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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No. : 23/00673/B Applicant : 3 Shires ATM Solutions Proposal : Installation of an ATM Site Address : Castletown Civic Centre Farrants Way Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1NR

Planning Officer: Mr Hamish Laird Photo Taken : 12.07.2023 Site Visit : 12.07.2023 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 04.08.2023 __

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. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan - 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the following plans and documents received and date-stamped 7 June, 2023, namely:

Site Location Plan @ scale 1:1,250 showing the site edged red; Block Plan @ scale 1:500 indicating the proposed ATM Location; ATM Install Plan - Drawing Nos. 1, 2 and 3; __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None. __

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Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site comprises part of the front elevation of the Civic Centre, located on the NE side of Farrants Way, Castletown. It lies between the Library and the Town Hall, which all have car parking located to the rear. The site lies within the Town Centre and Conservation Area with Farrants Way marking the CA boundary. The surroundings are a mix of Commercial and Public Service properties, including the Fire Station, with residential properties accessed from Scarlett Road opposite to the south-west.

1.2 NB. Castletown Civic Centre is owned and operated by Castletown Town Commissioners. It is not an Isle of Man Government owned and operated premises.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks planning approval for the Installation of an ATM machine into the front elevation, painted render wall, of the Town Hall, to the left side of the Manx stone, main entrance porch. The ATM would be 446mm wide and 793mm high, and be situated within an indent on the front elevation 2.17m high and 826mm wide. The access from the pavement to the ATM is flat to enable access for wheelchair users.

2.2 A corresponding application 23/00676/D for the installation of an Illuminated Sign associated with the ATM at Castletown Civic Centre, comprises a separate proposal relating directly to the ATM installation applciation.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site of the proposed retail unit is designated on the Area Plan for the South (Map 5) as 'Mixed Use'. The site is within a The Castletown Conservation Area, where according to the IOM Flood Risk Map, the Farrants Road carriageway is prone to a low likelihood of Surface Water flooding. As such, the following parts of the Strategic Plan are relevant:

3.2 General Policy 2 states that "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

(b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan."

3.3 Environment Policy 35: "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."

3.4 Environment Policy 37: "As a general policy, advertisements within Conservation Areas will be permitted only if: i) the proposal preserves or enhances the Conservation Area; ii) ii) the signage is in a style appropriate to the character of the area; iii) iii) traditional materials and finishes are used and glossy and highly reflective materials are excluded from proposals; and iv) iv) internally illuminated box fascia and projecting box signs are excluded from the proposals.

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3.5 Transport Policy 1: "New development should, where possible, be located close to existing public transport facilities and routes, including pedestrian, cycle and rail routes."

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The site has also been the subject of a number of applications which includes the detailed application PA 87/00172/B for the construction of the Civic Centre; and, PA 88/01891/B for the construction of a Clock Tower; and, PA 15/01258/B for alterations and amendments to the Civic Centre. These approvals that has been implemented on the site.

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

5.1 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division confirms that: - "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking".

5.2 Castletown Commissioners - no comments had been received by the Report drafting stage.

5.3 No comments have been received from neighbouring properties.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are; i. The visual impact of the proposed development (GP 2) ii. The suitability of the development to the area (TP1 and British Standards BS8300) iii. The impact of the proposal on the surrounding area and street scene and on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area (GP2) and (EP35).

6.2 In terms of the visual impact of the proposed alteration to install the ATM machine, it is considered that this will have a neutral impact on the appearance of the building given that the building is a public services building and the ATM would provide a beneficial service in dispensing cash and providing banking facilities to the public. As well, the ATM would sit comfortably with the modern appearance of this building and would involve relatively little change in terms of scale relative to the building as a whole. It is considered that it would not appear out of place or that it would adversely affect the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, or represent an intrusive feature in the street scene.

6.3 Within British Standards it is recommended that suitable illumination is provided for devices such as ATM machines in order to improve visibility of the devices and to improve the safety of those using the devices. British Standards BS8300 states "Card and coin operated devices, in particular ATMs, should be located in areas that are overlooked by people, and well lit at all times." What is proposed here would sit well with this requirement as it would be positioned at a location where there would be distant views from various vantage points along Farrants Way, and from opposite the site on the approach to it from Scarlett Road, and from the residential properties in the locality. Moreover, the location would be frequently visited by visitors to the the Civic Centre, Library and Town Hall, as well as the main town centre shopping area located close-by to the north and east. This makes it a secure location for intended users. Besides, the location would facilitate access for all types of users as it would be located along a public transport corridor and cycling route which would ensure it complies with Transport Policy 1.

6.4 With regard to its impact on the surrounding area and streetscene, the proposal is considered to be of an appropriate style and material finish, and it is not expected that the

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required illumination would detract views of the local area or be harmful to the character and appearance of the CA, or create any adverse impacts on highway safety.

6.5 Based on the foregoing, it is considered that any impacts resulting from the installation of the new ATM on the appearance and character of the area would be minimal and that the application is acceptable in land-use terms.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 Overall, it is concluded that the planning application is in accordance with aforementioned GP2; EP35 and TP1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and is 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.

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 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: 09.08.2023

Determining officer

Signed : J SINGLETON

Jason Singleton

Principal Planner

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.