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PLANNING DESIGN \& ACCESS
Change of Use to Former Water Filters
A statement for the Change of Use from a Water Filter Treatment Building to a Car Repair Garage: Water Filters \& Flats Glen Rushen Road Glen Maye Isle of Man IM5 3BA by JTM Architecture 9 Ard Reayrt, Ramsey Road, Laxey Isle of Man IM4 7PZ {{image:227083}}
Page INTRODUCTION ..... 2 SITE APPRAISAL ..... 3 DESIGN PROPOSAL ..... 4 POLICY CONSIDERATIONS \& COMPLIANCE ..... 7 CONCLUSION ..... 10
The Planning Application for the Change of Use of the Water Filters \& Flats property (purchased and owned by Willow Capital Ltd) is proposed to re-use an Existing Building in place of what is now a redundant water filter treatment plant. This Application is also partially retrospective due to the installation of a garage door to the rear of the former Water Filters building
There are 2 no. Flats within the grounds of the Application site (Filter House) and these will remain as flats within the proposal with 2 no. parking spaces added per unit. These will be separate from the proposed car repair business which is the subject of the Planning Application and this business will be will be allocated 6 no. parking spaces for staff and holding bays for vehicles.
This document includes a narrative of how the proposed car repair business will operate alongside the Flats and the effect of the business on the neighbouring properties within the area.
Previous Planning Application 13/00609/A for Approval in principle for the demolition of existing filters building and residential block and redevelopment of site for residential use will also be discussed.
The Application site has Pedestrian and Vehicular Access with visibility over low level walls onto the narrow and quiet Glen Rushen Road.
The purpose of this Planning Application is to apply retrospectively for the removal of 3 no. rear windows to the former Water Filtration building and replace them with a garage door, Change of Use of the existing former Water Filtration building to a car repair garage with associated storage as well as introduce parking spaces to the site for potential owners of the Flats and for holding vehicles prior to and after repair.
The current buildings on the site will largely remain the same apart from the installation of the Garage Door seen below.
Garage door installed at the rear of the former Water Filters building.
The appearance of the building will be improved from its current state by removing boarding from windows and the front entrance.
The pedestrian and vehicular access will also be maintained, except where the vehicular access will be widened at the side of the former Water Filtration building to allow a passing point for vehicles and a pedestrian walkway towards the rear. The aim of this is to allow movement into and out from the site and to prevent congestion or visibility issues on Glen Rushen Road. Glen Rushen Road is a less frequently used road set off the main A27 road and mainly serves the residential properties connected to this road, but it is noted that it is a thoroughfare to Round Table Road (A36).
The area designated for parking will be as existing with a hardstanding where appropriate for the new parking spaces and the passing point. A single disabled parking space will be provided for any users who use the site by appointment.
The main proposal is to use the building for a small car repair and servicing operation. A second aspect of the business is to remove parts from cars that are intended for scrapping, store those parts in the main room of the ex-water plant. The parts will then be marketed on eBay, sold and posted to buyers, mainly off-Island.
The car repair business being proposed has existed in the form of a mobile mechanic business on the Island for the past five years. It was in receipt of a DED start up grant and has built up a loyal customer base. Establishing a permanent base, to compliment the mobile aspect of the business, will help it grow further, in a manner that controls expenses and increases the chances of success.
The operator of the mechanic business has been in the trade for 27 years, has operated other garages in the UK, was an AA patrol man, and at one point was a fleet engineer responsible for the maintenance of over 1500 vehicles.
Passing traffic is not expected to be significant. Cars for repair will be picked up and taken to Glen Maye by the mechanic, or dropped off by customers, but not in large volumes, as initially there will be only one mechanic. The workshop will only have space for one vehicle. If the car recycling business grows there may be a need to employ staff to strip cars more quickly, and arrange for recording, packing and posting car parts.
There will be no need to store cars outside the site. The site has capacity at present for 8 to 10 vehicles. Extending the parking will increase that capacity by 4 , however, those additional spaces are earmarked for use by the two residential flats. As temporary overflow, or use during weekday working hours, the additional spaces will help ensure no effect on neighbours wishing to park on Glen Rushen Road in front of the ex -water filter building.
No heavy machinery is expected to run the operation. Car repairs or dismantling is a largely silent occupation, as the engines are not running. Car part storage will not generate noise.
There may be opportunities for one or two staff, and/or an apprentices in the workshop in the future.
In addition to putting the water filter building back to use, the two flats on site are being renovated.
One flat has been renovated and is lived in. The second flat will be completed after the Filter Building is being used, and the site tidied up.
The end result will be a local, non-intrusive business being based in the Filter building, and two residential flats being occupied. This will generate income for Glen Maye through rates, and income for the Isle of Man through electricity, telecom usage, and from selling previously worthless on-Island product to off-Island customers.
