Planning Officer Statement

Mr. A. Johnstone, Planning Appeals Secretary, Chief Secretary's Office, Government Offices, Buck's Road, Douglas, IM1 3PN.

9th October, 2012 Dear Mr. Johnstone, Re: PA 12/01243 – alterations including lighting, paving and installation of seating, St. George’s Lane, Castletown

Please find attached a statement on behalf of the Planning and Building Control Division. As the applicant is the Department of Infrastructure, of which the Planning Division is part, no formal recommendation is made on the proposal. However the planning background and appropriate policies have been identified to assist the Inspector in considering the application.

If you require any further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. The samples of the stone to be used will be forwarded for the inspector’s information. Yours sincerely,

Signature

Miss Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer

PA 12/-1243 – alterations including lighting, paving and drainage, St. George’s Lane, Castletown

The Site

1. The site is a piece of land which runs from Farrant’s Way in the south west to The Parade – a traditional market square with tall, grand buildings on most sides and the walls of Castle Rushen to the north. The site has to its immediate north west the curtilage of the George Hotel and its associated rear yard/garden area. To the immediate south east is the side boundary of the curtilage of the Co-operative store and rear yard. This boundary is formed by the two storey gable of the shop and behind this, a stone wall which is around 3m high. To the rear of this is a tarmacadam area which is used for coach parking. The lane has bollards at the Parade end to prevent vehicular through traffic. The lane is finished in tarmacadam with double yellow line markings on both sides. Refuse storage for the Co-op takes place on the side of the lane.

1. The gable of The George Hotel is a similar height building to the Co-op and has a three storey extension to the rear and a single storey annex beyond that is an open beer garden area accommodated behind a low stone wall.

The Proposal

1. Proposed is paving of the lane, the introduction of lighting (around the seats, at ground level and within bollards), the erection of bollards alongside the coach parking area, the planting of trees behind the seating in the rear yard behind the George Hotel and the introduction of a refuse storage area in the coach parking area to serve the Co-op (and remove the bins from the lane).

1. The lane will be re-surfaced in stone (Carlow stone in flamed finish, old mechanical finish and bush hammered finish in sizes of 450-600mm random length slabs, 150-300 lengths slabs and a dished channel 25mm wide. Drainage and services (electricity, water and telephone) will be installed beneath the lane. The stone paviors will stop some 4m from Farrant’s Way with this section being tarmacadam to match the coach parking area. Samples of the stone has been provided.

1. The applicant explains that the scheme aims to work towards improving links into the town centre, shared spaces for pedestrians and vehicles, dedicated pedestrian routes and environmental improvements. Parking was highlighted in discussions, as an issue for the town and as well as looking to improve parking facilities, the applicant is also keen to promote better pedestrian access into the town from the parking areas further out. This is a pilot project which, if implemented, will extend out into the Square. The existing lane is identified as in poor condition with potholes and patching, no signage or lighting and scattered with refuse bins and trolleys. They describe the Square as bounded by attractive buildings but lacking in quality of “public realm” and that the features of interest are lost amongst the sea of tarmacadam and vehicles.

1. Carlow stone has been selected as this is considered to fit in visually to the surrounding granite townscape, it is quarried in Ireland and therefore does not have to be brought from a great distance, it is similar to stone quarried on the Island (Poyll Vaaish) but is more suited to this use.

Planning Policy And Status

1. The site lies within an area of Mixed Use on the Castletown Local Plan of 1990 and the draft Southern Area Plan of 2011. The lane marks a pedestrian route between parking provided on Farrant’s Way, the Fire Station car park, parking spaces in Scarlett Road and the car park on Farrant’s Way, and the town shops, restaurants, pubs and offices.

1. The site also lies within Castletown's Conservation Area and both The George Hotel and the Co-op buildings are Registered (RBs 38 and 32 respectively).

1. As such, the following policies are considered applicable in this case:

Environment Policy 35 states: "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character of appearance of the area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development".

Planning History

1. There have been applications for the George Hotel and the Co-op but none for the lane itself. Applications for the George Hotel include PA 06/1875 for the creation of outdoor seating and for the Co-op, PA 10/01197 was the last in a series of applications to find a solution to the external installation of air conditioning units.

Representations

1. Castletown Commissioners, The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority and Highways Division indicate that they do not oppose the application. The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority seek a condition which protects the existing main sewer during construction. This is not a material planning issue but could be referred to by note if the application is permitted.

Assessment

1. The issues to be considered are whether the works would be appropriate for the area which is identified as a Conservation Area and which accommodates a number of Registered Buildings. The applicant has indicated that the materials selected have been chosen so that they will blend into the background materials. They have also indicated that the existing access is poorly lit and finished and does not attract use of the lane as a means of access for pedestrians, thus reducing accessibility to the town centre.

Conditions

1. If the inspector is minded to recommend that the application is permitted, the following conditions are considered to be appropriate:

i) This permission relates to the alterations to the existing lane as shown in drawings 01, 8, 9, 10-01, 10-02B, 10-03, 11, 20-01, 30-01B, 30-02B, 30-03 40-01A, 11.505-13, 11.505-14-1, 11.505-14-2, 11.505-14-3, 11.505-14-4, 11.505-15-1, 11.505-15-2, 2012-05-18D all received on 7th September, 2012.

ii) The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

This statement has been prepared on behalf of the Planning Division by Miss Sarah Corlett, BSc (Hons) MRTPI, Senior Planning Officer