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24/00547/B Page 1 of 7
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 24/00547/B Applicant : Dept Of Education, Sport & Culture Proposal : Provision of mobile classroom containing two classrooms and toilet facilities Site Address : QEII High School Douglas Road Peel Isle Of Man IM5 1RD
Planning Officer: Hamish Laird Photo Taken : 09.05.2024 Site Visit : 09.05.2024 Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 24.07.2024 __
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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
C 2. The development, hereby permitted, shall not be brought into operation until the highway safety works required by the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division as part of any Traffic Regulation Order relating to the A1 road outside the school have been implemented in full.
Reason: In the interests of highway safety.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. While the addition of mobile classrooms is not considered to have most beneficial impact on the streetscene or the provision of school services, as it is required to meet needs of the next school intake year (Sept 2024) and on balance it is considered that the proposal is acceptable to meet those needs and would be in accordance with the provisions of policies GEN2; Community Policy 2; Environment Policies 22 iii) and 23; and, Transport policies T4 and T7, all as outlined in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016).
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to Drawing Nos.
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01 - Location Plan; 25399B - Proposed New Mobile Classrooms - Floor Plan and Elevations;
date stamped received on 10th May, 2024.
And
03 Rev. B - Site Plan as Proposed; received 10th July 2024.
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
THE APPLICATION IS BROUGHT BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AT THE REQUEST OF THE ACTING HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT.
THE SITE 1.1 The application relates to QE2 High School, Douglas Road, Peel. The school comprises a number of interlinked buildings of both single and two storey, the site for this particular application comprises an open grassed amenity area with moveable picnic tables adjoining the existing fenced and hard surfaced tennis courts area, and all-weather sports arena and main car parking area, both of which lies to the south-west of the main school building complex and close to the main car parking area.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the provision of a mobile classroom containing two classrooms and toilet facilities, with a disabled access ramp and steps to the rear.
2.2 The flat-roofed building would measure a footprint of 15.2m x 10.0m x 3.2m high. Internally the space is subdivided into three compartments comprising two large classrooms, two lockable stores for each classroom; and, a joint entrance porch cloakroom and toilet facilities contained in the centre of the structure.
2.3 In a supporting statement accompanying the application, the applicant advises: "The proposed mobile classroom building will be purchased from Springfield Portable Accommodation in the UK for use within the QEII grounds (a similar classroom unit was installed at Castle Rushen High School last summer 2023). The new mobile classroom unit will be provided with a disabled access ramp and steps suitable for ambulant disabled in accordance with current regulations.
The proposed application site was used to accommodate mobile classrooms in the early 2000's although these were removed as extensions were completed and occupied. The new mobile classroom is to be within the curtilage of the school and will not intrude into the playing fields or outdoor sports facilities. The application site is currently used as open space and this will be reduced as part of this application however there is ample provision for open space elsewhere within the school grounds. We believe there will be no adverse impact as a result of the installation of this mobile structure and the application site has been chosen because it has accommodated mobile classrooms in the past.
The double classroom mobile is needed for September '24 to provide additional accommodation at the school. The school roll has risen steadily over recent years from 736 in
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19/20, to 822 in 22/23, to a current roll of 886. The school anticipate a September '24 roll of circa 915-920. Our stated permanent capacity of the school is 898.
The increasing roll has been anticipated, further to the extensive housing development in the town over some 25 years. The proposed QEII Science and Technology block scheme (currently still in design), to be located to the west of the school, is the second phase in our plan to increase the school capacity to six-form entry / circa 1050 capacity, following on from the completion of the Deans Building in 2008. There is a requirement to provide additional temporary capacity for the growing school roll, pending further progression, construction and occupation of the new Science and Technology building, when such temporary provision would be removed."
2.4 Subsequent to discussions with DoI Highways the applicant agreed to fund up to a maximum of £2000 for the TRO measures suggested to the planning department. (See paragraphs 5.4 and 5.5 below).
PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The wider school site has been subject to a number of applications over the years including creation of new facilities, alterations and extensions, erection of fencing and installation of bicycle shelters and ponds. Considered most relevant in the in the assessment of the current application are PA23/00815/B Provision of new mobile classroom containing one classroom and toilet facilities, permitted - 17.10.2023. The classroom as approved by this application is also located on the open grassed amenity area next to the Tennis courts immediately adjacent to the site of the current PA 24/00547/B proposal. It has yet to be installed. Also, recent approvals including PA23/00227/B for recladding across the front of the main school building and PA21/00469/B - External recladding of external walls with insulated render/insulated cladding.
PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Peel Local Plan of 1998 as Queen Elizabeth High School and School Playing Fields. In the Isle of man Strategic Plan 2016, the general standards towards acceptable development listed in General Policy 2 are most relevant in the assessment:
4.2 General Policy 2 states (in part): Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:
b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.
5.1 German Commissioners - No comments had been received by the report drafting stage (11/6/24).
5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - (17/05/2024) provided a holding reply advising that formal comments would follow.
5.3 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - (24/05/2024)
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Highways Comments: Proposal: The proposals include provision of mobile classroom containing two classrooms and toilet facilities. The applicant has not undertaken any pre-application discussions with Highway Services nor provided any submitted information to address and analyse the traffic and transport impacts of the development.
Road Adoption: No new roads are expected to be adopted for the proposals.
Accessibility and Connectivity: Due to increase in pupils, the applicant should be completing an Accessibility Audit as per the Manual for Manx Road guidance. This will help improve and encourage non-motorised trips and reduce the reliance on private car trips and parking on the main road at peak times.
Additionally, the site layout is unclear in terms of hardstanding accesses from the entrances to the mobile units and to existing hardstanding areas within the school, as the site layout identifies land around the units as grass. All routes from unit door entrances should be hardstanding for pedestrian and mobility impaired accessibility.
If not already provided or existing facilities are already 100% utilised, the applicant should be considering secure/lockable cycle and scooter facilities to encourage non-motorised travel to the site.
Vehicular Access: The existing accesses to the school would be unaffected by the proposals in terms of changes in design.
Internals: See Accessibility section regarding hardstanding routes from the mobile units entrance doors. Parking: The plans appear to suggest that there is no new parking proposed to accommodate the increase in school students. The applicant should be providing within the submission, at a minimum: o What are the school on-site and on-street parking demands at peak times? o What is the expected increase in parking demands due to the proposals? o Where will these sixth form students, parents and staff park for the proposals? o Is there any mitigation for the proposals to reduce likelihood of parking demand spilling onto the main road? o Is there any measures to encourage sixth form students to come to the site by non-private car or car share, to offset any increase in car trips to the site due to the proposals?
Transport Assessment: A Transport Statement should be provided with the submission outlining, at a minimum, the following: o An Accessibility Audit to Manual for Manx Roads guidance. o A parking assessment o Projected increase in trips by all modes to the site due to the proposals o Travel measures to encourage non private car trips to the site by students, parents and staff.
Traffic Impact: The applicant should provide the projected increase in trips by all travel mode options to the site due to the proposals so that the traffic and transport impacts can be reviewed.
Travel Plan:
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Although a travel plan is usually required for the proposals taking into account the size of the development as a whole, at a minimum, the practical travel measures and mitigation elements of a travel plan should be considered for the proposals. What existing and proposed measures can be employed to encourage sixth form students, parents and staff to come to the site by non-single occupancy private car trips or encourage car sharing?
Off-Site Works and Mitigation: It is not expected that off-site works are required to offset traffic impacts of the proposals, providing soft measures and parking impacts can be managed so that the proposals do not have a significant negative impact on highway safety, network availability and parking.
Road Safety: Through the assessment of an accessibility audit requested and parking analysis as discussed above, the applicant should be considering the proposal's impact on road safety, whether there is existing road safety issues at the school and whether these proposals will increase the existing road safety risks experienced after travel measures are considered/proposed.