With reference to the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 there are several policies which this business venture adheres to, namely:
Strategic Policy 1: Development should make the best use of resources by: (a) optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and under-used land and buildings, and re-using scarce indigenous building materials; (b) ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs for access, landscaping, open space and amenity standards; and (c) being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services.
Strategic Policy 3: Proposals for development must ensure that the individual character of our towns and villages is protected or enhanced by: (a) avoiding coalescence and maintaining adequate physical separation between settlements.
Spatial Policy 4: In the remaining villages development should maintain the existing settlement character and should be of an appropriate scale to meet local needs for housing and limited employment opportunities.
These villages are:
Area Plans will define the development boundaries of such settlements so as to maintain their existing character.
General Policy 3: Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of: (c) previously developed land which contains a significant amount of building; where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environment; and where the development proposed would result in improvements to the landscape or wider environment;
Re-using an existing building and its surrounding land prevents disruption to local residents should a new development be proposed. The issue with the power lines in close proximity to the site have proven difficult to overcome in Planning Application 13/00609/A, hence the reason why the Approval in Principle Application is now extant. The business provides the benefit of local services to the local community with revenue income for the wider economy.
All services are in place on the site and the existing infrastructure will be maintained. Access to the site is also existing and will be improved by updating parking for the Proposed Business \& Flats and introducing a passing area to improve incoming and outgoing vehicles to the site.
It is the intention of the Applicant to avoid the erection of any signage on the site, so that passing trade is not encouraged because the Business operation is to pick-up and drop-off vehicles for repair to the site. This should relieve any concern with General Policy 7.
Environment Policy 22: Development will not be permitted where it would unacceptably harm the environment and/or the amenity of nearby properties in terms of:
i) pollution of sea, surface water or groundwater; ii) emissions of airborne pollutants; and iii) vibration, odour, noise or light pollution.
Environment Policy 23: When considering alterations and improvements to existing facilities the Department will require that consideration be given to the potential adverse impact of the proposed changes to existing neighbours.
Environment Policy 43: The Department will generally support proposals which seek to regenerate run-down urban and rural areas. Such proposals will normally be set in the context of regeneration strategies identified in the associated Area Plans. The Department will encourage the re-use of sound-built fabric, rather than its demolition.
As part of the responsibility of the car repair business all works will be undertaken within the garage facility including any works involving stripping of engines where oil and other pollutants may cause damage or spillage around the site. The garage facility will be bunded to ensure that any oil or other spillages are localised and cleaned as necessary to avoid seeping into the local service drains.
The proposal aims to use the garage facility to contain any noise and operate within work hours to avoid any unnecessary disturbance to the residential properties in and around the site.
In accordance with Environment Policy 43 the proposal is providing a service in a redundant building which is no longer fit for purpose but can be re-used in a different capacity as a car repair garage, storage and online sales shop.
Business Policy 1: The growth of employment opportunities throughout the Island will be encouraged provided that development proposals accord with the policies of this Plan.
The proposed scheme would create possible opportunities as the business develops including apprenticeships and management positions.
Energy Policy 2: Land within 9m either side of an overhead High-Tension power cable will be safeguarded from development.
This Policy has made it very difficult to make best use of the area of land within the curtilage of the property and the reason it was not viable to demolish the existing buildings to replace with residential units under Planning Approval in Principle PA13/00609/A.
Waste Policy 1: Waste management installations, including landfill sites, civic amenity sites and facilities for the bulking up, separation, recycling, or recovery of materials from waste will be permitted provided that:
(a) there is an acknowledged need for the proposal in accordance with the approved Waste Management Strategy;
(b) there is no unacceptable adverse impact on local residents in terms of visual amenity, dust, noise, or vibration or as a result of the traffic generated thereby; (d) the proposal is acceptable in terms of access arrangements and highway safety;
As the proposal suggests, the Applicant wishes to re-cycle and re-use or sell car parts which may otherwise be scrapped and wasted, therefore the proposal aims to reduce waste as part of the business without causing waste in demolishing the building outright.
The proposal to re-use an existing building to bring services to Glen Maye (and surrounding areas) which are currently set in larger towns helps avoid any inconvenience to the local residents as those living in the surrounding areas.
Demolition and re-build work as previously proposed in Planning Application 13/00609/A would cause a lot of disruption within the area and as stipulated the power lines render a large portion of the site unavailable for development under Environmental Policy 2 so only small-scale development would be an option and therefore unfeasible.
Having a pick-up/drop-off business model reduces the need for passing trade and congestion around the area and with a Client base already in place this gives the Applicant a starting point from which they can develop their business and potentially open employment opportunities in the future.
With only minimal amendments to the property there is both a lack of disruption to the building and the surrounding area as well as potential future opportunities to develop the business organically so that the site remains a part of the local fabric without wholesale changes.
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