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Application No.: 21/00917/B Applicant: BlueWave Communications Ltd Proposal: Installation of RaDome telecommunication equipment, access track and perimeter fencing (retrospective) Site Address: Bluewave Complex Transmitter Site Carnane Transmitter Site Old Castletown Road Douglas IM4 1AF Head of Development Management: Mr S Butler Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 04.11.2021 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: In the interest of reducing the visual impact of the fencing in view of its prominent location on this hillside.
Reason: In the interest of protecting the heathland habitat in the area, which requires an acidic basis.
The proposal is considered to comply with the land use zoning in the Area Plan for the East (2020) and to be in accordance with Strategic Plan Infrastructure Policy 3. It will contribute to the wider aspirations to develop telecommunications infrastructure as set out in those plans and the National Telecommunications Strategy (2018). No unacceptable impacts, including in terms of visual amenity, landscape or biodiversity, have been identified.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following plans/drawings:
General advice was received from MWT, DfE, CURA and CABO about various issues, but not specifically about this application and formal representations were not received. The standing advice from Public Health has been noted but again no specific comments on this application have been received. It is therefore not considered that MWT, DfE, CURA, CABO or Public Health should be considered as having made written representations about this application which result in them needing to be considered for Interested Person Status. _____________________________________________________________________________
PRE-AMBLE This application is an amendment to a previous application which was determined by the Planning committee, and overall proposes a lesser level of development and is in accordance with the recently adopted Area Plan for the East. It is therefore not considered that it need be put before the Planning Committee.
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is part of a larger area used for various telecommunications infrastructure, with unused areas being made of scrub land. The site is accessed via a track from Old Castletown Road. - 1.2 The site is potentially visible from a number of public locations but from each of these at a fairly significant distance. The closest views are from the access track to the site (from Castletown Road) which is within private ownership. Other distant public views may be found along the Old Castletown Road in the area of Quine's Hill and in and around the area of Kewaigue Hill/Cooil Road roundabout (A5/A6). However, the associated buildings structures tend to be read against the low level vegetation that is found on the edges of the site. The weather is also likely to have a considerable difference in what can and can't be seen from the views outlined.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Retrospective application for Installation of RaDome telecommunication equipment access track & perimeter fencing. 9 white domes are installed, each c2.8 metres tall, c2.2m wide in a c11m square. 2m high palisade fencing powder coated green, 5 wide hinged gates with gravel access track c3.2m wide. - 2.2 The applicant notes, "The site currently has planning approval (19/00010/B) for six (6) parabolic antennas, four (4) of which are 11.1m in diameter with a height measuring 12m off the ground, and two (2) 3.8m diameter antenna with a height of 5m above the ground and ancillary building. Instead, within this application, the nine (9) much smaller radomes will be
2.6 The applicant was contacted on 03.09.21 to request a copy of the ICNERP certificate. They responded on the 09.09.21 to request clarification on what standards, directives, EU recommendations etc. the certificate would need to cover. Advice was provided by DfE (10.09.21) and also suggested that CURA be contacted for further advice. CURA responded (27.09.21) with detailed on advice, which was passed to the applicant (29.09.21). The applicant responded on 05.10.21 with the EU Declaration of Conformity.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 Planning Approval 19/00010/B was for, "Extension of existing site including the erection of additional telecommunications equipment, erection of small office and welfare facility for maintenance staff, all with associated ground works, landscaping, fencing and video surveillance poles". The fencing was to be 2m high palisade fencing. The conditions attached are set out below.
C1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. C2. For the avoidance of doubt, the two metre-high fencing shown on approved Plan ES2-015, date-stamped as having been received 4th January 2019, shall be dark green in colour and retained thereafter. Reason: In the interest of reducing the visual impact of the fencing in view of its prominent location on this hillside. C3. Any hardcore or gravel material used to make up or maintain the access track within the application site shall be formed of local acid rock unless otherwise agreed in advance with the Department. Reason: In the interest of protecting the heathland habitat in the area, which requires an acidic basis.
3.2 There is a separate concurrent application form the same applicant (21/00510/B) on another part of the wider Carnane Site for, "Retrospective application regarding the erection of mast and other structures in connection with PA 19/00129/B". 19/00129/B was for "Erection of a 40m high mast with supporting structure, boundary fence and ancillary buildings" and was approved subject to the following conditions.
