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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 17/00951/B Applicant : The International Centre For Technology Ltd Proposal : Erection of a storage building with associated paths and landscaping Site Address : The Nunnery Old Castletown Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 1QB

Case Officer : Mr Jason Singleton Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.11.2017 __

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. The building must be used only for the purposes of storage for machinery, plant and materials for the maintenance of the buildings and upkeep of the grounds within the site defined in the application.

Reason: the use has been exceptionally approved solely to meet need and its subsequent retention would result in an unwarranted intrusion in the countryside.

C 3. The building must be finished in a dark green colour as shown in the approved drawings and retained as such thereafter.

Reason: to minimise the visual impact of the development in its wooded setting.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawings referenced P-01B and P-02B, all date stamped 6th September 2017. __

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site as identified in red on the plan is the wider area of the Nunnery estate, Old Castletown Road in Douglas, which is currently the Business School and University Centre of the Isle of Man Government.

1.2 The location of the works are within a wooded area to the north west of the main buildings (240m away) which is accessed by an existing part hardcore pathway that leads to a natural clearing in the area. The area is characterised by large mature trees

PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the erection of a large storage building (18m long x 12m wide x 8m high to the ridge) within an area of clearing. The building would be accessed from a pedestrian door on the south east (side) elevation and a roller shutter door with a separate pedestrian door on the (front) south eastern elevation measuring 4.5m wide and 6.0m high.

2.2 The appearance of the building would be steel framed and cladded with green metal composite panels, plastic coated gutters and down pipes with a green coloured roof and 6 translucent panels on each roof pitch. There would be a concrete path around the perimeter of the building approx. 1.0m wide. The existing track accessing the building that works through the wooded area will be bolstered with loose stone over a 'protectaweb' root protection system.

2.3 The applicant's agent notes the need for the building as; "The ICT have a few small utility stores in the estate, these are showing signs of wear and tear and in poor condition. None of which are large enough to accommodate all the vehicles and plant and materials for the maintenance of the site and grounds. The remote location was chosen to ensure its size and utilitarian design did not detract from the estates historic buildings. The chosen site was due to the minimum impact on the surrounding trees and is within a natural clearing that has been used for storage by previous owners."

PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The application site has been the subject of many previous planning applications, concerning the main buildings and car park areas. As this application is detached from the built aspect, it is considered those applications are not specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application. However one application is considered relevant to this application;

3.2 PA 16/00678/B - Creation of a car and coach parking facility with associated lighting, construction of additional passing places and a new road. Approved.

3.3 The approved drawing (CP-P-03) identified the application site as car park with landscaping and roadways identified as phase 2 of the scheme.

PLANNING STATUS 4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is within an area zoned as Private Woodland on the Douglas Local Plan 1998.

4.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this application;

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4.3 General Policy 3 states: "Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:

(f) building and engineering operations which are essential for the conduct of agriculture or forestry;

4.4 Environment Policy 3 states: "Development will not be permitted where it result in the unacceptable loss of or damage to woodland areas, especially ancient, natural and semi-woodlands, which have public amenity or conservation value."

4.5 Environment Policy 15 states: "Where the Department is satisfied that there is agricultural or horticultural need for a new building (including a dwelling), sufficient to outweigh the general policy against development in the countryside, and that the impact of this development including buildings, accesses, servicing etc. is acceptable, such development must be sited as close as is practically possible to existing building groups and be appropriate in terms of scale, materials, colour, siting and form to ensure that all new developments are sympathetic to the landscape and built environment of which they will form a part.

Only in exceptional circumstances will buildings be permitted in exposed or isolated areas or close to public highways and in all such cases will be subject to appropriate landscaping. The nature and materials of construction must also be appropriate to the purposes for which it is intended.

Where new agricultural buildings are proposed next to or close to existing residential properties, care must be taken to ensure that there is no unacceptable adverse impact through any activity, although it must be borne in mind that many farming activities require buildings which are best sited, in landscape terms, close to existing building groups in the rural landscape."

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection (18/10/17)

5.2 Highways Services have commented and confirm there is no Highways Involvement in the proposal (29/09/17)

ASSESMENT 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are; (i) the principle of development; (ii) the visual impact of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.

(i) The principle of development; 6.2 The starting point for any development within the countryside (i.e. not zoned for development) is General Policy 3 paragraph F which allows exemption for agricultural buildings and Environment Policy 15. The first paragraph requires the Planning Authority to be satisfied that there is agricultural or horticultural need for a new building, sufficient to outweigh the general policy against development in the countryside.

6.3 The applicant notes the need for the building is for the storage of their own vehicles, plant and equipment, also materials for building repairs and grounds maintenance. The principle of a dedicated storage facility for such items is accepted, particularly detached from the collection of historic buildings so as not to affect their character and setting, albeit contrary to what EP15 requires, with new building being located as near to existing building groups. In

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this instance the proposed building is justified on account of the grounds within the ownership of the Nunnery and by way of its siting and scale would be acceptable.

(ii) the visual impact of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area.

6.4 The design and type of building proposed would have an agricultural appearance and would sit comfortably within its surroundings of woodland. The land to the west is Field 524931 and used for grazing of animals. The site is well screened by those mature trees on all sides with little to no vantage points to gain any public views from the public highway (Old Castletown Road) or the adjacent steam railway. The surfacing of the existing track way leading to the building with 'protectaweb' and stone would avoid any impact on the roots of the surrounding trees and is a welcomed approach.

RECOMMENDATION 7.1 For the above reasons, it is concluded that the planning application would not harm the use and enjoyment of neighbouring properties, the surrounding area 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 In line with Article 6(4) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure)(No2) Order 2013, the following Persons are considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application: (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. __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 22.11.2017

Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett

Senior Planning Officer

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