20 October 2016 · Planning Committee
International Business School, The Nunnery, Old Castletown Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM2 1qb
The application proposed creating 233 car parking spaces and 3 coach spaces in a wooded area northwest of the main Nunnery building, involving removal of two runs of mature beech trees and six small trees, with porous surfacing materials like tarmacadam, paviours, gravel or grasscrete to minimise root damage.
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The key issue was whether the development adversely impacted the setting of the historic buildings or the trees' ecological value, and if so, whether material considerations outweighed this.
Environment Policy 3
Policy presumes against development adversely affecting trees of amenity value in Private Woodland designation. Officer assessed tree loss acceptable as non-veteran beech rows in open area, with mitigation via protection, pruning, planting per BS standards, and supervision to maintain cover, visual amenity, heritage and biodiversity.
Time limit
The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.
Detailed planting specification
No works or development shall take place until a detailed planting specification prepared in accordance with BS8545:2014 (Trees: from nursery to independence in the landscape) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The planting shall be carried out as approved.
Tree protective fencing and Arboricultural Method Statement
No works or development shall take place until the protective fencing detailed in the Tree Survey Report prepared by Prescott Associates is installed in full in accordance with each phase of car park construction and an Arboricultural Method Statement ('AMS') has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The AMS should demonstrate how construction activity within Root Protection Areas, identified in Prescott Associates drawing PL404-04, will take place without having a detrimental impact on the trees to be retained, referring to the choice of surface materials to be used. The tree protection measures and AMS will 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.
Tree pruning schedule
No works or development in the areas relating to the trees affected by the following works shall take place until a full schedule of pruning work, including the trees to be crown lifted around the edge of the proposed car park, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The schedule should include pruning specifications prepared in accordance with the recommendations of BS3998:2010 (Tree Work - Recommendations). The pruning shall be carried out as agreed.
Phasing and transport plan
The car park must be created in accordance with the phasing plan shown in drawing CP P-03A with the passing places shown in this drawing along with the advisory signage, provided as part of phase one. No development on the second phase may commence until such times as the Department has approved a transport plan which demonstrates that a safe and suitable access strategy can accommodate the traffic which may be generated by the proposed development on the site.
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 in accordance with the phasing. Any trees, shrubs or herbaceous perennials that have been planted as part of the landscaping scheme 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.
no objection to the proposal but prefer gravel or grasscrete surfaces over impermeable ones
no objection to tree removal but recommend conditions for pruning, protection and planting
no longer object following submission of phasing plan and passing places
Highways Division deferred the application pending further information on access standards, visibility, traffic impacts, and transport provisions. Arboricultural Officer had no objections to tree removal but recommended detailed conditions for tree protection, pruning, and planti…
Key concern: existing accesses not to DMRB standards for Primary Distributor road with significant traffic uplift
Department of Infrastructure (DOI) - Highways Division
Defer"Defer - awaiting information"; "the existing accesses and any required improvements should be considered in accordance with the design standards set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB)"; "visibility splay of 4.5m x 120m"; "industry standard is that 400m is the acceptable distance for walking"; "an additional 79 and 84 vehicles equates to a 95% and 175% uplift"
Conditions requested: junction assessment by transport professional; surveys of existing vehicle movements and mode share; physical measures to prevent vehicles exiting via Lodge Gate prior to northern buildings; maintain visibility free from obstruction; Travel Plan including bus stop improvements and cycleway enhancements; future review of parking requirements
Department of Infrastructure (DOI) - Highways Division
DeferDefer - awaiting information
Arboricultural Officer, Forestry, Amenity and Lands Directorate, DEFA
Conditional No ObjectionNo objection to any of the tree removal that is proposed; The tree protection measures detailed within section 4 and drawing PL404.04 should be implemented in full
Conditions requested: No works until full schedule of pruning work per BS3998:2010 submitted and approved; No works until protective fencing installed and Arboricultural Method Statement (AMS) for RPAs submitted and approved, with supervision by qualified tree specialist; No works until detailed planting specification per BS8545:2014 submitted and approved
Manx National Heritage
Conditional No ObjectionWe would recommend that the surfaces remain permeable so as to minimise surface water run-off and would therefore prefer to see grass or gravel as the recommended material.
Conditions requested: car park surfaces remain permeable (grass or gravel preferred, not paviors)
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"; prefer to see some phased provision of car parking and condition linking the car parking application to that for the building
Conditions requested: stone cladding to give appearance of Manx stone traditionally laid; sample to be provided for approval; phased car parking provision linking to Nunnery building application
