Officer Report

Application No.: 17/00837/B Applicant: Department Of Education And Children Proposal: Replacement of existing fencing around multi-use play areas (tennis courts) Site Address: Site At West Building Ramsey Grammar School Lezayre Road Ramsey Isle of Man Case Officer : Mr S Butler Photo Taken: 12.09.2017 Site Visit: 12.09.2017 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 08.11.2017 _________________________________________________________________

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.

• C 2. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Department, the fencing (including gates) hereby approved shall be powder coated green. Reason: In the interests of visual amenity. Plans/Drawings/Information:

This approval relates to the plans and drawing date stamped as having been received on the 3rd August 2017 and 19th October 2017, including Drawing No 2 (Revision B) entitled, "Site Plan & Elevations as Proposed" date stamped as having been received on the 19th October 2017.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following persons should be given Interested Person Status as they are considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 6(4):

• the owner/occupier of Drummoyne, Lezayre Road (which backs onto the site). _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 SITE - 1.1 The site is an existing netball/basketball court within the grounds of Ramsey Grammar School. The site backs onto the rear boundary of a number of residential properties.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for a replacement fence, which is 4m on the parts of the site (including those parts which adjoin the residential properties) and 3m high elsewhere. - 2.2 It is understood that the existing fence has been extended to 4m adjacent the properties and before this, when it was lower, there were issues with balls going into gardens. In response to comments from a neighbouring property, the plans as originally submitted were amended to extend the 4m high section. - 2.3 The fencing would be powder coated green.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There are a number of applications relating to the site, including, "Erection of 4m high ball court fencing to replace existing fencing surrounding synthetic pitch" which was permitted in 2005. This is similar to the current application but does not back directly onto domestic gardens. - 4.0 PLANNING POLICIES

4.1 The application site is within an area zoned as "Schools and other establishments in large grounds (Secondary School) within the Ramsey Local Plan (1998). It is not within a Conservation Area.

4.2 It is therefore considered that the following policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan

(2016) are relevant.

4.3 Community Policy 5 states, "Permission will generally be given for proposals to improve … existing schools". - 4.4 General Policy 2 indicates that proposals that are in accordance with zoning will be supported subject to various detailed criteria, which include that they: "… (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;

... (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality …"

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Ramsey Town Commissioners confirmed they have no objection (letter date stamp being received 25/09/17).

5.2 DOI Highway Services have indicated No Highway Interest (18/08/17). - 5.3 The owner/occupier of Drummoyne, Lezayre Road (which backs onto the site) commented on 06/10/17 to suggest that on the Northern elevation of Multi Use Play Area 1 that there should be 11 x 4.05m panels instead of 10, as this would provide a panel behind the Basket Ball Stand which would be higher that the stand which is approximately 3.5m. This

• would ensure that balls are prevented from crossing into the garden which has happened on numerous occasions in the past.
• 5.4 The neighbouring properties (including Drummoyne) were written to on the 23/10/17 inviting comments on the revised plans, asking for comments by the 01/11/17 and no further comments

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The principle of the development is acceptable as it is in accordance with the land use zoning.

6.2 The existing fence is not considered to be particularly attractive and in any case the visual impact from outside the site is limited by the presence of trees on the intervening grassed area. - 6.3 Those most impacted on would be those properties which back onto the site, most of whom have not commented. The proposal has been amended to take account of the comments that have been received.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION.

7.1 In light of the above issues, the proposal is supported. - 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 a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 10.11.2017 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer

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