PA 06/1098 Officer Report

PA 06/1098

Officer's Report

THE SITE

The site comprises the largely cleaved land at the junction of Peel Road and Circular Road, on which there still stand two copper beech trees (and many buddlera shrubs). Belmont Terrace has the site stands to the north, facing the site, whilst the Wool Control Centre stands to the south. East of the site are terraced buildings, some of which are residential, some offices.

THE PROPOSED DEV'T

The application proposes the erection of a building which would accommodate

• (a) in the Lower Basement, 37 parking spaces;
• (b) in the Upper Basement, 43 parking spaces;
• (c) at Ground Floor Level, 8 2-bedroomed flats and 2 1-bedroomed flats;
• (d) at ground, First, Second, and Third Floor Levels,

8 2-bedroomed flats and 2 1-bedroomed flats on each floor;

• (d) at Fourth Floor Level, 6 2-bedroomed flats and 2 1-bedroomed flats; and
• (e) at Fifth Floor Level, 2 2-bedroomed flats. There would thus be a total of 2 2-bedroomed flats and 10 1-bedroomed flats. Access to the Lower Basement would be from Peel Road, and to the Upper Basement from Blk Brinkwater Lane. There would be access from Circular Road to a paved area for visitor parking under and around the trees.

DEVELOPMENT PLAN On the Douglas Local Plan, the site falls within an area which is zoned for office use, but within which there remains a significant number of residential buildings. The Dept has, in practice, and following a specific

resolution, resisted the further loss of fit. It dwellings within this area. There has in fact been at least one ^nearly^ instance (at 81-85 Circular Road) of a developer electing to proceed with residential dev't rather than with an approved office dev't. The site is not within or close to a conservation Area. There are no site-specific policies to which regard should be had when assessing this proposal.

FLANNING HISTORY In determining this application, it is proper to have regard to the following recent applications in respect of the same site:-

• (a) FA 01/2023: Refused 11.4.02 Refusal confirmed on Review 21.6.02
• (b) FA 01/2025: Refused 11.4.02
• (c) FA 02/1965: Refused 8.8.02 Refusal confirmed 27.9.02 Approved on Appeal 3.1.03
• (d) FA 02/2129: Approved 25.4.03 Approval confirmed 18.7.03 Copies of the final decision notices for each application are attached to this statement. In summary, it can be seen that there

has been granted an Approval for a temporary car-parks (extended to 30.12.06) and for the erection of a four-storey office building (over two levels of parking).

WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS

The gist of the written representations received by the Dept is as follows:-

• (a) Highway Authority: conditional approval (some of the conditions require amendment of the submitted proposals).
• (b) Local Authority: objection on grounds relating to intensiveness of use, design, and access/egress.
• (c) Drainage Authority: conditional approval.
• (d) DAFF (Forestry): concern to ensure the protection of the copper beech trees, both during construction and thereafter.
• (e) Estates/Housing Directorate: a request for them to be provided 12/13 2-bedroomed flats as "affordable units".
• (f) MEA: Note 1 and 2
• (g) Disability Access Office: standard comments.
• (h) Environmental Health Officer: the flats must comply with the 1982 Regs.

• (i) Water Authority: Notes 1 and 7

• (j) Fire Service: Consult in relation to the Fire Precautions Regs 1996

• (k) Local Residents: Objections relating to height, intensiveness of use, suitability of the immediate environment, impact on infrastructure, and related matters.

• (l) Mr. D. Cretney Metts: endorsement of the concerns expressed by local residents. (m) Mr. Jessopp: design out of keeping. (n) SAVE: concerns relating to the design, traffic impact, and the trees

ASSESSMENT The principal material considerations in this matter are as follows:-

• (a) Land Use
• (b) Visual Impact
• (c) Highway Issues
• (d) Impact on neighbours
• (e) The environment of the flats
• (f) Affordable Housing
• (g) Impact on the trees Land Use Whilst the proposed use of the land for residential purposes does not accord with the land-use zoning on the Local Plan, it nevertheless accords with the Department's recent practice in respect of other similarly zoned land in the immediate area, and with the Dept's general policy of encouraging residential development within the central areas of our towns. The development would be of a high

density: fifty-two units (ninety-four bedrooms) on a site of only approx. 0.14 ha.

Visual Impact

The proposed building would be tall (six residential storeys over two levels of parking), but little different in height from the office building for which there is a valid planning approval. Given its siting at the junction of two Principal Traffic Routes, and at one of the principal entry points to the Town, the building should have a landmark quality. Height itself is thus not an issue (in my judgement).

The form of the building is generally well broken, creating a variety of terraces and countryside, and helping to reduce the overall mass of the building. The height of the "separate" elements reduces to the east, such as to be four storeys where it meets the existing buildings on Circular Road.

A variety of finishes is proposed, including