Planning Application Response

Email: [email protected] Officer: MB

Date of Response: 19/10/18

Date of Application: 07/09/18

Application Reference: 18/00905/C

Location: The Old Post Office, Main Road, Kirk Michael

Description: Change of use from estate agents to hair and beauty salon

Highway Comments: The applicant states that the proposed salon would operate from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, apart from Thursdays when opening would be extended to 8pm. There would be at least 2 staff working at any given time, with each staff member having approximately 10 clients per day, with treatments varying in length from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

The application states that there would be no changes to the existing site access and parking arrangements with 2 rear site car parking spaces currently available and accessed via the existing rear lane. The applicant confirms that the rear parking spaces would be retained for use by 2 staff members with the salon owner walking to work.

There would be no site parking for any future increase in staff or for customers. There is a 30 minute disc parking zone on-street adjacent to the building which operates 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. The applicant states that customer parking could be provided in the existing public car park almost opposite the site but there is no spare capacity in this car park.

The parking standards in 'The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016' do not specify anything for the existing estate agents or proposed hair and beauty salon. The parking demand is very likely to increase due to the greater number of customers who would be visiting the premises with some customers staying at the site for longer time periods. However, the existing limited waiting on-street parking would be available for short-term parking as for the previous site use, and customers requiring longer term parking than this would be unable to park on-street due to the presence of existing 'No Waiting At Any Time' parking restrictions in the vicinity of the site. This should assist in controlling some of the site parking demand and encourage alternative modes of travel to the private car. Whilst it could result in some on-street parking in other areas off the Main Road which is not ideal, it is not considered to be sufficient to warrant a highway objection to the proposals on this particular occasion. The applicant confirms that there would be no deliveries.

Highway Services does not oppose the application.

Recommendation: DNO