Officer Report

Application No.: 18/00415/B Applicant: Department of Education, Sport and Culture Proposal: Installation of play equipment and associated safety surface Site Address: Kewaigue School Kewaigue Douglas Isle of Man IM2 1QH Case Officer : Mr Owen Gore Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 20.06.2018 _________________________________________________________________

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 the submitted documents and drawings all received on 20th April 2018. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site is part of the wider site for Kewaigue School. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal is for the installation of play equipment and associated safety surface PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site is shown on the Douglas Local Plan Order 1998 map No.2 as being within the local plan area and the property is designated within an 'Area of Buildings for Civic, Cultural & Other Special Use', which is further specified as a 'PS' for primary school. The application site is not within a Conservation Area.

3.2 The Strategic Plan 2016 contains policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this planning application. - 3.3 General Policy 2 applies to proposals that are in accordance with the land-use zoning and states that development will normally be permitted where it meets the relevant criteria identified in the policy. - 3.4 Community Policy 5 is applicable to proposal to existing school sites and states that 'permission will generally be given for proposals to improve or extend existing schools…subject to their being sited and designed in accordance with the other policies of this plan, having particular regard to the potential for community use of the buildings and the associated Open Space'.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The previous planning applications are not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division confirms that there is no highways interest in the letter dated 17 May 2018.

5.2 Douglas Borough Council have commented on this application and stated that they do not object, in the letter dated 21 May 2018. - 5.3 Comments have been received from the arboricultural officer in the DEFA Forestry team confirmed that they have no objections to the proposal, in the email dated 13 June 2018/

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The proposal is to improve the play provision of the existing school use; therefore the principle for the development is acceptable in accordance with Community Policy 5, subject to the considerations below.

6.2 The proposed changes include a safety surface on a grassed play area and erection of play apparatus. The new equipment is set back into the site and away from the highway. - 6.3 Due to the proposed use being additional play equipment on an existing play area, serving the existing school and pupils, any impact to the neighbouring properties is unlikely to be significant.

CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposal would not unacceptably harm the characteristics of the existing building or the character of its surroundings. The proposed development would not result in a significant adverse impact upon the living conditions of neighbouring residents. The proposal therefore complies with General Policy 2. 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 a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 26.06.2018 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer

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