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Application No.: 09/00979/B Applicant: Port Erin Bowling Club Proposal: Erection of four lighting columns Site Address: Port Erin Bowling Club Breagle Glen Saint Marys Road Port Erin Isle Of Man ### Considerations Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee ### Written Representations 28 Sunnydale Avenue Port Erin Isle Of Man IM9 6EU Objects to the proposal ### Consultations Consultee : Highways Division Notes : Consultee : Port Erin Commissioners Notes: approved.
The site defined in red on plan 02A represents the bowling green at Breagle Glen together with the walkway around it, part of which is covered (the northern edge of the green and part of the western edge). To the north of the green is a grassed slope and to the north of this is a machine shed. To the east of the green are residential dwellings - numbers 25,27 and 28 , Sunnydale Avenue are the closest properties. To the south is the cafe associated with the green and to the west is the car park associated with the glen, the green and the cafe. The site is accessed from St. George's Crescent.
The site is designated on the Port Erin Local Plan of 1990 as Public Open Space.
PA 88/1645 proposed the installation of floodlights and was refused initially, the refusal supported by the Commissioners on the basis that the lighting would be intrusive to the residents of Sunnydale Avenue. On review, a compromise was reached and the two lights furthest from Sunnydale Avenue were permitted on a permanent basis and the two closest to the residential properties were permitted
on a temporary basis, the standards being mobile units and removed at the end of each evening's play.
There was a reported incident of the lights not being removed in accordance with the condition, in 1989.
PA 91/0712 proposed the installation of four new lights, each 7.5 m high. This was recommended for refusal but was permitted with no conditions regarding the removal or switching off of the lighting. A review was sought and the approval confirmed but with a condition added to require that the floodlights were erected no sooner than 1st April and taken down no later than 15th September in any one year with the two closest to Sunnydale Avenue removed between 31st May and 1st August, presumably when they would not be needed.
The applicant wrote to the Planning Office in May 2005 requesting permission for the changing of the conditions so that the lighting would be erected from 15th March, two weeks earlier than permitted and taken down by 15th October, 2 weeks after originally required. The response provided was that in order to change the condition, a new application would be needed. The club's response to this was to have erected new permanent lighting without submitting any application, despite the advice given and in spite of the contentious planning history and the detailed nature of the conditions on the previous approval, of which the applicant was clearly aware otherwise they would not have written to the Department in May 2005. Retrospective planning permission was sought for these lights under PA 07/0694 and was refused on appeal (see attached).
The appeal inspector concluded that he understood that "the previous illumination was accepted by local residents as it was a more subdued light source and possibly angled in a friendlier manner than the presently installed lights." He went on to observe that the light B in the south western corner shone into number 27 and that as the lights would be shining at times before residents would normally close their curtains, this would be an unacceptable intrusion into the amenities of number 27. He also concluded that all of the lights would have an unacceptable impact on the main bedroom and rear living room of number 28 . He went on then to discuss the impact of the poles on which the lights were mounted. He concluded that poles A and D which are those closest to Sunnydale Avenue were visible and visually intrusive from the adjacent properties and should not be approved on a permanent basis. He recommended that a compromise would be to erect them only for a temporary period at the start and towards the end of the playing season and that they should be taken down when not needed in the middle of the summer and throughout the winter.
The applicants abided by the enforcement action and de-constructed the poles within the appointed time following the issue of the refusal on appeal.
Proposed now is the erection of the same four poles but in slightly different positions than as previously proposed. Pole A which is closest to 25 , Sunnydale Avenue is to be moved further into the green along the eastern side, pole B is to be relocated along the southern edge of the green, pole C is to be moved further along the northern edge and pole D which is that closest to number 28 , Sunnydale Avenue is to be moved further down the eastern side. The effect of these changes in position and orientation is that none of the lights will be facing and shining towards Sunnydale Avenue. There will be a lighting pole closer to number 25 and number 27 than previously and the pole previously closest to number 28 will be half way along the rear boundary rather than alongside the northern end of the garden.
The lights are hinged at a point 1.6 m above ground level with a total height of 8 m on top of which is perched the lighting head. The new poles are believed to be approximately 300 mm higher than the original lights which were approved under PA 88/1645. It is also stated by the applicant that the original lights were spotlights attached to the top of scaffolding poles and with two lights rather than a single light per pole as is proposed here.
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