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1.1 The site is the curtilage of Port St. Mary Railway Station, a handsome brick building which sits on the southern side of the steam railway line as it runs between Colby and Port Erin. The building has decorative and substantial chimneys, yellow brick detailing and timber framed, mainly sliding sash windows, some of which take the form of oriel windows, projecting from the face of the building. The building is set back by around 3.5m.
1.2 The site as amended (see later) includes only the footprint of the building - no part of the platform but does include land to the west, south and east of the building which will provide the nine parking spaces and access thereto.
1.3 Access to the site is directly from Station Road, not involving the lane which leads to the redundant gas works at the western end of the group of buildings. The group also includes the Station Hotel, a public house situated on Station Road and which is a two storey, rendered building with overhanging eaves and substantial chimneys and vertically proportioned windows. To the rear of this is Ballaghreiney, a modern, single storey residential dwelling with associated landscaping business which has permission to operate from the former car park to the rear of the dwelling. To the west of this is the former gasworks site.
2.1 Proposed is the change of use of the building from a railway station with rooms above to a small area for a waiting room and ticket office with the remainder of the building used as offices. The application provides no further information regarding the use. The Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development)(No 2) Order 2013 describes two forms of offices:
Use for the provision of :
where the services are provided principally to visiting members of the public.
and
Use as an office other than a use within Class 2.
2.2 The internal layout will change insofar as what is currently a waiting room with admin and ticket office, showers, toilets and waiting room on the ground floor of the building will become a waiting room with vending machines and ticket office in a total area of around 46 sq m with the remainder of the ground floors to be used as offices with conference/meeting space, toilets and a tea point with access to the first floor which will accommodate further offices, conference facilities and a toilet. An externally accessible toilet is provided for users of the platform which will be part of the area, with the waiting room and ticket office, to be leased back by the owners to the Government for use in connection with the railway.
2.3 Access to the offices will be from the eastern side of the building. No external changes are proposed.
3.1 The site is designated on the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 as Railway.
3.2 There are references in the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 to the railway and associated buildings, as follows:
"5.21.3 In terms of the Island's rail heritage, the route of the still-operational Isle of Man Steam Railway winds south and west from Santon Station to its terminus in Port Erin, passing through Ballasalla, Castletown, Colby, and Port St Mary on the way. Given that the route, most of the rolling stock, and most of the station buildings and line-side structures are essentially as they were when the railway opened in 1874, there is obvious cultural and historic interest. Where possible and practical station buildings, gate-keepers' huts, and other line-side structures should be retained in, and where necessary, restored to their original form and appearance. Although it is recognised that financial and modern operating requirements may mean that this is not always possible."
"6.28.5 Port St Mary Village remains a popular destination for leisure boats, hikers, and railway travellers, and is of considerable visual attraction, particularly around the inner harbour, Lime Street, and Athol Street."
3.3 The railway station is listed in the APS as a building worthy of consideration for Registration.
3.4 The Strategic Plan makes a number of references to the railway, as follows:
"Strategic objectives:
Resources
Transport and Communications
Strategic Policy 1: "Development should make the best use of resources by...(c) being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services.
In pursuance of (c) above, the Department will, when formulating its programme for the preparation of new Area Plans, have particular regard to..c) the public investment in the Island's highway, bus, railway and tramway networks.."
"5.14 The routes of the Steam, Electric and Mountain Railways form part of the ISS (Island Spatial Strategy). The Steam and Electric Railways have potential for improvement in the longer term as part of an Integrated Transport Strategy for the Island. All of the current routes support the strategy of CENTRES and LINKS."
"11.2.5 The Island is fortunate to have an historic vintage rail network, which includes the Isle of Man Steam Railway, the Manx Electric Railway, the Snaefell Mountain Railway, the Groudle Glen Railway and the horse trams which run along Douglas Promenade. Development on or around the rail network should not compromise its attraction as a tourism and leisure facility or the potential for increased use as a public transport system, for example as a means of travelling to work."
"11.2.6 In addition to the present rail network there exist former railway routes, most notably between Douglas and Peel and from Peel to Ramsey. These trackbeds are predominantly utilised as public footpaths and in some cases as cycleways as well. A number have been designated utility service corridors which may affect their potential as public transport routes. They should be protected from development which would diminish their attraction or potential as public transport routes."
Transport Policy 3: "New development on or around existing and former rail routes should not compromise their attraction as a tourism and leisure facility or their potential as public transport routes, or cycle/leisure footpath routes."
