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The application site comprises an area of land to the west of the A30, Foxdale Road, St. Johns and opposite the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Saw Mills Site. Currently the application applications site includes Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry offices. The AI Centre, existing car parks and greenhouses/sheds and workshops the site is within a larger area that is open to the public for recreational purposes.
The application site is located within an area that is zoned as Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Ornamental Gardens being Open Space for a Particular Purpose, within the St Johns Local Plan, July 1999.
Within the adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan, the following policies are considered to be relevant in the determination of this application:
"Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:
"New office floor space should be located within town and village centres on land which is zoned for the purpose on the appropriate area plan; exceptionally, permission may be given for new office space
"New office buildings should, in terms of height and mass, respect the scale and character of adjoining and nearby buildings and should accommodate parking space in accordance with the standards specified in Appendix 7 of the Plan."
Whilst there have been a number of previous planning applications relating to the site, the following application is considered to be specifically relevant in the determination of the current application:
PA 04/00682/A – Approval in principle for the development of offices to consolidate accommodation for Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with associated car parking and landscaping, land adjacent to DAFF Forestry, Amenity And Lands Division Office, Foxdale Road, St. Johns. Approval extended for 24 months by delegated minute 2.1, 11/7/06.
The application seeks approval for the construction of a two storey building which will accommodate the corporate headquarters of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The building, which would be constructed with a barrel vault roof of aluminium, would be attached to a single storey section with a mono pitch roof and be raised above ground level on stilts, which takes account of flooding to the site which occurred in the early 1980's. To overcome any issues associated with this previous historical flooding, the building would be raised with a suspended floor, the top side of which would be 850mm above known flood levels. Building materials would be primarily timber, with timber panels externally and the barrel vault roof would be finished with a standing seam aluminium roof. The windows would be timber, with a thin layer of aluminium to reduce maintenance. The roof to the mono pitch section would be a sedum blanket.
The building would be sited on part of an area that is currently used for workshops and associated cafeteria. These buildings are in a poor condition and considered to be reaching the end of their design life. Parking would be provided adjacent to the buying, with disabled parking bays provided at close proximity to the building. The requirement for car parking in accordance with Appendix 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan is one space per 15 sq. m of net office space which would result in a requirement of 67 spaces, with 73 actual spaces being provided. In addition, additional parking exists at the saw mill site to the north east of the application site.
With regard to the access to the site, works would be undertaken in order to upgrade the existing junction into the application site and vegetation adjacent to the entrance would be reduced in order to improve visibility.
External lighting would be provided to the perimeter of the building, walkways and entrance areas for security and amenity purposes. Parking areas would be lit with downward facing lights on 6m high lighting columns. The Design Statement submitted with the application indicates that the lighting will be automatic photocell controlled with time switching and manual override, and cut-off to avoid night sky pollution.
Foul drainage will be pumped into the existing public system in Foxdale Road and surface water run off will be discharged via spillways into the adjacent river.
At the time of writing this report, Patrick Parish Commissioners request additional time to consider the application.
The Owner/Occupier of Alpines, Curragh Road, St Johns comments on a number of points and suggest conditions in relation to external lighting, roof colour and public access to the site. In addition, he raises concerns in relation to the increase in vehicular activity generated by the creation of a corporate headquarters in this location.
The Owners/Occupiers of Mullen e Cloie Bungalow advise that they have not viewed the plans but would not wish to see a multi storey office building constructed. In addition, they raise issues in relation to light pollution.
The Chief Fire Officer submits general comments in relation to fire safety.
The application has been the subject of a number of pre-application meetings and the applicants architect has also liaised with other Government Departments prior to the submission of the application.
The application site represents an area of existing office use and also a site that has been previously developed, and is therefore considered to accord with General Policy 2. The application site is located within the defined settlement of St Johns, but not on land that is zoned for office use and therefore
may be considered to conflict with Business Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan, however, given that there has been a long standing office use on the site, and the proposal would result in the consolidation of a number of offices associated with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in different locations on the Island, it is considered that the development of the site with a corporate headquarters is an appropriate land use, and one that would not impact adversely on the settlement in which it is located by utilising land that is zoned for another purpose. In addition, it is considered that the building would remove a number of somewhat unsightly buildings from the site, whilst replacing them with a striking building that respects the landscape in which it would be constructed, and also maximising ventilation and daylight in order to minimise the requirement for building services installations such as air conditioning.
With regard to the representations received, conditions may be attached to any approval in respect of external lighting and the colour coating of the roofing material; however, in relation to public access to the site, this would be maintained through the existing entrance into the site. Whilst the owner/occupier of Alpines comments that access to the site would now be via a main vehicle roadway, a number of the existing access points into the site are shared with vehicles. Pedestrian access to the areas within the site would be maintained.
It is considered that the proposal represents an appropriate use of the site, providing a central, corporate headquarters to accommodate all six divisions of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in one site, plus resulting in a centralised location for Department customers. It is considered that the design respects the natural features of the site and landscape and would not ~~relist~~ in adverse visual impact within St Johns.
result
It is recommended that the application be approved.
Patrick Parish Commissioners and the Department of Transport Highways Division represent statutory authorities and accordingly are granted Interested Party Status. With regard to the owner/occupier of Alpines, whilst material planning considerations are raised in his correspondence, given the distance of the property from the site, it is considered that he does not comply with the provisions of Government Circular 1/06 and accordingly is not granted Interested Party Status.
at Mullen e Cloie Bungalow
It is considered that the following parties, who submitted comments, accord with the requirements of Planning Circular 1/06 and are therefore, afforded interested party status:
Accordingly the following parties are not afforded Interested Party Status:
Recommended Decision: Permitted
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This approval relates to the construction of a corporate office headquarters, as indicated on the plans and information submitted as part of this application and date stamped 26th March 2008.
C 3. The floodlighting can only be used between the hours of 8.00 and 22.00 daily to protect the amenity of residents nearby.
N 1. The applicant is requested to maintain pedestrian access to the site during and after construction of the office building hereby approved.
Decision Made : ... Committee Meeting Date : ...
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