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24/00862/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 24/00862/B Applicant : Dept Of Education, Sports & Culture Proposal : Replacement of sports storage container to side of football pitch (retrospective) Site Address : Castle Rushen High School Arbory Road Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1RE
Planning Officer: Paul Visigah Photo Taken : 04.09.2024 Site Visit : 04.09.2024 Expected Decision Level :
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.09.2024 __
Conditions and Notes for Approval
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
C 1. The sports storage container hereby approved shall be removed from the site within 4 years of the date of this notice. In the event that the structure is no longer used or required before the 4 year permission expires, then it shall be removed.
Reason: The Department has assessed the impact of the proposal on the basis of the specific use and the documents submitted.
C 2. The external appearance/finish of the sports storage container shall be retained in its green finish. No new types of materials shall be added to the external elevations of the development.
Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. Overall, it is considered that the proposal would comply with the relevant planning policies of The Isle of Man Strategic Plan and the principles promoted by the Children's Weight Management Strategy 2020, and for the reasons set out in this report, having no significant impacts upon public or private amenities.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following documents and plans: o Cover Letter o Statement o Drg. 01 Location Plan o Drg. 02 Site Plan Existing o Drg. 03 Site Plan Proposed
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o Drg. 04 Floorplan & Elevations as Proposed __
Interested Person Status
None __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of Castle Rushen High School, Arbory Road, Castletown. The site is situated to the eastern side of the school with access to Arbory Road via the access on the eastern boundary of the school.
1.2 The area of the proposed works is located adjacent to the Astro Turf Pitch at the school, and by the paved walkway from the school building to the sports grounds. This area is not visible from any highway near the school, although private views are achievable from bedroom windows on the adjacent properties.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Planning approval is sought for Replacement of sports storage container to side of football pitch (retrospective). The sports storage container which is a 2.9m x 2.4m shipping container is 2.5m tall and is painted green to match the colour of the fence on the perimeter of the synthetic pitch. A single pane window is installed on the southwest elevation which faces the synthetic pitch, while a doors faces the rugby pitch to the west. The container sits on a concrete platform about 150mm tall.
2.2 The applicants have provided the following additional information in the Cover Letter: o The container is used by the DESC Leisure Attendants (managed by the NSC) to oversee the public bookings on the sports pitch. The attendants are responsible for undertaking safety checks of the pitches and equipment prior to use. A limited amount of equipment is also stored in the cabins in relation to the sports pitch bookings. The container is also needed to keep the attendant dry and warm during the public booking periods.
o Planning Permission has been in place for many years for a container as the Sports Pitch but the planning permission lapsed following the last application (12/00/811/B). I have been advised that a full retrospective planning application is now required as the new container has been on site less than four years (2022). The previous container was removed as it was in very poor condition.
3.0 PLANNING POLICIES 3.1 Site Specific: 3.1.1 The application site is within an area zoned as "Secondary School" identified on the Area Plan for the South 2013, and the site is not within a Conservation Area. The site is not prone to flood risks.
3.2 National: STRATEGIC PLAN 3.2.1 The following policies from the 2016 Strategic Plan are considered pertinent in the assessment of this application; a. General Policy 2 - General Development Considerations. b. Strategic Policy 1 - Efficient use of land and resources. c. Strategic Policy 5 - Design and visual impact d. Community Policy 5 - seeks that proposals to improve or extend the existing schools must have a particular regard to the potential for community use and the associated Open Space.
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e. Community Policy 7 - Designing out criminal and anti-social behaviour. f. Environment Policy 22 - Impacts of development on amenity of nearby properties.
4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS 4.1 Children's Weight Management Strategy, July 2020 4.1.1 Section 2 deals with approaches for transforming the accessibility/availability for physical activity in the local environment, with Paragraph 2.1 centred on creating spaces for children and young people to be active. Relevant section: "Working with planning, schools, local authorities and children's charities, we need to ensure existing play spaces are protected and enhanced, and new ones are developed across the Island to reflect the population. The importance of play for physical and mental development for the health and wellbeing of the Island's children needs to be acknowledged."
