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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 18/00796/B Applicant : Mr Paul Nicholson Proposal : Alterations, partial demolition of existing store building and installation of double doors (in association with 18/00797/CON) Site Address : Warehouse/Stores Behind 31A Parliament Street Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 1AT

Senior Planning Officer: Mr Jason Singleton Photo Taken :

Site Visit : 27.09.2018 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 19.10.2018 __

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.

C 2. No development shall commence until a bat survey has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The bat survey shall identify impacts on bat species together with mitigation, where appropriate, including a timetable for its implementation. The development shall not be carried out unless in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To provide adequate safeguards for the bats.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawings referenced; 1, 2 and 3 together with photographs numbered 1 - 4, all date stamped received on 27th July 2018.

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

It is recommended that Manx Utilities (Drainage) should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to

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take part in any subsequent proceedings and they are not mentioned in Article 6(4) (they are not a Government Department) noting that their representation does not relate to land which they own or occupy and is within 20m of the application site (and the development is not automatically required to be the subject of an EIA by Appendix 5 of the Strategic Plan) and therefore do not comply with the requirements of the Operational Policy. __

Officer’s Report

THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is at the rear of 31A Parliament Street. The building is a traditionally constructed in Manx stone with traditional vernacular and window proportions. The building features a lean-to roof and is attached to the boundary wall at the rear of No.37 Parliament St, 'Ramsey Warehouse'. The building is used as storage, as indicated on the application forms and does not proposed a change of use. The building is not a Registered Building but sits within Ramsey's Conservation Area.

PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is partial demolition of the northern end of the property, approx. 4.2m in length, and rebuilding the gable end with the installation of 2.4m wide loading bay double doors to the north and also on the east elevation. The applicant has confirmed the use is to serve the shop and flats above No.31A. The building would have a toilet and sink installed for "builders use". The additional door on the front is to allow access for the owner when the loading bay is in use.

PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning application that is considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.

PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area of 'Town Centre' and Mixed Use on the Ramsey Local Plan of 1999 Map 2 and is also within Ramsey's Conservation Area.

4.2 The Local Plan contains a policy, R/TC/P1 which states: "There will be a general presumption in favour of retention of retail uses at ground floor level in the main shopping streets (Peel Street, Bourne Place, Market Hill, Market Place, (West), Parliament Street (excluding Auckland Terrace), East Street, Parliament Square (East Side). Office uses (including finance related establishments) at ground floor level will not be permitted to occupy more than 30% of the street frontage in any one block between public and vehicular highways in these streets".

4.3 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains two policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application:

General Policy 2 states: "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;

4.4 Environment Policy 35 reads: "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area,

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and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development".

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Ramsey Town Commissioners has no objection (22.08.18) 5.2 Highways Services has no objection but request the double doors open inward not outward into the existing parking area (04.09.18) 5.3 MUA (drainage) (29/08/18) identify the property as being in a flood risk zone and advise the floor levels being raised and a flood risk statement submitted identifying any flood resilient measurers. 5.4 DEFA Ecosystem Policy Officer has commented (03/09/18) requesting a bat survey prior to demolition given the age and condition of the building.

ASSESMENT 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are; (i) the impact of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the existing building and (ii) that on the surrounding Conservation area and rear street scene.

6.2 The application site is well screened from the public highway of Tower Street, the lower portions of the building are screened by the parked cars and the upper portions by the "fly- over" extension of the rear of the neighbouring property. As such it is considered there is no visual harm as a result of the proposed works. The level and scale of development proposed within this planning application would not see any change of use and would be considered to be relatively minor alterations with the removal of the north elevation which is not judged to cause harm to the character and quality of the conservation area.

6.3 The proposal would see the rejuvenation of the storage building and help to preserve this part of the conservation area, albeit somewhat screened from public vantage points. On liaising with the Conservation Officer, it was agreed the proposed alterations would be seen to preserve the character of the building without being detrimental to the streetscene.

6.4 The proposal could see a loss of 4 parking spaces immediately adjacent to the building and access to the application site is limited as the only access is under the fly-over extension, which limits the height of any vehicle accessing the site, removing any concerns over commercial intensification. On the whole the proposal is deemed to satisfy Environmental Policy 35 and those sections of General Policy 2.

RECOMMENDATION 7.1 For the above reasons, it is concluded that the planning application would not harm the use and enjoyment of neighbouring properties or the highway network and would comply with aforementioned planning policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and is recommended for approval.

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:

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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 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status. __

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 : 23.10.2018

Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

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