20 October 2016 · Planning Committee
International Business School, The Nunnery, Old Castletown Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM2 1qb
The site at the former swimming pool within The Nunnery historic estate on Old Castletown Road, Douglas, currently features a functional 1990s swimming pool building with slate roof, rendered walls, and surrounding grass, trees, and brick walling.
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The site is not designated for development and is Private Woodland, but General Policy 3(c) permits redevelopment of previously developed land with redundant buildings if it reduces landscape impact a…
General Policy 3
Presumption against development on non-designated land, but clause (c) allows redevelopment of previously developed land with redundant buildings if it reduces impact on landscape/environment and improves it. Officer applied this to permit replacement of inappropriate existing pool with better-designed building that complements surroundings via materials and positioning.
Environment Policy 3
Presumption against development harming trees of amenity value in Private Woodland. Satisfied as trees removed have little/no amenity value, retained trees protected via BS5837 condition, and new planting proposed.
Time limit
The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.
Parking provision
The accommodation hereby approved may not be operational until such times as there are in place 95 additional parking spaces within the site, either in accordance with the scheme proposed under PA 16/00678/B or an alternative scheme.
Tree protection plan
No site clearance, preparatory work or development shall take place until a scheme for the protection of the retained trees (the tree protection plan) and the appropriate working methods (the arboricultural method statement) in accordance with British Standard BS5837:2012: Trees in Relation to Design, Demolition and Construction - recommendations) has been approved in writing by the Department. The tree protection plan and arboricultural method statement must be implemented in full and be subject to supervision by a suitably qualified tree specialist. This condition may only be fully discharged on completion of the development subject to satisfactory written evidence of contemporaneous supervision and monitoring of the tree protection and construction methods by a suitably qualified tree specialist, being supplied to the Department. The protection measures must be carried out as described and approved. No alterations or variations to the approved tree protection scheme or working methods shall be made without prior written consent of the Department.
Landscaping scheme
No site clearance, site preparatory work or development shall take place until a landscaping scheme which shows how hard surfaces and changes to existing ground levels will be implemented without having a detrimental impact on existing mature trees has been approved by the Department. The landscaping shall be carried out as described and approved.
Landscaping implementation and maintenance
All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping must be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the completion of the development. Any trees, shrubs or herbaceous perennials that have been planted as part of the landscaping scheme approved under condition 4 which within a period of five years from the completion of the development die, are removed, or become seriously damaged or diseased must be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species.
Stonework sample
Prior to the application of any stonework, there must be approved by the Department a sample panel of the stone and jointing to be used in the finish of the building.
Cladding colour approval
Prior to the use of any external cladding, the colour of the cladding must be approved by the Department and the cladding installed in accordance with that decision.
no highway interest
does not object to tree removal, recommends tree protection condition
no objection subject to re-use of existing stone from demolished wall per Strategic Policy 1a
Multiple consultees including Forestry, Manx National Heritage, DEFA Fisheries, Manx Utilities, Douglas Borough Council, and Highways Division provided responses with no outright objections; most raised concerns addressable by conditions related to tree protection, materials, drainage, and archaeology.
Key concern: poor quality of tree constraints/protection information and need for BS5837:2012 compliant tree protection plan
Forestry, Amenity and Lands Directorate
Conditional No ObjectionThe lack of a project arboriculturist is evident in the poor quality of the tree constraints/protection information supplied with the application.; Despite these criticisms I am confident that, given more thought and the input of a suitably qualified and experienced tree specialist, it will be possible to protect the trees marked for retention during the construction.
Conditions requested: No site clearance, preparatory work or development shall take place until a scheme for the protection of the retained trees (the tree protection plan) and the appropriate working methods (the arboricultural method statement) in accordance with British Standard BS5837:2012 has been agreed in writing by the Department. The tree protection plan and arboricultural method statement will be implemented in full and be subject to supervision by a suitably qualified tree specialist.; No site clearance, preparatory work or development shall take place until a landscaping scheme has been agreed in writing by the Department. The scheme should address how hard surfaces and changes to existing ground levels will be implemented without having a detrimental impact on existing mature trees.
Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society
Conditional No ObjectionIt is particularly important that the view obtained when exiting the arch into the gardens at the western end of the chapel building does not 'jar'.; The parking area therefore could then represent an over-provision for the Nunnery site.
Conditions requested: stone cladding should give the appearance of Manx stone traditionally laid to marry in with the existing buildings and that a sample of the stone cladding to be used should be provided for consideration for approval before it is used; phased provision of car parking and condition linking the car parking application to that for the building at the Nunnery and vice versa; land to south included in Master Plan and designated 'Open Space'
DEFA Fisheries
No ObjectionDEFA fisheries would have no concerns over the impact of the building works on fish populations. This is of course assuming that the water discharged is of a suitable quality to avoid harm to the aquatic ecosystem, as assessed through the discharge consent application process.
DEFA Inland Fisheries
Conditional No ObjectionInland Fisheries would therefore request that, as a condition of planning, a method statement for the construction of the discharge structure is agreed in advance with the Inland Fisheries Section of the Fisheries Directorate, DEFA.
Conditions requested: as a condition of planning, a method statement for the construction of the discharge structure is agreed in advance with the Inland Fisheries Section of the Fisheries Directorate, DEFA
Manx Utilities Authority
Conditional No ObjectionThe applicant proposes to discharge the foul sewage from this development into a 'Bio-Disc System'. It must be noted that this Sewage plant will not form part of the public sewerage system and will remain private at all times.
Conditions requested: detailed operation and maintenance programme is submitted for consideration by the Planning Committee and the Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture's Environmental Health Division; applicant would need to apply for a discharge license from Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture for the discharge of the bio-disc into the adjacent river
Douglas Borough Council
SupportThis would accord with Strategic Plan Strategic Policy 1 (a) (re-using scarce indigenous building materials)
Conditions requested: consideration be given to the imposition of a condition relating to the reuse of the stone from the existing masonry wall which is to be demolished
Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division
No ObjectionNo Highways Interest; Highway Services Comment made: NHI on NHI
Manx National Heritage
Conditional No Objectionwe would prefer to see a softer transition between stone and timber, and would recommend that care is taken in the choice of brick.; It is not clear from the drawings whether it is intended to re-use existing brick from the site, or whether a modern, terracotta brick of Ruabon or Accrington character is proposed