The Strategic Plan also sets out parking standards. Offices should have one space for every 50 sq m of nett floor space: out of town offices should have one space for every 15 sq m of nett floor space. the site lies outwith the settlements of Port Erin and Port St. Mary as defined in the APS.
4.1 The site has been the subject of previous applications which also sought permission for an additional use of some of the floor space to apartments (PA 07/00372) and tourist accommodation including station master's accommodation (PA 11/00180). Neither of these approvals were implemented. Permission was refused for the demolition of the building and its replacement with twelve lock up garages (PA 95/01048).
5.1 Correspondence has been received from an architect's practice in Castletown, suggesting that the red line does not accurately reflect the land which will be made available to the proposed user of the site and also expresses concern at the accuracy of the answers to questions in the application form.
5.2 Port St. Mary Commissioners indicate that they do not oppose the application.
5.3 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services indicate that they do not oppose the application.
5.4 Following the receipt of the above comments, a further plan has been received indicating that the area of the application is confined to the railway station building and land immediately to the west, south and east which will include nine spaces. As an illustration of further parking opportunities which could be available if required, the applicant has indicated that there is space to the south (indicated as car park but is actually approved for use in connection with Ballaghreiney and is also part of a current application site for residential development - PA 14/00357 - yet to be determined), on the eastern side of the road alongside Shanhowe, to the north of the railway which, it is understood serves the bowling green and around 200m to the north. No information is provided as to the ownership of these areas, their availability or levels of use.
5.5 The comments which have been made to date are not based upon this additional information which has yet to be circulated.
6.1 As the site is within the ownership of the Department of Infrastructure which currently owns the application site, it is not appropriate for the planning office to make a formal recommendation as there is a clear potential for a perception of bias in favour of the application in order that the site may be sold. However, it is considered appropriate to outline the important considerations which should be taken into account when determining the application.
6.2 There are two issues which arise with this proposal: firstly whether the additional office use is an acceptable use bearing in mind the designation of the site as Railway and secondly whether the office use can be satisfactorily accommodated in respect of access (pedestrian and vehicular) and parking taking into account the need for parking also in association with the railway. Very little information has been provided in respect of how many spaces will be needed by either: in terms of the office use, as no specific office user has been given, it is assumed that the standard office parking standard should be applied and given that the site
lies outside the settlements of Port Erin and Port St. Mary it may be that the higher out of town standard should be applied, although the site is alongside a regular bus route and is within 400m of the start of the retail facilities in Port St. Mary, served all the way by a footway. The floor area of the proposed office represents around 187 sq m of office space (excluding hallways and toilets) which would result in either 4 or 12 spaces depending upon which standard is being applied. The layout shows 14 work stations and conference facilities which could accommodate a further 18 people although it may well be that there is an overlap between who will be working at the work stations and who would be in the conference facilities. The railway station waiting area is laid out to accommodate twenty people seated at the tables and more on the bench seating alongside. The ticket office would presumably accommodate a worker.
6.3 This should be compared with the existing use as a railway station which would generate employment and accommodation for the station manager and facilities for those waiting for the train, and also the approved uses for some of the building as apartments and tourist accommodation which would have generated a need for two spaces per unit in addition to the railway station use.
7.1 If the inspector is minded to recommend that the application is approved, consideration should be given to conditions which specify the time in which the works should be commenced (the standard time condition) and the plans and development which is being approved. Whilst the drawings have shown additional parking facilities in the vicinity of the site, there is no certainty that any or all are available for use and as such it would not be appropriate to include these spaces in the calculation of available parking, nor should they be referred to in any planning conditions. It may be appropriate however, to include a condition which reserves the use of the spaces within the site for use by those using the railway and the office.
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
SITE AND FLOOR PLANS APPROVED FOR PA 11-00180 CONVERSION OF BUILDING TO WAITING ROOM FACILITIES AND TOURIST ACCOMMODATION
{{image:251672}} first floor
{{image:251673}} ground floor PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS scale 1:100
Received 11.02.11 11 00180 DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING and BUILDING CONTROL Town and Co.
| Decision drawing number 3 | ||
| Appeal |
PROPOSED SITE PLAN scale 1:200
for J. BUNYAN Esq. PORT ST. MARY STATION ISLE OF MAN PROPOSED SITE PLAN drawing number 7
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