Planning Application Response

Email: [email protected] Officer: TR

Date of Response: 04/11/19

Date of Application: (18/10/19)

Application Reference: 19/01077 A

Location: Field 425318 The Friary Main Road Ballabeg Castletown Isle Of Man

Description: Approval in principle for the erection of an agricultural workers dwelling addressing means of access

Highway Comments: The proposed development will be served off an existing farm access that currently fronts onto the A7 Main Road which is subject to a 30 mph speed limit.

The access leading to the dwelling will run parallel to the A7 to the rear of the boundary wall.

The fact that the access is already in existence and there will be some improvements to the access in terms of its width and visibility is a material consideration. However, the visibility to the left for vehicles is shown to be 22m and 48m to the right.

Manual for Manx Roads and Manual For Streets recommends visibility splays in the region of 43.0m in both directions based on a 30 mph speed limit. Therefore any development should provide visibility splays in the region 2.4m x 43.0m in each direction.

The plans are not to a detailed enough scale to fully understand if the visibility splays are measured 2.0m or 2.4m back from the kerb edge.

Furthermore, a vehicle exiting the site turning left would not be approaching the A7 perpendicularly and would require the whole of Main Road to undertake the manoeuvre which is considered to be a road safety issue.

The intensification of traffic as a result of development where visibility to the left is below the required 43.0m together with a substandard left turning manoeuvre are considered to outweigh the benefits associated with the proposed improvements.

As a result, the proposals are considered on balance to be unacceptable being detrimental to road safety and contrary to policy GP2 of the Strategic Plan.

Recommendation: REFUSE

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