DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/01118/C Applicant: Port Erin Commissioners Proposal: Additional use of existing archive room and store areas for storage and distribution for a food bank Site Address: Commissioners Office 12 Bridson Street Port Erin Isle Of Man IM9 6AN Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.11.2021 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

• C 1. 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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. The additional storage and distribution use hereby approved shall be by the Isle of Man Foodbank only and limited to that area outlined in red on the approved Floor Plan drawing.

Reason: The application has been assessed on this specific user and for this red line area only and for the avoidance of doubt.

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

Subject to a suitably worded condition relating to the end user being the Isle of Man Foodbank the application is considered to have an acceptable impact in terms of principle and on the wider environment and neighbours so as to comply with Spatial Policy 2, Strategic Policies 1 and 2, Environment Policy 23, Community Policy 2 and with the general principles of General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to Location Plan, Site Plan, Floor Plan, 5 x site photographs and a planning statement all date received 21/09/2021. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE AS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN BUT IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.

THE SITE

1.1 The site represents the curtilage of an existing building situated on the eastern side of Bridson Street in Port Erin. The single storey building is currently occupied and used by Port Erin Commissioners as their offices. The site also has a front parking area and garden space at the rear. PROPOSAL - 2.1 Planning approval is sought for the additional use of part of the building (approx. 20sq m) as an area for the storage and distribution of food items relating to the Isle of Man Food Bank and the hosting of ad hoc meetings with prospective users of the food bank. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There have been a number applications submitted for the site relating to its conversion to two dwellings, erection of extensions, installation of signage and its original conversion to office accommodation approved under 98/00725/B, although none are considered materially relevant in the case of this specific application. PLANNING STATUS - 4.1 The site lies within an area of Predominantly Residential Use on the Area Plan for the South

1. Given the nature of the application consideration shall be given to a number of policies in the Strategic Plan in respect of making best use of existing sites and directing community development to appropriate town centre locations within suitable walking distance and to sites designated for such use (Strategic Policies 1, 2, 9, 10, Spatial Policies 2 and 5 and Community Policy 2) and ensuring new development does not result in any unacceptable or increased amenity harm on the environment or neighbours (General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 23).

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Port Erin Commissioners - in support (13/10/2021).

5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (06/10/2021). - 5.3 No comments received from neighbouring properties.

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The application site is within the settlement of Port Erin and although designated as 'residential' the existing building is already in use by the local commissioners as an office with some archive storage and ultimately provides a service to the local community with an already experienced number of coming and goings to the building and a general level of both commissioner and community activity. The proposed use seeks to change an area of the existing building from an archive storage area to an area for food storage by the IOM Food Bank and including a space where they can hold ad hoc meetings with perspective users of the facility.

6.2 The application has been provided with a table showing indicative numbers of volunteers and an outline of the types of jobs undertaken during the day including the sorting of donated goods, packing of goods, stock take and ordering, delivery of goods and stock rotation. The nature of the operation is not expected to give any rise to disturbances to neighbouring properties, and while there could possibly be a slight increase in regular numbers to the site for the food bank, it's likely to be difficult to differentiate those numbers from those already coming to and from the site

as the already established Commissioner Office and thus having an overall negligible impact beyond the existing arrangement.

CONCLUSION

7.1 The application has been assessed on an exceptional basis with the specified operator being a food bank. The proposal on this basis has been considered to have an acceptable impact in terms of principle and on the wider environment and neighbours in line with Spatial Policy 2, Strategic Policies 1 and 2, Environment Policy 23 and the general principles of General Policy 2. A suitably worded condition relating to the end used shall be added for the avoidance of doubt. - 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

I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 29.11.2021

Signed : L KINRADE Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).

Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below

Customer note

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