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24/91300/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 24/91300/B Applicant : Manx Utilities Authority Proposal : Installation of a generator Site Address : Manx Utilities Headquarters Ballacottier Crescent Isle Of Man Business Park Douglas Isle Of Man IM99 1PS
Planning Officer: Russell Williams Photo Taken : Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 18.02.2025 __
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal will not give rise to any unacceptable impacts upon the character and appearance of the area or amenity, when regard is had to the potential increase in noise from the operation of the generator. The proposal therefore complies with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 22 of the Strategic Plan.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 15 November 2024 and 8 January 2025:
WO-5960-E Location Plan WO-5960-D Existing and Proposed Elevations and Proposed Site Plan
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Right to Appeal
It is recommended that the following organisations should NOT be given the Right to Appeal:
DOI Highway Services
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No objection __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is part of the headquarters of Manx Utilities, situated in the Isle of Man Business Park. The site is adjoined to the south west by Cycle 360, the south by Manx Telecom, the north by Celton Manx and associated car park and to the east of Ballacottier Crescent.
1.2 The site accommodates both the office and administrative headquarters of Manx Utilities as well as stores and workshop facilities which are accommodate in the western building. There is car parking arranged around the buildings.
1.3 The stores/workshop building has an area to the south which is used for the storage of materials. This area has to the south an established hedge and there is a green fence separating this from the car parking area to the west.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks permission for the installation of a generator to the rear of the stores/workshop building, behind an existing green fence.
2.2 The generator will measure 6.0m (l) x 2.1m (w) x 2.7m (h).
2.3 The generator will provide emergency backup electricity to the site in the case of an outage. The proposed generator at Ballacottier will be started up once a month for 60 minutes for routine maintenance and during emergencies if power is lost to the Ballacottier site.
2.4 Submitted acoustic information states that the background noise level on the site is 50db. When stood next to the generator on start up the noise level increases to 88db at peak. At 10m away this reduces to 80db.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the East as Industrial Use. The site is not within a Conservation Area, Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance or a Flood Risk Zone.
3.2 General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is considered applicable, which 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;
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(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."
3.3 Environment Policy 22: "Development will not be permitted where it would unacceptably harm the environment and/or the amenity of nearby properties in terms of: i) pollution of sea, surface water or groundwater; ii) emissions of airborne pollutants; and iii) vibration, odour, noise or light pollution."
4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS 4.1 None.
5.0 PLANNING HISTORY 5.1 There is no history of material planning relevance.
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS 6.1 The following Statutory Consultees have been consulted and their responses can be summarised as follows:
Braddan Parish Commissioners - No comments received.
DOI Highway Services - No Highways Interest.
6.2 No representations have been received from members of the public.
7.0 ASSESSMENT 7.1 The proposals relate to the need for a backup electricity supply at the site which is used by Manx Utilities 24/7. The key consideration in the determination of the application is the impact of the development upon the character and appearance of the area and amenity, having regard to potential noise disturbance.
CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF THE AREA 7.2 The application site is located within an established industrial area and is surrounded by built form, car parking and associated industrial/commercial uses.
7.3 The proposed generator will site behind existing fencing and replace an installation of racking that is used for external storage of ducting.
7.4 The scale of the generator is relatively limited and is not significantly larger than the existing racking and materials. Visually, there will be little impact arising from the installation of the generator on the locality given the existing appearance and the screening effect of the adjacent fencing.
7.5 The proposed development will not give rise to any adverse impact upon the character or appearance of the area and complies with General Policy 2.
AMENITY 7.6 The application site is within an industrial/business area and surrounded by office and industrial buildings. The nearest residential dwelling is approximately 350m northwest of the site.
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7.7 The proposed generator is designed as an emergency supply source of electricity to the Manx Utilities property should there be an outage. It will not, therefore, be operational for extended periods of time and in reality will be operational very rarely.
7.8 When operational, the generator will increase noise disturbance in the area well above existing background levels, which are stated as being 50dB. This is a relatively high background acoustic level but is likely reflective of the industrial use in the area and vehicle/road noise.
7.9 An operation decibel level from the generator of 80 dB, when measured from 10m from the site, is a moderately high noise level and gives rise to the potential to cause noise disturbance in the area. Notwithstanding, location of the site, within an established industrial area where various activities take place that generate high noise levels, and in the absence of any nearby residential dwelling or other sensitive receptor point, the harm associated with the increase in noise is considered to be acceptable in this instance and will not unduly harm amenity in the area.
8.0 CONCLUSION 8.1 The proposed development will provide an emergency electricity supply source for the Manx Utilities operations on the site. The proposal will not harm the character or appearance of the area. The generator would be used infrequently and whilst its operation will increase noise in the area, given the setting within an established industrial site and distance from sensitive receptors, the proposed impacts are considered to be acceptable. The proposals therefore comply with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 22 of the Strategic Plan.
9.0 RIGHT TO APPEAL AND RIGHT TO GIVE EVIDENCE 9.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
9.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to: o Applicant (in all cases); o a Local Authority; Government Department; Manx Utilities; and Manx National Heritage that submit a relevant objection; and o any other person who has made an objection that meets specified criteria.
9.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10.
9.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required): o any appellant or potential appellant (which includes the applicant); o the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the Department of Infrastructure and the local authority for the area; o any other person who has submitted written representations (this can include other Government Departments and Local Authorities); and o in the case of a petition, a single representative.
9.5 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 the Right to Appeal.
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I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner 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: 18.02.2025
Determining Officer Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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