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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No. : 23/00556/B Applicant : Department Of Education, Sport & Culture Proposal : Erection of a mobile classroom, containing two classrooms and toilet facilities Site Address : Castle Rushen High School Arbory Road Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1RE

Planning Officer: Mr Toby Cowell Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 15.06.2023 __

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.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed mobile classrooms are considered to be acceptable by meeting the needs of the school to provide additional on-site teaching facilities, without detriment to the visual amenities of the locality, the amenities of surrounding residential properties or the safety and convenience of the local highway network. The proposals are deemed compliant with General Policy 2 and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan (2016).

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the following drawings and documents;

Location plan - 01 Existing site plan - 02 Proposed site plan - 03 Proposed floorplans and elevations - 25399B Supporting information statement

All received 03.05.23

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__

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None. __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site relates to Castle Rushen High School, its associated curtilage and playing fields. The site of the proposed development is located to the immediate rear of the south-eastern portion of the main school building.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Permission is sought for the siting of a modular building comprised of a galvanised steel frame clad externally with powder coated metal for the external walls and a flat roof finished with black EPDM waterproofing membrane, including white UPVC double glazed windows and grey powder coated aluminium external doors. The structure will comprise dimensions of 10m (depth) by 15.2m (width, extending to a height of 5.175m.

2.2 The proposed structure would be centrally accessed and facilitate two classrooms, with a cloakroom area and toilets at the end of the cloakroom/central lobby area. Each classroom would also include a rear fire escape and a store room. It has been noted from the submitted support letter that the structure will be manufactured off site, with its purpose to provide required teaching accommodation for the school. Specifically, the structure would provide on- site teaching space to be used for certain classes for older students, who are presently utilising accommodation off campus in the Castletown Youth Centre.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The site benefits from an extensive planning history, which include various alterations and extensions to the school, together with the development of ancillary structures and modifications to the parking area; none of which are considered to be of significant material relevance to the current application.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned for 'Civic, Cultural or Other use' in the Area Plan for the South and within the settlement boundary of Castletown. The site is not within a Conservation Area.

4.2 General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan (2016) requires development, amongst other things, to be of a suitable design so as to respect the site and its surroundings, whilst not adversely affecting the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape, providing safe and convenient access for all highway uses and adequate parking.

4.3 Transport Policy 4 requires new and existing highways which serve any new development to be designed so as to be capable of accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys generated by that development in a safe and appropriate manner.

4.4 Transport Policy 7 requires that all development is served by appropriate parking provision in accordance with the Department's current standards.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Castletown Commissioners - no response received at the time of writing.

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5.2 Highways Services - considers the proposals would have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking (22.05.23)

5.3 Manx Utilities Authority - no response received at the time of writing.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposed mobile classrooms are noted as comprising a modest scale of 3.175m in height, whilst being sited to the immediate rear of the south-eastern portion of the main school building. The classrooms would therefore be largely screened from view from key public vantage points, with only modest glimpses likely to be afforded from the rear gardens of properties within Close Malew and Close Cairbre. In any case, the proposals would likely be read in the context of the wider school campus, and therefore not detract from the visual amenities of its immediate surroundings. The proposals are therefore considered to be acceptable from a design and visual impact perspective, in compliance with General Policy 2 (b) & (c) of the Strategic Plan.

6.2 Likewise, the classrooms would be sited within no greater proximity to the gardens of the abovementioned residential properties than existing elements of the principle school building. Therefore, any associated noise emanating from the classrooms are not considered to result in a materially harmful impact upon residential amenities when noting the pre-existing situation, which includes the school's playing fields and associated land already abutting the rear gardens of properties within Close Malew and Close Cairbre. Consequently, the proposals are considered acceptable in this regard, in compliance with General Policy 2 (g) of the Strategic Plan.

6.2 No objections have been raised by Highways Services with respect to the proposals, with the accompanying support statement noting that the mobile classrooms would be used by existing students who are presently based off-site for some lessons in the Castletown Youth Centre. Given the proposals do not seek to facilitate an uplift in students attending the school, it is not considered that the proposals would give rise to a material impact upon on-site parking requirements or the safety and convenience of the local highway network. The proposals are therefore further compliance with General Policy 2 (h) & (i), and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed mobile classrooms are considered to be acceptable by meeting the needs of the school to provide additional on-site teaching facilities, without detriment to the visual amenities of the locality, the amenities of surrounding residential properties or the safety and convenience of the local highway network. The proposals are deemed compliant with General Policy 2 and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan (2016), and therefore recommended for 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.

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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 in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status. __

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: 15.06.2023

Determining officer

Signed : J SINGLETON

Jason Singleton

Principal Planner

Customer note

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