Planning Application Response

Date of Response: 09/05/19

Date of Application: 19/04/19

Application Reference: 19/00413/B

Location: 3 Gellings Avenue Port St. Mary Isle Of Man IM9 5BG

Description: Replace existing garage door with a window, widening vehicular access and creation of an additional parking space.

Highway Comments: The existing garage space to be lost is sub-standard in size according to the current 'Manual for Manx Roads' (MfMR) design guide but could still accommodate a small car. The proposed widening of the driveway to 6.3m would be sufficiently wide to park 2 cars side by side. The existing and proposed driveway length is sub-standard as specified in the MfMR which is poor, but not a sufficient reason for a highway objection in this particular instance, as it is not possible to increase the existing driveway length to comply with the MfMR.

There are already dropped kerbs along the full site frontage width. The application does not show the heights of the existing site boundary walls along both sides of the site. The proposed wall height of 1.1m would be unacceptable as it would be above the 1.05m driver eye height and have an adverse impact on highway visibility and highway safety and be contrary to visibility standards. It should also be noted that the site is on a slope along the line of the highway which has an effect on highway visibility in the vertical plane for vehicles exiting the site onto the highway. Therefore, a planning condition is requested for the side boundary walls to be no higher than the existing wall heights to ensure that the existing level of highway visibility is maintained.

Highway Services does not oppose the application subject to a planning condition for the existing side boundary wall heights to be maintained as at present and no higher to protect highway visibility and highway safety.

Recommendation: DNOC

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

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