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Approval in Principle to Redevelop Site for Residential Purposes, Motor Garage/Sales Premises, Peel Road, Douglas Planning Statement
Heritage Homes Ltd. Dandara Group Head Office Isle of Man Business Park Braddan Isle of Man IM2 2SA
heritage homes
1.0 Introduction 2.0 The site 3.0 Planning history 4.0 Planning policy context 5.0 The proposal 6.0 Summary
1.1 This application seeks planning approval in principle to redevelop, for residential purposes, a site which fronts onto the southern side of Peel Road between No. 41 Peel Road and the former Wool Control Centre. The buildings which currently occupy the site were built as motor garage/sales premises and are currently used as such by a tenant.
1.2 This application seeks planning approval in principle only for the redevelopment of the site for residential purposes. As such it does not seek approval for a specific number of dwellings or buildings of a particular size or design, which are amongst the issues that would form the subject of a subsequent application seeking approval to Reserved Matters.
2.1 The application site is immediately adjacent to the southern side of Peel Road, between the dwelling at No. 41 Peel Road and the former Wool Control Centre. The northern part of the site is currently occupied by buildings and parking areas which are used as motor garage/sales premises, whilst the undeveloped southern part contains trees and vegetation and slopes steeply down towards the Isle of Man Railway line. A laneway/right of way which provides access from Peel Road to undeveloped land to the south west of the site runs through the site in part and then alongside part of the eastern site boundary.
3.1 The most recent and relevant planning application in respect of the site sought approval under PA 09/00198 to remove the buildings and use the site for car parking, on a temporary basis pending its proper redevelopment with an office or residential scheme. The application was approved in April 2009.
4.1 The planning policy context for the application is set out in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (IoMSP) and the Douglas Local Plan 1998.
The IoMSP was adopted by the Department in June 2007 and approved by Tynwald the following month, and is intended to provide “the strategic and general policy framework within which provision will be made for development and conservation needs for the period 2001-2016”. Together with Area (and Local) Plans the IoMSP forms a Development Plan as required by the 1999 Town and Country Planning Act. It is made clear in the Plan that “in the case of any inconsistency between the provisions of the Strategic Plan and the provisions of an Area Plan, whichever came into force later will prevail”, with the Strategic Plan being the most recent in this instance.
Amongst the Strategic Objectives of the Plan it is indicated that resources should be protected, used, and re-used in an efficient and economic way, and that most new development should be guided towards existing settlements in order to make “the optimum use of existing and planned infrastructure and services”. This accords with the stated intention to promote urban regeneration and the re-use of derelict and redundant sites. The Plan also seeks to reduce the need for travel, “especially by private car”, and states that new housing and employment should be located “close to existing public transport facilities and routes, or where public transport facilities are, or can be improved, thereby reducing the need to use private cars and encouraging alternative means of transport”. The Strategic Objectives also seek to provide for sufficient housing of an acceptable standard and of an appropriate nature and in appropriate locations to meet the needs of the community.
The Strategic Policies which flow from these objectives emphasize the need for development to make the best use of resources by, amongst other things, directing development to sites within towns and villages and “optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and under-used land and buildings, and re-using scarce indigenous building materials”, as well as ensuring the efficient use of sites and being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services. New development should have regard to the use of local materials and character, and should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment of the Island. The Plan also requires new development to be located and designed
so as to promote a more integrated transport network, in order to minimise journeys (especially by private car), make the best use of public transport, not adversely affect highway safety, and encourage pedestrian movement.
4.2.4 The IoMSP includes an Island Spatial Strategy (ISS) which is intended to guide the physical development of the Island up to 2016. The Island is divided into North, South, East and West regions and the ISS seeks to “promote a balanced and equitable pattern of sustainable development across the Island”. It is proposed to provide sufficient development opportunities so as to enable the provision of 6000 additional dwellings within the Plan period, 2,500 of which will be in the East. These figures are confirmed by the Housing policies of the Plan.
4.2.5 General Policy 2 of the Plan identifies standards of development that should be complied with, which include criteria in respect building scale and appearance, impact upon landscape or townscape, amenity standards for local residents, highway matters, flood risk, personal safety/security and energy consumption. Environment Policies 7, 10 and 13 refer to watercourses and flood risk respectively, indicating that certain applications may need to be accompanied by a flood risk assessment. Environment Policy 36 states that development which is outside of a Conservation Area but close to the boundary must not detrimentally affect important views into and out of the Conservation Area. Environment Policy 42 requires the design of new development in existing settlements to take account of “the particular character and identity, in terms of buildings and landscape features, of the immediate locality”.
4.2.6 Transport Policy 1 of the Plan states that new development should, where possible, be located close to existing public transport facilities and routes, including pedestrian, cycle and rail routes. Transport Policy 4 seeks to ensure that new and existing highways are capable of safely accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys created by development. The supporting text which precedes Transport Policy 7 indicates that the long term target is to reduce the level of car parking required for town centre developments and to seek more sustainable staff and visitor transport plans. Transport Policy 7 requires that parking provision in all new development meets the Department’s standards, which is shown at Appendix 7 of the Plan to be 1
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space per bedroom for apartments (to a maximum of 2). The Plan makes provision however for standards to be relaxed in the case of town centre and previously developed sites, having regard to (amongst other things) the location of the housing relative to public transport, employment and public amenities. Transport Policy 8 requires all applications for major development to be accompanied by a Transport Assessment.
