27 June 2024 · Planning Committee
Street Record, Ballaterson Fields, Ballaugh, Isle Of Man, IM7 5ap
The proposal involved erecting six wooden telegraph poles (five at 9m height projecting 7-7.5m above ground, one at 10m projecting 7.8-8.5m) with diameters of 250-300mm, positioned on public footpaths adjacent to boundaries in the southern part of Ballaterson Fields, a residential estate of traditional bungalows on gen…
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The Planning Committee declined the officer's recommendation to permit the development. They determined that the proposed installation of six wooden telegraph poles and associated cabling, due to thei…
General Policy 2
Requires consideration of design/siting (b), visual impact/character/appearance (c), residential amenity (g), highway safety (i), and public health (m). Officer assessed proposal as compliant, finding limited visual harm, no amenity/highway issues, and acceptable siting on footpaths. Committee found non-compliant due to negative visual impact on streetscene character from height/size/scale.
Strategic Policy 4
Named village (Ballaugh). Officer confirmed principle of development acceptable within settlement boundary zoned residential. Not cited in refusal.
Environmental Policy 22
Safeguarding environment/amenities of surrounding properties (iii). Officer found no public health nuisance or amenity harm. Not cited in refusal.
No significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as there is a retained 1.2m minimum width footway achieved at pole locations
no objection
Highlight political steer and adopted 2018 National Telecom Strategy and National Broadband Plan; telecoms network as critical national infrastructure; applications facilitate fibre network delivery under National Broadband Plan
Highway Services Division has no objection to the installation of telegraph poles at Ballaterson Fields as a retained 1.2m minimum width footway is achieved at pole locations. A resident objects citing footway width standards from the Manual for Manx Roads requiring 2m minimum.
Key concern: footpath width of 1.2m inadequate per Manual for Manx Roads requiring 2m minimum in residential areas
Highway Services HDC
No ObjectionAfter reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as there is a retained 1.2m minimum width footway achieved at pole locations.
Digital Isle of Man
Supporttelecom networks are universally agreed to be vital for the betterment of society and the economy as a whole; The applications... are intended to facilitate the delivery of the fibre network in areas which form part of the National Broadband Plan.
Climate Change Transformation Team
No Objectionwe have no objections to these applications.
Cath Dudley (36 Ballaterson Fields)
Objectionthe minimum width of 1.2m is only acceptable TO AVOID IMPORTANT EXISTING FEATURES. For EG Historic Buildings. Not Poles.; Clearly this can not be applied to non-existent features, such as PROPOSED TELEGRAPH POLES.; In fact the Manual recommends a footpath width of 2m for most footpaths/residential areas.
Resident (35 Ballaterson Fields)
ObjectionThis would entail part of the foundation hole being dug onto Private Property and into the hedges. They have no permission to do this.; Under MT's own Plans POLE 2 and POLE 5 already fail this test.
Jo Callow (31 Ballaterson Fields)
ObjectionFrom various windows we will be able to see 5 of the proposed poles... none of which we want to see as they will spoil the aspect of the estate; the proposed network cable between pole 1 and pole 4 goes across the front garden of 31 Ballaterson Fields which we are not happy about and nobody has asked use about it
Alan & Susan Brew (23 Ballaterson Fields)
ObjectionThere are no poles on Ballaterson Fields. All properties have or had telephone land lines where it is assumed that the wires ran through ducting.; The notion of using 1800’s technology ('telegraph poles') to deliver 2000’s technology is quite frankly unbelievable.
Resident (27 Ballaterson Fields)
ObjectionThe existing telecommunications cabling is contained within ducts throughout the estate. These existing ducts should be utilised; The foundations for the poles require a hole a minimum of 600mm diameter and 1500mm deep to be excavated. The existing electrical and mains water services run within the same footpath.
Resident (20 Ballaterson Fields)
ObjectionThe telegraph poles will have a very negative aesthetic impact on our very pretty well maintained rural estate.; Telegraph poles were developed in the mid 1800’s and were phased out in the 1980’s and replaced by underground cables.
