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The purpose of this detailed planning application is to seek planning permission for the use of an existing building located within a newly created warehouse complex named Trafalgar Park situated within Balthane Industrial Estate, Ballasalla. The newly constructed units are designated as commercial, industrial and storage and a number of the twenty one units, have already been sold or let to tenants. The building has the main entrance facing towards a block paved road system providing vehicular access to the unit together with a separate entrance for pedestrians alongside the vehicular access. There are also seven dedicated car parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the unit. This particular unit is one of a block of six with three facing on to the previously mentioned block paved road and three set behind with access taken from another part of the site.
There are only three units in this particular run and the building, subject of this application, is, in effect, set at the head of a short cul-de-sac containing these buildings where there would be no passing traffic. Trafalgar Park is a newly created development and has been carefully designed and planned to ensure that the completed project takes the form of a business park as opposed to an industrial estate. The site owner has been specific in the choice of tenants to ensure that the development with its completely block paved road and parking system, generous landscaped areas and more than ample parking, is maintained by building owners and occupants and does not degenerate into the usual form of poorly thought-out, unimaginative, basic industrial developments with no landscaping and inadequate parking.
The proposed use as a funeral director's premises include the provision of administrative advice to the bereaved, the preparation of care of the deceased before burial or cremation together with facilities for the bereaved to view the deceased and the storage of the vehicles associated with the transportation of the deceased to their final resting place. The internal layout reflects this with a parking area for hearse and limousine, reception, meeting room, chapel of rest, preparation room and stores together with staff room, additional toilet facilities, a coffin store and workshop set at a proposed mezzanine level.
There would be no physical alteration to the external appearance of the building with the roller shutter door providing suitable vehicular access and the large glazed entrance providing pedestrian access for occupants and users.
The site is part of a wider development containing twenty one new units and takes its access from Harcourt Drive immediately in front of Trafalgar Park. Vehicular access to the Main Road at the roundabout in Ballasalla Village is via Harcourt Drive and then along Balthane Road where it meets the Main Road at the roundabout. This is a short vehicular run and does not entail passing through the majority of the Industrial Estate. The building is a newly constructed steel portal frame building with room to install a mezzanine floor. Externally the building is finished in coloured plastisol coated steel cladding with a similar profile insulated sheet roof. The main entrance to the building takes the form of a modern two storey high glazed entrance feature along with a roller shutter door to provide vehicular access into the building from the external block paved parking and turning bay area. There are seven dedicated car parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the building all having exclusive use for this unit. This particular unit is one of a bock of six with three facing on to the previously mentioned block paved road system and three set behind with access taken from another part of the site. There are only three units in this particular run and the building, subject of this application, is, in effect, set at the head of a short cul-de-sac where there would be no passing traffic. It is also set furthest away from the main block paved access road into the remaining eighteen units within Trafalgar Park and is in an "isolated" location, the unit would effectively be a "destination" for any prospective occupant of the premises. There would be no evidence of the use of the building externally and this is similar to the majority of the occupied units on the site.
The building is contained within an area where approval granted for specific use on the new development on this site is described as commercial, industrial and storage. This use is compatible with the surrounding development including Balthane Industrial Estate together with a wider area beyond being used for similar developments. There is no residential usage within the immediate vicinity with the closest residential units being properties facing on to the main Castletown-Douglas Road, well away from this unit on Trafalgar Park.
Funeral Director's businesses do not fall within any of the prescribed Use Classes and are a use of their own type, although in the UK this use is within the category of a "Shop". Within the IOM Use Classes Order, the use would fall more readily within the category of "2 Class 2 Financial and professional services Use for the provision of -
(a) financial services (including the services of a bank, building society or insurance broker); (b) professional services (other than health or medical services), including estate agency, but excluding legal or architectural services; (c) a betting office; (d) a booking office for a driving school; or (e) a job centre, where the services are provided principally to visiting members of the public" although there is an element of retail function within the use.
Funeral directors premises tend to be within town or village centres and the Applicants run a similar operation in Ramsey where they have premises in Dale Street, close to the Town Centre. However, to provide the level of accommodation required to cover the many discreet and varied operations associated with the funeral director's business, it is not always easy to find a range of buildings in close proximity to a town centre that fulfil the requirements of the operation.
The buildings on Trafalgar Park were approved for commercial, industrial or storage uses, the site owner was advised at the outset of the development that a limited amount of retail may be acceptable, subject to a planning application for specific use being submitted and approved. Applications for uses where it was not possible to operate a business from a "high street location" would be considered as traffic movements and transporting of large or bulky items are not always feasible within town or village centre locations.
The nature of this business is providing a service to the public, and as such the proposed use could be considered to be in accordance with the land use designation and, the provisions of General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan as follows may be considered relevant :- "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposal in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of the 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 the buildings and the space 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; (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 and (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways"
The service being asked for within this application is one which is a valuable and essential one for local communities and in many cases, the service is provided discreetly, often within a town or village centre, but not always, where it is visible but not particularly prominent. The Applicant has searched various locations in the south of the Island to try and identify a town or village centre site that could provide the space, accommodation and discreet qualities required without being located too closely to a populated residential area. Finding a building of the appropriate size, space and good vehicular access has proved almost impossible in the towns in the south of the Island, most of which have narrow streets, limited amounts of commercial or shopping areas and are mostly quite densely populated residential areas forming the streets of these towns or villages. Should a location be found within a town or village centre location, it is likely to be closer to residential properties where the coming and going of customers, staff and vehicles could well result in an inappropriate impact to a residential area.
The chosen location is close to the centre of Ballasalla and will not create any inappropriate impact to a residential area because of the nature of the site. The building is set within a new, modern, tidy, well landscaped site and the use of the property will not cause any detrimental impact to other users on the site. It is set at the head of a cul-de-sac where there would be no passing traffic and no pedestrian footfall, other than patrons availing themselves of the facilities provided by this business. The external appearance would not change and to any casual visitor, the property would appear as just another unit on Trafalgar Park with no attention being drawn to the fact that the use would be that of a funeral director's business.
Whilst a mezzanine floor is proposed to provide a staff room, additional toilet facilities, a coffin store and workshop, there are seven dedicated car parking spaces attached to this building, all in the immediate vicinity, and this excludes the ability to be able to park a hearse and limousine within the premises not on view to the general public. This will ensure that any additional floor space created is more than covered parking-wise by the dedicated car parking spaces on site.
The layout of the premises also ensures that visitors can also be treated discreetly as the entrance is no different to other units but, once inside, there is a reception area with meeting room, chapel of rest and preparation room all away from general public view.
Vehicles transporting the deceased can be taken directly into the building and a funeral procession can be prepared wholly internally prior to the taking of the deceased to their final resting place. Upon reaching the Main Road, travelling to a final destination is no different to that currently undertaken by any other funeral director operating in the south of the Island, whether it be through Ballasalla towards Douglas or heading back towards Castletown, it is merely the starting point of another journey set in a different location.
It should be noted that this would be a business which operates on a limited, but regular basis. Visits would be by the bereaved with set appointments, departures would be at a pre-set time and, similarly, return from a funeral would be at a set time with very little, or no disruption to other occupants of the site. The nature of the business determines that all operations are discreet and will cause little or no change to the operation of this site.
We would also highlight that the Applicants are well respected operators in the funeral director's profession and are well aware of the responsibilities in providing a professional and discreet service to both the general public and bereaved families.
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