4.3.1 The extant Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Douglas Local Plan) Order 1998 was approved by Tynwald in December, 1998, and as a reflection of its use at that time the site is shown on the Central Area Map as an area of Light Industrial Use. Policy D/R/P1 sates that residential development will be restricted to those areas defined in the Plan, before going on to state that in order to avoid “peripheral growth of housing on greenfield sites” residential development will be accommodated in the town centre by adopting a variety of policies. Planning approval has been granted to a variety of residential schemes on sites within the Central Area which are zoned for other uses, including the Allan Bank site immediately adjacent to the application site.
4.3.2 Paragraph 7.2 of the Plan defines the Central Area of Douglas, in transport terms, as an area which broadly equates to that shown on the Central Area Map. It is stated at Paragraph 7.27 that residential parking must be considered in the context of both the current situation and the principle of encouraging residential development in the town centre, and Policy D/CP/P6 (para 7.28) confirms that the requirement for car parking provision in new development proposals will be re-examined. It goes on to state that the current standard of 1.5 spaces per unit (in 1998) will be increased to 2 spaces outwith the town centre, but conversely consideration will be given to reducing the standard for town centre development.
4.3.3 Policy D/CP/P7 (para 7.29) of the Plan indicates that town centre parking provision should be based upon “bed spaces and residential use”, and gives as an example 1 space for a 2/3 bedroom apartment. These provisions have in any event been superseded by the parking standards and guidance of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.
5.1 The application seeks planning approval in principle for the redevelopment of the northern part of the site for residential purposes, to replace the low grade commercial buildings and parking areas which currently occupy that part of the site. Approval is not sought for a specific number of dwellings or for buildings of a particular size or design, which are amongst the issues that would form the subject of a subsequent Reserved Matters application, but given the context and characteristics of the site it is likely that any residential development would be in the form of apartments. The building outline shown on the submitted site plan is indicative only and is intended to demonstrate that the northern part of the site is capable of accommodating a new building. Notwithstanding this any new scheme would represent a significant improvement over the existing buildings in visual terms.
5.2 The site is within the Central Area of Douglas as identified in the Local Plan, and is immediately adjacent to an area which is designated as Predominantly Residential. It is also opposite the vacant Allan Bank site which, despite being within an area allocated for Predominantly Office use, is the subject of an extant approval for residential development (as well as an approval for an office scheme). Whilst a tenant still currently uses the premises for motor sales the relocation of that business to an appropriate site would leave the application site vacant, and as such we wish to ascertain with this application how the site may be redeveloped in such circumstances. We are of the view that it is reasonable and prudent to try and establish possible future uses for the site at this stage in order to try and minimise the time that the site might be left vacant in the future.
5.3 The site is within the Central Area of Douglas as identified in the Local Plan, and is adjacent to areas of established residential use. It is also close to town centre employment areas as well as shopping and leisure facilities and its redevelopment accords with objectives and policies of the IoMSP. Although perhaps not entirely accurate the Local Plan designation of “Light Industrial” was intended to reflect the site’s use at that time rather than suggest that the site is in a suitable location for general light industrial use, and in our view the redevelopment of the site with light industrial uses would not be appropriate. The granting of planning approval to remove the buildings and use the site as
a car park pending its proper redevelopment suggests that its current use need not necessarily be retained.
5.4 The site is at present served by more than one access point from Peel Road, and includes a lane with third party rights of way which leads through part of the site. The indicative access point shown on the site plan is located at the point of a current access and would maintain third party rights of way, as well as providing visibility for emerging vehicles as illustrated. On-site parking will be provided in accordance with the provisions of the IoMSP and will take into account the need to service the building. The application site is adjacent to a principal bus route and is located within the Central Area of Douglas, close to its residential, commercial and shopping areas. It is linked to these areas by continuous footways and therefore pedestrians can safely and conveniently walk between them and the proposed development.
6.1 The application site is within the central area of Douglas and accommodates motor garage/sales premises which are used by a tenant. Planning approval has previously been granted to remove the existing buildings and use the site for car parking pending its proper redevelopment. Its Light Industrial zoning in the Douglas Local Plan simply reflects the current use rather than suggest that the site is in a suitable location for general light industrial use, and in our view the redevelopment of the site with light industrial uses would not be appropriate. It is a previously developed site in a sustainable location and must be developed efficiently in order to accord with the provisions of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.
6.2 This application simply seeks confirmation that, in principle, the redevelopment of the site for residential purposes is acceptable. As such it does not seek approval for a specific number of dwellings or for a building of a particular size or design, which are amongst the issues that would form the subject of a subsequent Reserved Matters application.
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