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18/01245/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 18/01245/B Applicant : Department Of Infrastructure Public Estates & Housing Proposal : Erection of a detached boathouse and removal of a dividing wall (in association with 18/01247/CON) Site Address : Works Depot Spit Corner East Quay Peel Isle Of Man
Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken : 08.01.2019 Site Visit : 08.01.2019 Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.01.2019 __
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 clad in RAL7016 "Anthracite" coloured sheeting unless otherwise approved in writing by the Department and retained as such.
Reason: To create an acceptable visual impact on the Conservation Area.
C 3. Prior to the use of the building hereby approved, the wall shown in the drawings to be removed, along with any temporary buildings alongside, must be cleared from the site and this area available for vehicle parking in association with the use of the site as a depot.
Reason: To ensure that there is sufficient on-site parking to accommodate the proposed new building, its use and the resultant loss of parking space on the site.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to drawing 001-PA received on 22nd November, 2018. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
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None __
Officer’s Report
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS THE LOCAL AUTHORITY HAS OBJECTED AND THE APPLICATION IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL
THE SITE 1.1 The site is the DoI depot situated inside Spit Corner, also known as Weatherglass Corner, at the junction of Shore Road and East Quay. The depot is surrounded by a 1.8m high sandstone wall which is interrupted by the frontages of a number of buildings: the Sailors' Shelter and the harbourmaster's house (a Registered Building) facing East Quay, the public toilets, Peel Sailing and Cruise Club rooms and the rear of the depot buildings on Shore Road and two small hipped, slated roofed buildings with a garage door between them, facing onto Crown Street to the south.
1.2 Access into the depot is through a single vehicle width entrance off East Quay. Within the depot there are various single storey workshops in plain, rendered buildings, the two sandstone, hipped roofed buildings referred to above and the backs of the Sailors' Shelter and the harbourmaster's house. There is also currently a portacabin on the site which sits behind the Sailors' Shelter and behind this is a brick wall which runs behind the rear of one of the sandstone hipped roofed buildings and towards the back of the harbourmaster's house.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the construction of a boathouse in the south eastern end of the site. This will have a footprint of 5.6m by 10.1m and be 3.5m to the eaves and 4.3m to its ridge. The building will have a pitched roof and be finished in Anthracite grey coloured sheeting which is a dark grey colour.
2.2 The building will be used for the storage of the vessel (a RIB) and equipment as they are being relocated from their existing premises at Hills Meadow in Douglas. The specialist diving team who will use the building are 12 strong but rarely are all members on site at the same time. The rest of their equipment will be kept in the existing workshop on the site.
2.3 A separate RB application has been made for the removal of a brick wall within the site to the rear of the Harbourmaster's House which will provide better manoeuvring space and additional space for parking. An existing container on site is also understood to be being relocated.
PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within Peel's Conservation Area which has necessitated the RB consent application for the demolition of the wall. Planning approval is not required for this work. The site lies within a much wider area of Mixed Use on the Peel Local Plan 1989 which reflects the range of uses within the town centre - residential and commercial which surround the site, industrial, tourism and harbour-related, all of which can be found in the immediate area.
3.2 The relevant policies are those which relate to the preservation of fabric of historic interest and the enhancement, where possible, of those elements which are not as encapsulated in EP35 and PPS1/01 - Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man. The Harbourmaster's House is Registered (RB270) but its curtilage does not extend to anywhere else in the site which is affected by this application. Strategic Policy 4 requires that development must protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Registered Buildings and Strategic Policy 5 requires that new development should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment of the Island. General Policy 2 is also applicable as the proposed use is compatible with the designation of Mixed Use here, in particular those parts
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which require that development does not adversely affect highway safety including making adequate provision for car parking, the character and appearance of the surrounding area and the living conditions of those in nearby residential property.
PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The depot and buildings around it have been subject to a number of applications including the conversion of the Harbourmaster's House to a coastguard centre and the construction of toilets and a workshop/store, none of which is relevant to the consideration of the application.
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Peel Town Commissioners raise an objection to the application on the basis that the proposed building will appear incongruous and modern within the Conservation Area and will appear to be visually prominent to walkers on the busy Peel Hill walkways (13.12.18).
ASSESSMENT 6.1 Potential issues relate to the visual impact on the character and appearance of the area, particularly given the location within a Conservation Area, any impact on the living conditions of those living near the site and any impact on highway safety, having regard to parking provision for the proposed use within an existing depot used for a variety of purposes.
6.2 The depot comprises some interesting and old fabric including walling, the Harbourmaster's House and the two sandstone hipped roofed buildings but there are also other, more modern buildings within the yard which, together with the use and purpose of the space, leads to a functional appearance characterised by vehicles and some equipment. The yard is not particularly visible due to the restricted width of the vehicular opening onto East Quay and the buildings inside are not generally visible otherwise from outside the site. The yard is visible from higher ground and in particular from the public footpath which ascends Peel Hill. From here, spectacular views of the town are available and the natural gaze is not to the detail of the buildings and layout of the depot. If one were to look at the depot, what would be seen is a new, dark grey coloured simple block, parallel with the cream coloured single storey building on the promenade side and the building would partly block out the view of the sandstone wall to the rear and part of the cream coloured building alongside. From many higher viewpoints the building would be completely screened by the Harbourmaster's House which is taller and between the viewer and the building. It is not considered that many people will be looking for or at the building and it will generally go unnoticed: even if it were seen, and it will be mostly screened from public view, that what will be seen is unacceptable.
6.3 What is proposed is simple and will not compete with nor detract from the attractiveness of the older buildings within the group, whilst its appearance is appropriate to its function and location. The public view into the site will be of the front gable, rather than the length of the building and as such its visual impact will be limited and not objectionable. The use of the building is appropriate to its quayside location.
6.4 The proposal is unlikely to be seen by surrounding properties other than from the upper floors of those which can already afford a view into the depot where what can be seen is a relatively modern building, vehicles and equipment. Some of these vehicles will be replaced by a building with a change but not considered to be an adverse impact on what may be visible.
6.5 The comings and goings associated with the proposed use will be limited due to the nature of the proposed use - the storage of a boat and the comings and goings of those associated with it. It is not likely that this will be noticeable above the activities which already occur within the site, undertaken by personnel within the same Department.
6.6 The building will remove some existing informal parking spaces. However, from visiting the site, it would appear that there is plenty of space for all of the users of the site. The removal of the wall will assist with this, along with the removal of the portable container which will provide
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additional parking provision and this can be required to be undertaken prior to the commencement of the approved use. As the users will all be part of the same Government Department, there is the opportunity for the rationalisation of the parking but it is not considered that there will be insufficient space for those who use the site, to be able to park their vehicles here. The amount of comings and goings is not considered significant compared with the existing and thus it is considered that there would be no impact on highway safety in this case, particularly as the proposed use has a direct connection with the harbour where there are similar uses and activities.
CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal complies with the relevant policies and is supported.
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.
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I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : Permitted
Committee Meeting Date: 21.01.2019
Signed : S CORLETT Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below
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