Planning Application Response

Email: [email protected] Officer: MB

Date of Response: 06/03/19

Date of Application:

Application Reference: 19/00048/B

Location: Holly Cottage 57 Governors Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 1AZ

Description: Creation of vehicular access to provide off street parking to side of property (retrospective)

Highway Comments:

Summary

Highway Services opposes the application on highway safety grounds as it is not possible for vehicles to gain safe and legal access and egress to and from the site parking area. Highway Services therefore request that the site parking area is removed to prevent such unsafe vehicle movements.

Background

The site parking area is already in place. The applicant has not provided a scale site plan to show the parking area but the photograph submitted shows one parked car could be accommodated. The ‘Manual for Manx Roads’ (MfMR) design guide specifies a driveway space must be at least 2.5m x 5.5m in size.

There is no existing vehicular crossing to the driveway. The dropped kerbs and tactile paving that exist in front of it is a pedestrian crossing point which has not been constructed to accommodate the weight of vehicles. Any vehicles using these dropped kerbs to access/egress the site would therefore be doing so illegally. Tactile paving is placed adjacent to a pedestrian crossing point with dropped kerbs to alert blind and partially sighted pedestrians that it is a safe and appropriate place to cross the road. Tactile paving should never be placed across a vehicle crossing as pedestrian crossing points should be located away from vehicular accesses to avoid pedestrian/vehicle conflicts, particularly where blind and partially sighted pedestrians are encouraged to cross.

The pedestrian crossing point is to assist pedestrian movements across the A2 Governors Road, via the roundabout splitter island along an existing pedestrian desire line across a busy main route which needs to be maintained. The existing dropped kerbs are not wide enough to enable a car to cross them as the tactile paving on the photograph appears to be approximately 1.2m wide (based on known sizes of manufactured tactile blocks) and a car is around 2m wide. It would appear to be very difficult if not impossible for a car to drive in and out of the driveway without driving along the footway which is illegal.

Due to the presence of the splitter island opposite the driveway, cars turning right out of the driveway would have to drive on the wrong side of Governors Road for a short stretch of road against the flow of traffic. Cars would not be able to turn right into the driveway from the roundabout for the same reason and it would not be

possible to make such a manoeuvre safely, especially if other vehicles on Governors Road were approaching the roundabout eastbound past the site at the same time.

It is acknowledged that there is limited on-street parking in the area, but highway safety always takes precedence over other highway issues. Due to the highway safety and movement issues described above, Highway Services cannot support the proposals and would not enter into a Section 109A Highway Agreement to provide a legal vehicular crossing to serve the driveway.

Recommendation: O