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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 17/01092/B Applicant : The Department Of Education And Children Proposal : Installation of replacement boundary perimeter fencing Site Address : Willaston School School Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 6RD

Case Officer : Miss Abigail Morgan Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 05.01.2018 __

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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawing numbers P01B, P02, P03A and P04A all date stamped received 16 October 2017. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following persons should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 6(4):

Owner/occupier of 9 Oakhill Close, also on behalf Oakhill Close residents.

The nature of the concerns raised are not directly related to the proposal. __

Officer’s Report

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1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site represents Willaston Primary School, Douglas which is located along School Road which runs along the south and west of the primary school boundaries.

1.2 The site is located within a predominantly residential area with residential properties to the north, west and south and to the east is IOM College. There are existing mature trees on the boundary of the site and currently there is some existing fencing around the perimeter of the site.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 This application seeks approval for the erection of a new fencing and gates ranging in height from 1.5m to 2.5m depending on the land fall and location. The gate/access from Oakhill Close will also consist of 1.2m ramp and steps.

2.2 The majority of the proposed fencing is to be apx 2.5m high, to the rear and side locations of the surrounding residential properties and to IOM College site. The fencing along School Road is to be 1.5m high with the exception of the area around the bus stop shelter which is to be 2.5m high.

2.3 The fence is proposed to be green Duo mesh fencing.

3.0 PLANNING STATUS 3.1 The application site is zoned as an area of buildings for civic, cultural and other special use (primary School) in the Douglas Local Plan 1998. The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains two policies' which are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application - General Policy 2 and Community Policy 5.

3.2 General Policy 2 states the following: "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;

3.3 Community Policy 5 states the following:

"Permission will normally be given for proposals to improve or extend schools and institutions of higher education and to build new schools, subject to their being sited and designed in accordance with the other policies of this plan, having particular regard to the potential for community use of the buildings and the associated Open Space."

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 16/01255/B - New and replacement boundary fencing, new gate and steps with new pedestrian access off Oakhill Close - WITHDRAWN.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 DOI Highways made following comments on 18.11.17;

The proposals represent a closing off of the pedestrian access arrangements to the school from Oakhill Close. It is understood there are a number of parents who drop off / pick up their children from this location. It also understood some children use this as their means of access to and from the school in terms of walking. The closing off of this convenient access will result in parents and

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their vehicles being displaced to other residential streets and the school frontage where there is already a high demand for on street parking. A detailed plan is requested showing exactly where parents and their vehicles will park as a result of this access being permanently closed off. I await further information prior to final comments.

5.2 Following further consideration of the application the following further comments from Highways were received, 05.01.18;

The proposals represent a removal of the informal pedestrian access arrangements to the school from Oakhill Close. In light of the current cross departmental aims to promote active travel and encouraging children to walk to school it is disappointing that this facility is to be removed; however it is noted that the alternative route via Julian Road and the public footpath to the school entrance is not significantly different to this route.

Highways Services does not oppose this application.

5.3 1 representation has been received from occupier of 9 Oakhill Close, as the spokesperson for Oakhill Close Residents, raising concerns in relation to Highways comments made (which are set out above). Their concerns relate to their veracity and contradictory nature in relation to comments made on the previous application at planning committee by Hazel Reid. 05.12.17.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 This application follows the previous application which was withdrawn due to the amount of objections received in relation to the proposed footpath access gate off Oakhill Close. With the exception of the pedestrian access gate this application is the same in all respects as the previous application.

6.2 It has been previously assessed that the development proposed is acceptable without causing undue harm to local residential amenity and also without causing undue harm to the natural environment or cause undue harm on public amenity. No significant material circumstances have altered since the original approval in principle was issued.

6.3 The main issues are the impact on character and appearance of the area and impact on trees.

6.4 Whilst the fence along School Lane would be very visible within the street scene it is replacing an existing fence and as such is not considered to not be an inappropriate feature within an urban area. In addition it would not have a significant impact upon the visual amenities of the street scene. The remainder of the fence is internal to the site and backs either onto IOM College, the access land from Julian Road and residential properties. In these instances the proposal due to its transparency the fence is not considered to adversely affect the living conditions of the occupiers or users of surrounding land.

6.5 The plans demonstrate, as per previous application, that in order to protect the trees the proposed fence is on the same line as the existing and that all post holes will be hand dug, where necessary, and be positioned to avoid roots.

Other Matters

6.4 The main cause for concern raised during the previous application was in relation to the proposed gate access at the bottom of Oakhill Close and implications that it will encourage the dropping off of children in an unsuitable cul-de-sac which will adversely affect the occupiers of the residential properties. This has been similarly raised on this application in relation to

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comments made by Highways when requesting further information, which on consideration of the application and the previous comments Highways have confirmed that whilst they are disappointed that this informal access will be lost there is an alternative footpath route and as such do not oppose the application. It is considered that the concerns raised during the consultation on this application have been addressed by the further comments received from Highways.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 On the basis of the above, it is concluded that the planning application does not conflict with General Policy 2 (b), (c) or (g) of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

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.

8.3 It is recommended that the following persons should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 6(4):

Owner/occupier of 9 Oakhill Close, also on behalf Oakhill Close residents.

The nature of the concerns raised are not directly related to the proposal. __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 05.01.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

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