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17/00666/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 17/00666/B Applicant : Fenbridge Limited Proposal : Creation of an additional first floor window Site Address : Unit 3 Block B Eden Business Park Douglas Isle of Man IM4 2AY
Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken : 19.10.2017 Site Visit : 19.10.2017 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 23.11.2017 __
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.
Plans/Drawings/Information:
This approval relates to the first floor window detailed in drawing number 02 Rev A date stamped and received 31st October 2017 and location plan drawing number 01 date stamped and received 21st June 2017.
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
NONE __
Officer’s Report
THE SITE
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17/00666/B Page 2 of 4
1.1 The application relates to the curtilage of Unit 3, Block B of the Eden Park light industrial and research and development estate (PA 15/00198/B) located south of Cooil Road, Braddan. The first floor of the unit is the subject of this application only.
1.2 The first floor is currently occupied by Technaut a computer business that provides a service for the maintenance of computer hardware and software, an element of computer redevelopment, a provision of consultancy service and after-sales services and repairs.
1.3 The existing unit has a two storey glazed frontage facing east and at the rear a large rolling garage door and a single access door and window at ground floor.
1.4 The first floor mezzanine level is a split into two main areas, one on the eastern side an open plan area with a glazed front, to the rear an enclosed room with no windows.
1.5 The unit shares a garage, kitchen and toilet area at ground floor level with stair access.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks approval for the installation of a new window at first floor level on the rear west facing elevation only.
2.2 The proposed window will be 2.4m wide x 1.2m high and is to be finished in grey aluminium. The window will be vertically proportioned above the existing window and single door at ground floor level.
2.3 The current proposals relates to an amended drawing received and dated 31/10/2017 that details the use of the rooms by Technaut at first floor and a revised location of the proposed window.
PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The original application for the development of the estate was approved in 2011 under PA 11/01232/B for the 'Erection of a light industrial development comprising 4 individual buildings providing 24 separate units with parking and landscaping'. Approval was given and confirmed on appeal, despite being contrary to policy, on the basis of the argument made by the applicants that there was a shortage of modern industrial premises of high quality and that this amounted to an overriding need. A case was made by a local agent that occupants for the units could be quickly found.
3.2 In 2015 a subsequent application was submitted PA 15/00198/B for a variation of condition 10 of the approved light industrial use to allow for research and development uses. This was approved subject to conditions.
3.3 Also relevant in the assessment of the current application is PA 15/01291/B for the creation of additional high level glazing to front and side elevations and installation of a mezzanine floor to Unit C6 this was granted approval subject to an additional condition ensuring no retail use.
DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES 4.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Braddan District Local Plan as Open Space/Agricultural. The units have legitimacy through a planning approval, PA 11/01232/B and subsequent approval of PA 15/00198/B. Given the nature of the current application and the use of the first floor by Technaut it is considered that the most appropriate policy in the assessment of the application is General Policy 2. The most relevant of which parts are:
General Policy 2 states (in part):
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"Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:
a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief; b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 DOI Highway Services raised no highways interest in the application on 19/07/2017, no additional comments were received as 20/11/2017 following the submission of amended drawings on 31/10/2017.
5.2 Braddan Parish Commissioners had no concerns with the original submission and provided further comments on the amended drawings on 17/11/2017 stating that they continued to have no objections to the proposed window.
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The current use of the first floor fits with the approved use of the units (PA 15/00198/B). The proposed window by means of its size, location and finish is considered to be appropriate to the general appearance of the units and not to detract from the amenity of the area. The proposed window is expected to provide a suitable level of daylight into the currently enclosed space at first floor and is likely to reduce the need for artificial lighting thus working towards an improvement of the overall energy efficiency of the first floor.
CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed window is considered acceptable and to meet the relevant parts of General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016.
INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons: (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.
8.2 The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status. __
I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Permitted
Date : 29.11.2017
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Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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