C1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. C2. Notwithstanding drawing number no 19/14/A (date stamped as having been received 08/02/19) prior to the development hereby approved being brought into use, Paladin fencing shall be erected around the site to a height of no more than 2.15 metres and powder coated dark green. The fencing shall be retained as such thereafter, unless required to be removed by condition 5. Reason: In the interest of visual amenity. C3. The building hereby approved shall be coloured to match the existing building on the site unless otherwise approved in writing by the Department. Reason: In the interest of visual amenity. C4. No generator shall be installed on the site unless in accordance with details which have first been approved in writing by the Department. Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and to protect the visual amenities of the area.
3 is relevant and which states:
"A balance must be struck between the need for new, evolving communications systems to satisfy residential and business demand and the impact that the necessary infrastructure will have upon the environment. Measures which may help to achieve a satisfactory balance will include a presumption against visually intrusive masts in sensitive landscapes, the encouragement of mast sharing by different operators, and the removal of redundant infrastructure. Exceptions to this policy would need to demonstrate a strategic national need, which cannot be otherwise secured by mast sharing or alternative locations".
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Representations can be viewed in full on line, the following is a summary. - 5.2 DOI (Highways) comment (26.08.21), "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services find it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network efficiency and /or parking". - 5.3 Braddan Commissioners (03/09/21) confirmed no objections. - 5.4 The Director of Public Health's standing advice is that health concerns should not prevent the erection of telecommunications infrastructure as long as the application is accompanied by a certification that complies with ICNIRP (the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection). - 5.5 No representations have been received from members of the public at the time of writing.
6.1 The key issues to consider when determining the application are; the principle of development on the site; the potential visual impacted the development; potential impact upon the Wildlife Site. THE PRINCIPLE OF DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE - 6.2 Given the wider support for the development of telecommunications infrastructure, the land use designation and the site history it is considered that the principle is acceptable. THE POTENTIAL VISUAL IMPACTED THE DEVELOPMENT - 6.3 The Officer report for 19/00010/B included the following
"6.15 The fact the proposals are sited on the side of a hill side and their size and design; as identified with this assessment, it is likely from certain locations they will be noticeable. It is of course very difficult to pin point every single position where they could or couldn't be viewed from. However, it is considered the above locations are likely to be the main public vantage points and certainly in terms of where the majority of people would view them from, given they are in the main settlement of Douglas and from views along the main roads into Douglas.
6.16 What is clear the public views are all from distant views and if they are apparent they would either be seen partially breaking the skyline or be read against the backdrop of Carnane itself/existing dishes. It is also noted that the skyline of Carnane is already broken by built structures i.e. two larger towers and associated building, tree copses, and other buildings highlighted in paragraph 6.10. - 6.17 It is also noted that for a number of decades the site is associated with masts and more recent with satellite dishes. Therefore it could be argued that such structures given this association and the number of years they have been in place essentially blend in with the landscape, even though the two towers especially, are two of the largest structures on the IOM. - 6.18 Overall, the fact that the new proposals will, when viewed, largely be seen as sitting in between the existing towers/dishes and associated buildings is such that the site will not be perceived as 'spreading out' and instead will remain satisfactorily 'contained' in visual terms. - 6.19 In view of the above, it is considered that the proposal is acceptable in visual impact terms and will consequently not unduly affect the character of the countryside in this location; it therefore is concluded to comply with General Policy 2 as well as Environment Policy 2".
6.4 Given the nature of the proposal it is considered to if anything have a lesser impact than what was previously approved and so, given the above, it is considered to be acceptable. POTENTIAL IMPACT UPON THE WILDLIFE SITE - 6.5 The previous application referenced a report that had been commissioned (2016) from the Manx Wildlife Trust. The Case Officer for 19/00010/B noted,
"6.21 The report highlights that the proposal would not affect the wildlife value of this site, while also recommending some management techniques appropriate for the site as a whole. While these would fail the lawfulness tests required of Planning conditions, the statement that the access track offers an "important area of open habitat in the heathland", and as such the application comes with something of an in-built mitigation measure by adding to this openness a little. As such, it is considered that the proposal would therefore comply with Environment Policies 4 and 5, subject also to a condition relating to the finish of the access track. The Report and its findings are also accepted by the Ecosystems Policy Officer (DEFA)".
As the proposal is within the site area of the previous approval, it is not considered there are any unacceptable impacts, noting the above.
7.1 The proposal is considered to comply with the land use zoning in the Area Plan for the East (2020) and to be in accordance with Strategic Plan Infrastructure Policy 3. It will contribute to the wider aspirations to develop telecommunications infrastructure as set out in those plans and the National Telecommunications Strategy (2018). No unacceptable impacts in terms of visual amenity, landscape or biodiversity have been identified. - 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:
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner 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: 04.11.2021 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner
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