Comment 9.1

Dear Sir,

We are writing with reference to the proposed planning 16/00283/B, Westminster Drive, Douglas.

The proposed building of two large garages including office space

We would like our objections noted for the following reasons:-

• The lane is privately owned by the residents and we are responsible for the upkeep, which is difficult at the best of times. The extra traffic is only going to make this harder.
• The extra use of the proposed four parking spaces for non-residents will add extra congestion to a small lane which, running onto the main road, can be difficult to use at the best of times, especially when you have traffic meeting each other when entering and exiting the lane.
• The rear lane is used by the local families as extensions of their gardens allowing the children a safe area to use. If the site is to be used by non-residents, I feel that they will not have the same respect or consideration for the area and, as a resident; I will lose a certain amount of privacy.
• As this is a residential area, I am concerned these garages are going to be used commercially, creating extra noise in an otherwise quiet area, commercial garage waste, and encourage more use of the private lane further down as people try to get turned around. The lane does not have a turning circle at the end and is not a through-road. With four spaces being made, anyone using them is going to have trouble getting turned around to exit the lane safely.
• Parking in street area is always busy especially during term time. I am concerned that this proposal is only going to create more problems with people visiting and using the private back lane further down during the day for parking when they cannot park on the street.
• There is other garage space available in Douglas for rent or sale, including an empty garage by the school which has been previously used commercially by a local car dealership, which could be repurposed instead of building another new unit.
• There is also the environmental impact - there are currently trees on the site which help screen the school and provide some privacy to the adjacent homes. The proposed building will have a big impact on the whole lane, as well as wildlife and domestic animals which live around the area. Many residents, myself included, have pets (cats and dogs), which I would have concerns for during and after building in this area. Many of the garden areas have frogs living around them and there are also bats in the area, which could all be affected by these proposals.

To conclude we object to the planning application and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Mr & Mrs I Morris 31 Westminster Drive