrastructure Highway Services have indicated that there is no highways interest in this planning application (14/04/2018). - 5.2 Braddan Parish Commissioners offered no objection to the application (20/04/2018).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The proposed cycle shelter will not be visible from the main highway or public perspectives. The shelter will be small additions located to the rear of the building near to an existing outdoor seating area and adjacent to the existing smoking shelter no parking spaces will be lost through the development. That aside the shelter is expected to provide a valuable facility to the business that will allow those working or visiting the site to travel and arrive by bicycle rather than by private motor vehicles, helping to work towards reducing CO2 emissions in line with climate change strategies of the IOM Government.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 Overall the proposal is considered to be a minor development which would have no adverse impact upon the appearance or amenities of the surrounding area. The application is recommended for approval.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Director of Planning and Building Control in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 14.06.2018 Determining officer Signed : J CHANCE Jennifer Chance Director of Planning and Building Control

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