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                                                 16/00944/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 16/00944/B Applicant : Royal Bank Of Scotland Proposal : Installation of a replacement ATM Site Address : Isle Of Man Bank Station Road Port Erin Isle Of Man

Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken : 12.01.2017 Site Visit : 07.09.2016 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site is the Isle of Man Bank, Station Road, Port Erin, an existing two storey building situated along the main high street of Port Erin. The surrounding area is predominantly characterised by retail units, each with a varying array of shop front and signage boards and a number of shops having projecting and illuminated signage.

1.2 The IOM Bank currently has an existing ATM situated on the front elevation of the building to the right hand side of the main entrance doors and faces directly on to the main high street. The existing ATM features a small integrated illuminated panel above the ATM screen and has an existing key pad height of 863mm.

THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The current application proposes the installation of a replacement ATM machine. The new ATM machine sits in the same location as the existing ATM and does not include integral illuminated signage. The updated and new machine allows for an improved access to the rear of the machine for servicing by bank staff from within the existing building. The new ATM will have a key pad height of 1017mm.

2.2 The initial drawings submitted for the application replicated those which were submitted for previous application PA 15/00780/B for a replacement ATM. New drawings were requested and received from the agent and re-advertised accordingly.

2.2 The current application runs concurrent to another advert application for the installation of illuminated IOM Bank signage directly to the right of the proposed ATM machine this signage is to replace the original internal signage which was existent on the old ATM machines.

2.3 It must be noted that the installation of the new ATM machine had already been carried out and completed at the time of the site visit, but no illuminated advert signage had been erected or installed.

PLANNING HISTORY

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                                                 16/00944/B
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3.1 The application site has been the subject of several previous planning applications, PA 15/00780/B for the installation of a replacement ATM is considered most materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application.

PLANNING POLICY

4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site lies within an area designated on the Port Erin Local Plan of 1990 as 'Mixed Use'. It is also within the "Proposed Port Erin Conservation Area" as identified on the Area Plan for the South 2013.

4.2 Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 when assessing the application;

4.3 General Policy 3: "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: 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."

4.4 Environment Policy 35: "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services indicate that there is no highway interest in the application (29/09/16).

5.2 Port Erin Commissioners stated that they were in support of the application on 19/09/2016 and continued their support following the re-advertised drawings on 14/12/16.

5.3 Following the submission of amended drawings a comment was made on the application by the Speaker of the House of Keys who is one of the locally elected representatives for this area, who had no general issues regarding the replacement of the ATM and the removal of the slip bin, but did raise concern regarding the height of the proposed ATM and whether it will be disability friendly as the current access to the bank is up a series of steps (29/11/2016).

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key considerations when determining and assessing this application are whether or not the proposed works will have an impact the visual amenity of the area or an impact on the character of the proposed Conservation Area.

6.2 In terms of visual alteration, the installation of the replacement ATM involves relatively very little change to the appearance of the existing building when the previous ATM was in-situ. It is considered that there are no adverse impacts on the appearance and character of the proposed Conservation Area. It is expected that having the new ATM machine installed in the same location the existing machine would quite possible go unnoticed to many of the local residents and passing public and therefore its installation would not impact public amenity and is considered acceptable.

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6.3 The replacement ATM sits in the same location as the previous ATM, although the depth of the front of the ATM machine is shorter which has an onset increase in height from the groundfloor to the keypad. The existing ATM has a distance of 863mm from ground floor to key pad, where as the proposed ATM has a distance of 1017mm from ground floor level to the key pad. Within the British Standards BS8300:2009 Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people - Code of practice the standards recommend that "card swiping mechanisms should be orientated vertically. They should be within a height range of 900 mm to 1 100 mm, but between 950 mm and 1 000 mm where practicable", and although not directly related to the use of an ATM the standards recommend the following heights for controls for disabled people "all switches and controls that require precise hand movement/dexterity, e.g. for heating installations, ventilation etc., should be in a zone 750 mm to 1 000 mm from the floor so that wheelchair users and those standing can operate them".

6.4 In this instance the ATM machine at the IOM Bank in Port Erin is utilised by all and it is important that equality of each of its users is respected and needs are met. The key pad of the machine proposed sits at a height of 1017mm, this height is suitable for standards set for able bodied persons but sits 17mm above the recommended 1000mm standards set for similar key pad controls for the comfortable use by a person with disability or in a wheelchair. The determination of the acceptability of the ATM has to be on a balance of its use by all, it has been considered that the installation of a much lower ATM machine may have an impact on the comfortable use by an able bodied person in comparison to the installation of the proposed ATM which sits 17mm above the ideal 1000mm but within the recommended height range of 1100mm for a card mechanism.

6.5 Although the proposal is not ideal, it does meet within reason the guidance and heights set for such components and is considered acceptable and useable. In an ideal situation there would be 2 cash machines provided, each orientated and installed to their own recommended guidelines which would allow for the comfortable use of both by all.

RECOMMENDATION

7.1 For the reasons above the application complies with GP 2 and EP35 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and is recommended for approval.

PARTY STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, 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, in this case Highway Services and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

In this instance, it is recommended that the following persons do not have sufficient interest to be awarded the status of an Interested person in accordance with Government Circular 0046/13:

the Speaker of the House of Keys who is not directly affected by this proposal. With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.

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Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 18.01.2017

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.

This approval relates to Site and Location Plan drawing number D0572-840-064 date stamped and received 10/08/2016. Existing Plans drawing number D0572-840-063 Rev A date stamped and received 21/11/2016 and Proposed Plans drawing number D0572-840-062 Rev D date stamped and received 17/11/2016.

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: 19.01.2017

Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett

Senior Planning Officer

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.