DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/00337/B Applicant: Ramsey Town Commissioners Proposal: Erection of metal storage container Site Address: Bowling Green Mooragh Park Ramsey Isle Of Man Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 28.05.2021 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

• C 1. The metal storage container hereby approved shall be removed from the site and the land restored to its former condition within 5 years of the date of this Decision Notice.

Reason: The development has only been found to be acceptable on a short term basis because it meets a specific need.

• C 2. No development shall take place until full details of soft/hard landscaping works have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department and these works shall be carried out as approved. Details of the soft/hard landscaping works include details of new planting/trellis to the north-eastern and north-western of the container showing, type, size and position of each. All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping must be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the completion of the development or the occupation of the shed, whichever is the sooner. Any trees or plants which die or become seriously damaged or diseased must be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species. Reason: To ensure the provision of an appropriate landscape setting to the development.
• C 3. The external walls, roof, doors, door frame on the metal storage container must be a dark green/olive green colour all being retained thereafter. Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

It is considered to be appropriate on this site for the used proposed and with the appropriate conditions attached would comply with GP2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and the Ramey Local Plan.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawings all received on 30.04.2021. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following Government Departments should be given Interested Person Status on the basis that although they have made written submissions these do relate to planning considerations:

Flood Management Division (DOI) _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the land to the northwest of the Bowling Green within Mooragh Park in Ramsey. The Bowling Green to the southeast includes the green, but also a clubhouse, flat roofed shelter building and a further hexagon shaped building. - 1.2 Mooragh Park has a number of buildings/shelters/Costa Café building and other structures for example the tennis courts are situated to the northern side of Mooragh Lake, and are arranged end-to-end and surrounded by a rectangular green mesh-fence. Mooragh Park is a fairly flat site; immediately adjacent to the bowling green, the land rises sharply in a north western direction towards the residential streets of Grove Mount and Windsor Mount, while to the east there is a boating lake and views of the sea. The slope is part of Mooragh Park and is heavily planted with trees and shrubs. The residential properties beyond the slope are not visible from the site due to the steepness of the slope and the extensive nature of the screening provided by those trees and shrubs.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the erection of metal storage container. The applicants explain that:

"Ramsey Town Commissioners (RTC) has granted North Ramsey Bowling Club (NRBC) a 5-year licence to take over full responsibility for the renovation and maintenance of the Mooragh Park bowling green and surrounding bowling green ditch. To facilitate this NRBC propose to site a small, new equipment storage facility (ESF), adjacent to the existing RTC "Beehive" and NRBC Clubhouse buildings, to store the necessary greenkeeping equipment. This store will take the form of a green powder coated metal container, 4m long by 2.1m wide by 2.1m high and weighing approximately 500kg, standing on four paving slabs, one at each corner. A small, paved area will also be created between the proposed ESF and existing pathways surrounding the Clubhouse and Beehive to facilitate movement of the greenkeeping equipment between the ESF and the bowling green. This has the full support of RTC, the sole interested party in this matter. "

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There are no previous planning applications which are considered relevant in the determination of the planning application.

- 4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES

4.1 The application site is in an area zoned as Public Open Space identified on the Ramsey Local Plan. There are no relevant policies in the Written Statement that accompanies the Local Plan.

4.2 General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is considered relevant, and the relevant extract reads: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

• (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them".

4.3 Recreation Policy 2 states: "Development which would adversely affect, or result in the loss of Open Space or a recreation facility that is or has the potential to be, of recreational or amenity value to the community will not be permitted except in the following circumstances:

• (a) where alternative provision of equivalent community benefit and of equivalent or better accessibility is made available; and
• (b) where there would be an overall community gain from the development, and the particular loss of the open space or recreation facility would have no significant unacceptable effect on local open space or recreation provision or on the character or amenity of the area."

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services (18.05.2021) comment there are no highway interest. - 5.2 The Flood Management Division comment there is no flood risk (20.05.2021).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 General Policy 2 requires that proposed developments do not adversely affect the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape. It also requires that proposed developments do not adversely affect the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality. - 6.2 The proposed works are rather minor and would from a visual point of view with the proposed landscaping proposed and the position behind existing building (albeit potentially apparent when travelling towards the site from the north of the park path) would not be especially apparent. - 6.3 Generally, the Department does not encouraging containers, as visually they are not the type of building/structure which are appropriate outside industrial areas. However, in this case it is noted that the applicants have an temporary agreement with the North Ramsey Bowling Club which is for a 5 years period, to maintain the bowling green. Therefore discussion have been had with the applicants whether a temporary approval for 5 years and at that stage the applicants will either; need to remove it, re apply, or submit an application for a more permanent building. The applicants have confirmed this is acceptable. - 6.4 Conditions for the landscaping to be undertaken and the container to be coloured/painted a dark green, should be attached to any approval. - 6.5 While the proposal would result in a very small area of public open space, it is consider the maintenance of the Bowling Green (used regularly) is arguable of an overall community gain and therefore comply with Recreation Policy 2.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The temporary building is considered to be appropriate on this site for the used proposed and with the appropriate conditions attached would comply with GP2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and the Ramey Local Plan and therefore recommended for an approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status

8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 11.06.2021 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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