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Application No.: 09/00583/C Applicant: Living Hope Community Church Proposal: Use of premises as a social centre Site Address: The Lancashire House Main Road Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HS ### Considerations Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Senior Planning Officer ### Written Representations ### Consultations Consultee : Highways Division Notes: Do not oppose Consultee : Santon Commissioners Notes : Consultee : Disability Access Officer Notes: see comments.
The site represents the curtilage of the former Lancashire Hotel - a substantial building situated on the north western side of the A5 Castletown Road as it passes through Newtown. The building is situated in a car park which extends around to the south west and to the rear of the site and there is made up land to the rear of this which extends towards the sewage treatment works which is accessed via Newtown estate to the north of the application site.
The former hotel has not been used either as an hotel or public house for several years and has been used as a nursery before being closed completely.
The site lies within an area designated on the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982 as Existing Predominantly Residential.
PA 86/00307/B - Use of land for dumping of top soil and builders material, land rear of Lancashire Hotel, Newtown, Santon.
PA 86/00900/B - Alterations and extensions including formation of pool room and additional W.C.s, Lancashire Hotel, Main Road, Santon Initial Decision: Permitted 1st January 1994 PA 87/04672/B - Infilling of land with hardcore and soil, field no. 2667, (370) rear of Newtown Estate, Santon. Initial Decision: Permitted 1st January 1994 PA 87/04764/B - Infilling of land, field 1859 and part of field 2456, land adjoining The Lancashire Public House, New Castletown Road, Santon.
PA 91/01169/B - Infill of land with hardcore and soil, rear of Lancashire Hotel, Field No. 1859. Santon. Initial Decision: Refused 1st January 1994 PA 92/00283/B - Extension to landfill site, land at rear of Lancashire Hotel, Santon. Initial Decision: Permitted 1st January 1994 PA 99/01138/B - Conversion of public house to play school and living accommodation, Lancashire Hotel, Main Road, Santon Initial Decision: Permitted 15th November 1999 PA 98/01439/A - Approval in principle for change of use of Public House to nursery with office, living accommodation and garage, Lancashire Hotel, Main Road, Santon. Initial Decision: Permitted 29th January 1999 PA 02/02224/A - Approval in principle for the erection of ten dwellings, conversion of cottage to two apartments and alterations to car park Review Decision : Refused on Review 13th June 2003 PA 08/2254 - change of use of child day care centre to a youth social centre - permitted. This permission was granted on the basis of a temporary permission as applied for and on the basis of the use being taken up only twice a week between 1900hrs - 2130hrs, as applied for.
Proposed now is the use of the building as a youth centre on a greater basis than as approved. The applicant has taken up the permission granted and it has become apparent that the building has more potential not only for wider use by the groups indicated in the earlier application but also by other churches in Douglas and the south of the Island. The applicant indicates that this use will continue until the owner demolishes the building which is understood to be in around 12 months' time. The type of uses intended include prayer meetings, adult social and planning meetings, elderly social meetings, bible study and small community meetings.
Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division indicate that they do not oppose the application.
Disability Access Officer recommends that facilities for disabled persons are provided within the building. As the previous use was for community/public purposes, it is not appropriate to require such facilities with this proposed change of use and as such this should not be referred to in the planning decision notice.
The property is a former community facility in the form of a public house and latterly a nursery/kindergarten and is well placed and served to be a community facility for the local area or interest groups. The building is not particularly well suited to conversion to a private dwelling(s) and the space around the building lends itself and the building to a use which involves greater numbers of people at any one time. As the property was formerly a public house which would have involved large numbers of people arriving and departing until late in the evening, the proposed organised use for structured social purposes seems appropriate and worthy of support outwith the hours previously suggested and stipulated.
The use should also not be constrained to a year - if the use is acceptable, and it is suggested that it is, then the use should be permitted to continue until another use or form of re-development is implemented, whenever that may be.
The application should not be considered as an amendment to condition 2 as is described as there are included in the list of events to be held on the site, activities for older people and as such the proposed use is not simply a youth social centre as indicated. The application is a change of use as is indicated in the application form and should be approved as such. The application site plans indicate that the site is simply the footprint of the building rather than the planning unit which includes the land around and the applicant has indicated by e-mail that this is acceptable (15th May, 2009).
The Department of Transport and the local authority are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (c) and (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.
Disability Access Officer refers to matters which are not material planning considerations and as such should not be afforded party status in this instance.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation:
Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal
The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
This permission relates to the use of the premises as defined in the submitted plans as a social centre.
26 May 2009
09/00583/C
I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular No 10/09, Delegation of Functions (Development Procedure), GC No 11/09 (Advertisements) and GC No 12/09 (Registered Buildings) all to the Senior Planning Officer
Decision Made : Permitted Date : Signed : Senior Planning Officer
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