5.0 PLANNING HISTORY 5.1 There have been a number of previous applications for the High School which are considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application.
a. PA 98/00243/B for Creation of multi-sport synthetic pitch with lighting for school and community use at Castle Rushen High School - Approved.
b. PA 99/00991/B for Erection of temporary portacabin for office/store at regional synthetic pitch - Approved.
c. PA 03/01308/B for Continued approval for the siting of a portacabin in association with synthetic pitch - Approved. This application was subject to the following condition: "This approval relates to the siting of a portacabin in association with the use of the synthetic pitch for a period of four years from the date of this decision. The building must be removed from the site following the expiration of that period and the land restored to its former condition."
d. PA 05/01117/B for Erection of 4m high ball court fencing to replace existing fencing - Approved.
e. PA 07/01854/B for Retention of existing portakabin adjacent to synthetic pitch - Approved. The application was subject to the following condition: "This permission relates to the siting of a portacabin in association with the use of the synthetic pitch for a period of four years from the date of this decision. The building must be removed from the site following the expiration of that period and the land restored to its former condition."
f. PA 12/00811/B for Retention of portakabin to provide office/store/emergency base for synthetic pitch - Approved. This application was approved subject to the following conditions:
C1: This permission relates to the siting of a portacabin in association with the use of the synthetic pitch for a period of four years from the date of this decision. The building must be removed from the site following the expiration of that period and the land restored to its former condition.
C2: This approval relates to the retention of portacabin to provide office/store/emergency base for synthetic pitch as proposed in the submitted documents which are date-stamped 29th May 2012.
5.2 The sports storage container sits next to the synthetic sports pitch and provides storage for the kit used on the pitch for various sporting activities.
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS
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Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.
6.1 DOI Highways Division have no interest in the application (2 August 2024).
6.2 Castletown Commissioners although consulted on 29 July 2024, have not commented on this application at the time of drafting this report.
6.3 No comments have been received from neighbouring properties.
7.0 ASSESSMENT 7.1 The key considerations in the assessment of this application are: i. The principle of the proposed facility, ii. The impact on the visual amenity of the area; and iii. Impacts on neighbours
7.2 Principle of the proposed facility (CP 5, GP 2 & Children's Weight Management Strategy 2020) 7.2.1 The principle of the replacement of the sports storage container has already been established via previous applications which allowed the erection of a storage facility (portacabins) at the location, and where it was accepted that the portacabins which were used to provide office/store/emergency base for the synthetic pitch would be acceptable. As the current proposal seeks to continue this said use by supporting the use of the pitch, it is considered that the principle would be acceptable.
7.2.2 It is also important to note that the existing Children's Weight Management Strategy (2020) for the Island which have been referenced as the other material considerations within section 4 of this report, seeks to ensure that existing play spaces are protected and enhanced, as these facilities play an importance role to facilitate the physical and mental development for the health and wellbeing of the Island's children, and it is considered that this scheme would facilitate such goals.
7.2.3 Given the above, it is judged that the proposed development would accord with Community Policy 5 of the Strategic Plan, whilst aligning with the Islands Children's Weight Management Strategy (2020).
7.3 The impact on the visual amenity of the area (GP2) 7.3.1 In terms of the visual impacts of the scheme, it is considered that the proposal would not be visible from the main public thoroughfares and therefore would not have an unacceptable impact upon the character and appearance of the school or area in general. Whilst it is noted that the structure is not attractive being utilitarian in appearance and form, and as the Department generally does not encourage containers, as visually they are not the type of building/structures which are appropriate outside industrial areas, it is considered that the proposed works are rather minor and of a scale and form that would from a visual point of view not become prominent or dominate views towards the synthetic pitch, being subservient relative to the scale of the fences around the pitch.
7.3.2 Moreover, it is not considered that the scheme would detract from the character of this part of the site which is dominated by the fencing structure around the pitch, and as the site is remote from prominent viewpoints in the area (not being especially apparent).
7.4 The impact on Neighbours (GP 2 & EP 22) 7.4.1 With regard to whether the proposal would have a significant impact upon the residentially amenities of the neighbouring properties, it is considered that the facility would sit about 41m from the nearest neighbouring property. Besides, the facility is not such that would support significant activity given the limited floor area it offers, and would only be supporting
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the operations of the sports pitch which is already known to generate some level of noise that should usually be accepted for sports facilities.
7.4.2 Overall, given that it is within the school and would not be close to nearby properties, it is considered that the proposal would not have an unacceptable impact upon the amenities of neighbouring properties.
8.0 CONCLUSION 8.1 The development is in accordance with the relevant parts of the Strategic plan, as well as with other Government initiatives and is supported.
9.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 9.1 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 and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made: Permitted Date: 24.09.2024
Determining officer
Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management
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