14 December 2020 · Planning Committee
St Helena, Millmount Garage, Millmount, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM2 1he
The proposal involves changing the use of a two-storey car showroom building and its car park in a small industrial estate on the edge of Douglas to a veterinary hospital offering services from 8am to 8pm plus out-of-hours care, including animal wards, an exercising area, X-ray, and the island's first CT scanner.
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The proposal was approved because it complies with Strategic Policy 1 (reuse of redundant buildings), Spatial Policy 1 (Douglas as focus for development), Business Policy 1 (new employment opportuniti…
Strategic Policy 1
Encourages reuse of redundant buildings. The car showroom is redundant and suitable for reuse as a veterinary hospital without major alterations.
Spatial Policy 1
Indicates Douglas as focus for new development. The centrally located, accessible site in Douglas supports this.
Business Policy 1
Encourages provision of new employment opportunities. Proposal brings jobs for vets, nurses, receptionists, and admin staff, plus potential training.
Strategic Policy 10
Encourages development promoting integrated transport network. Site well-served by bus routes and arterial road, with parking and sustainable transport promotion.
General Policy 2
Requires development to respect site/surroundings in siting, scale, design; not adversely affect amenities, character, highway safety, access/parking. Proposal meets these via minor alterations, sufficient parking, no amenity impacts.
Transport Policy 7
Sets parking standards; no specific for veterinary but healthcare standard applied (3 spaces/consulting room + staff). 13 spaces assessed as sufficient by Highways.
Environment Policy 1
Restricts industrial land to manufacturing, warehousing, offices, retail. Veterinary use departs from this but justified as existing use non-industrial, no net loss, and appropriate scale/location.
Business Policy 5
Allows industrial land for other uses like retail/office in specific circumstances. Supports flexibility here for veterinary given employment benefits.
Time limit
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.
Bicycle and motorcycle parking
The development hereby approved shall not be brought into use until provision for bicycle and motorcycle parking has been provided in accordance with details which have first been approved in writing by the Department, and retained as such thereafter. Reason: to ensure sufficient parking is provided.
no objection
do not oppose; welcomes disabled parking and EV charging points; parking likely sufficient; requires bicycle/motorcycle parking details
Highways and Douglas Borough Council both raised no objections to the conversion of a car showroom to a veterinary practice, with Highways recommending a condition for bicycle and motorcycle parking details.
Department of Infrastructure Highways
Conditional No ObjectionAccordingly, Highway Services raise no opposition subject to a condition for details for bicycle and motorcycle parking.; Recommendation: DNOC.
Conditions requested: details for bicycle and motorcycle parking; at least one secure covered space for bicycle parking and a similar number for motorcycle parking
Douglas Borough Council
No ObjectionDouglas Borough Council has no objections.
