DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 24/00685/C Applicant: Onchan District Commissioners Proposal: Change of Use from former Doctor's Surgery to a Shop with office and storage and distribution Site Address: 75 Main Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 1AJ Principal Planner: Chris Balmer Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.08.2024

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. No customers shall be served or remain in the retail unit outside the following hours;

Monday 1000hrs to 1600hrs Tuesday 1000hrs to 1600hrs Wednesday 1000hrs to 1600hrs Thursday 1000hrs to 1600hrs Friday 1000hrs to 1600hrs Saturday 0900hrs till 1300hrs. Sunday Closed

Reason: In the interests of the residential amenity of the area and as the times indicated where those stated within the application submission.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

It is considered that the planning application is in accordance with the relevant policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and The Area Plan for the East 2020 having no unacceptable impacts upon private or public amenities.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing all received on 13.06.2024. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is within the curtilage of 75 Main Road, Onchan, which is a single storey property situated to the northern side of Main Road and west of Onchan Commissioners office.

1.3 Three off road existing parking exists to the front of the property and have directly access onto Main Road.

1.2 Surrounding the site given its relatively central location within Onchan, various uses are present, to include: a child-minding business, playing fields, a house of worship, Nail and Beauty business, Onchan Commissioner's offices, Library, shops and also residential uses.

1.4 The Onchan District Commissioners are owners of the site.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks full approval for the Change of Use from former Doctor's Surgery to a Shop with office and storage and distribution. - 2.2 The applicants comment; "Staffing level - maximum of 5 persons. 1 based at the premises and 4 installers calling back to the premises at various times to collect materials if required. Operating hours - by appointment only initially. Long-term it is planned that Monday to Friday will be 10 am to 4 pm, and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm."

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There are no previous planning application which are considered relevant in the determination of this application. - 4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES

4.1 The application site is within an area designated as "Mixed Use under the Area plan for the East 2020. The site is not within a Conservation Area.

4.2 The following policies in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 are considered relevant: - 4.3 Strategic Policy 1 states: "Development should make the best use of resources by:

• (a) optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and underused land and buildings, and re-using scarce indigenous building materials;
• (b) ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs for access, landscaping, open space(1) and amenity standards; and
• (c) being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services."

4.4 General Policy 2 states: "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:

• a) Is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief;
• 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;
• d) Does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses;
• e) Does not affect adversely public views of the sea;
• f) Incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks;
• g) Does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
• h) Provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
• i) Does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;
• j) Can be provided with all necessary services;
• k) Does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan;
• l) Is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding;
• m) Takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and
• n) Is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

4.5 Transport Policy 4 states: "The new and existing highways which serve any new development must be designed so as to be capable of accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys generated by that development in a safe and appropriate manner, and in accordance with the environmental objectives of this plan." - 4.6 Business Policy 1 states: "The growth of employment opportunities throughout the Island will be encouraged provided that development proposals accord with the policies of this Plan." - 4.7 Business Policy 9 states: "The Department will support new retail provision in existing retail areas at a scale appropriate to the existing area and which will not have an adverse effect on adjacent retail areas. Major retail development proposals will require to be supported by a Retail Impact Assessment(1)."

4.9 Business Policy 10 states: "Retail development will be permitted only in established town and village centres, with the exceptions of neighbourhood shops in large residential areas and those instances identified in Business Policy 5." - 4.10 The Area Plan for the East (2020) includes; - 4.11 Town Centre - Mixed Use Proposal 3 states; "There will be a presumption in favour of retail and ancillary town centre uses such as food and drink and health and beauty uses along the primary shopping frontage. Outside of the primary shopping frontage a wider variety of town centre uses including financial and professional services open to visiting members of the public will also be acceptable. Entertainment venues, Offices and residential use will be acceptable at first floor level and above, but not at ground floor level where an active frontage should be maintained and enhanced. These active frontages are essential to sustain an attractive town centre."

- 5.0 CONSULTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services comment (21.07.2024 & 09/07/2024): "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking, as the site is in a

• sustainable location in Onchan centre with suitable connections and parking provision on-site and within the centre."
• 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The following issues are relevant in the determination of this application; (a) principle of developing the site former Doctor's Surgery to a Shop with office and storage and distribution; (b) parking provision; (c) potential impact upon neighbouring amenities; and (d) visual impact upon the street scene.

PRINCIPLE OF DEVELOPING THE SITE

6.2 As stated earlier in this report, the application site is located within a wider area of land that is designated as mixed use under the Area Plan for the East. Given that the use is proposed to be a Shop (Class 1.1) with associated office (Class 2.1) and storage and distribution (Class 2.4). - 6.3 The applicants have indicated; "'There will be minimal storage and distribution. At times, the operatives will attend the office/showroom to receive instructions regarding works to be undertaken at properties and to collect samples to show clients.' - 6.4 The Showroom equates to approximately 38sqm, the two offices equate to 22sqm and toilet, store and kitchen are 10sqm. Accordingly, the proposed unit with a total floor area of 70sqm which is a relatively modest sized unit. The site is within an area of Mixed Use and therefore the proposed use would be appropriate and be in keeping with the central location of the site along Main Road in Onchan. It should be noted that Onchan retains a much larger GP Surgery at Village Walk to the north of the site. PARKING PROVISION - 6.5 The IOMSP Parking Standards would generally seek "Space for service vehicle use" for Town centre shops, 1 space for every 50 square metres of nett floor space for town centre offices and 1 space per 100 square metres gross floor space for storage and distribution. The unit has three off road parking spaces which would be more than adequate for the IOMSP parking standards. - 6.6 Highway Services have raised no objection in terms of parking and highway safety matters. POTENTIAL IMPACT UPON NEIGHBOURING AMENITIES - 6.7 There are no significant alterations to the building in terms of external alterations. It is not considered any of the uses proposed would have an impact upon neighbouring properties. A condition should be attached in terms of opening hours/days. VISUAL IMPACT UPON THE STREET SCENE - 6.8 No external alterations are proposed and therefore it is not considered there is any impacts in this respect.

7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 For the reasons outlined within this report it is considered that the planning application is in accordance with the relevant policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and The Area Plan for the East 2020 having no unacceptable impacts upon private or public amenities and it is therefore recommended that the planning application be approved. - 8.0 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:

• 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.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Acting Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 14.08.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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