If there has been any road and pedestrian accidents in the last 5 years linked to the school, the applicant should comment on these and whether the proposals will increase the risk of these type of accidents.
Planning Conditions: To be proposed after appropriate further information and revisions proposed. Conclusions: Further information, considerations and plans of the following is required:
Recommendation: Further information, considerations and plans required.
Discussions between DoI Highways and the applicant. 5.4 Subsequent to the comments received from DoI Highways, the Highway Services advised in an email dated 15/7/24, that the "Highway Services engagement officer who has previous experience of the site, and she recommends TRO parking restrictions for a 10m length either side of the junctions at the school and football ground accesses on the A1, as well as along the A1 opposite the school as shown on the annotated plan below (yellow is the TRO parking restrictions). She calculates that this would cost a maximum £2,000 to design the parking restrictions, advertise the TRO and paint the parking restrictions on-site."
5.5 Following subsequent discussions between the applicant and DoI Highways, the applicant advised: "Please find below confirmation from the Department of Education, Sports & Culture that they agree to fund up to a maximum of £2000 for the TRO measures suggested in your email to the planning department dated 15th July 2024."
5.6 The abovementioned email trail has been added to the planning file on the Governments website.
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposed mobile classrooms are modest in terms of their scale size and height in relation to the adjacent two storey, main school building. The classrooms would be partially
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screened from the highway to the west and with boundary planting on the boundary and being adjacent to a car parking area, only the upper proportions could be visible. In any case, the proposed classrooms would very likely be read in the context of the wider school campus, and therefore, are unlikely to detract from the visual amenities of their immediate surroundings.
6.2 It is noted the applicants are looking to increase the numbers of the school placements as advised in their statement of case in that the double classroom mobile is needed for September '24 to provide additional accommodation for the school which has a current roll of 886. The school anticipates a September '24 roll of circa 915-920, whereas its stated permanent capacity is currently 898. This accommodation would provide a solution to the identified accommodation issue. As such, the use would be intrinsically linked to the nature of the site as per the status quo and the use of the main school building. While not the preferred option in this instance, it is clear that the school is experiencing a rapid rise in pupil numbers and the proposals are, therefore, considered to be acceptable in its proposed use and the appearance from a design and visual impact perspective would be in compliance with General Policy 2 (b) & (c) of the Strategic Plan.
6.3 Given the siting of the proposed classrooms and being detached from any immediate residential properties, the proposal is considered to be acceptable. It would not result in any loss of privacy or overlooking from the building or from disturbance arising from its inherent use for academia. This complies with the requirements of General Policy 2 (g) of the Strategic Plan. The concerns raised by Highway Services are noted and these have been adequately addressed by the school who are in agreement with the implementation of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to cover the implementation of the required parking restrictions on the A1, and the requests of Highways in the suggested conditions in their comments are not now required. A condition to secure adherence to the requirements of the TRO should be applied to any permission granted. Overall, and taking into account the previously approved PA23/00815/B proposal for a mobile classroom on the adjoining part of the site, it is considered that the proposals would result in an acceptable impact on highway safety without giving rise to undue concerns regarding any need for additional parking requirements for the school.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed mobile classrooms are considered to be acceptable by meeting the needs of the school to provide additional on-site teaching facilities, without detriment to the visual amenities of the locality, the amenities of surrounding residential properties or the safety and convenience of the local highway network subject to the implementation of the requirements of a traffic Regulation Order as advised in Paragraphs 5.4 to 5.6 of this Report. The proposals are deemed compliant with General Policy 2 and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan (2016), and therefore recommended for approval.
INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.
8.2 The decision maker must determine:
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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 above who should be given Interested Person Status.
8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot 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 that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.
Decision Made : ...Permitted... Committee Meeting Date:...05.08.2024
Signed :...J SINGLETON... 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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