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18 August 2014 14/00849/B Page 1 of 3 PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 14/00849/B Applicant : Standard Bank Isle Of Man Limited Proposal : Alterations to car park entrance Site Address : Merton Bank Car Park Allan Street Douglas Isle Of Man

Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level :

Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

THE SITE 1.1 The site is an existing car park situated on the northern side of Merton bank (part of Allan Street) between 4, Merton Bank and the warehouse at number 10. The site was cleared and approved for use as a car park under PA 89/01628/B which was for a temporary basis, approved as a permanent facility under PA 94/00777/B. The car park has a tarmacadam finish, no formal entrance besides a break in the footway alongside the carriageway and no form of control for vehicles entering and leaving.

1.2 To the rear of the site are the rears of three storey residential properties in Demesne Road.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the introduction of control mechanisms to the entrance in the form of two concrete bollards position 500mm into the site and 400mm from the 1m deep concrete bay which separates the footway from the parking area. In the centre of the access will be a 500mm wide "Commander Drop Down Frame post" whose function is to prevent access to and from the car park by reducing the entrance to only 1.2m either side of the frame post. This can be dropped down such that vehicles may drive over it with its wheels either side to get access when authorised.

PLANNING POLICY AND STATUS 3.1 The site lies within an area of Predominantly Residential use on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998. The site abuts but lies outwith the Woodbourne Road Conservation Area whose boundary lies to the north and east of the site.

3.2 The use of the site as a car park is authorised and as such the critical considerations are whether the proposed works would adversely affect the ppearance of the site and also whether it would have any adverse impact on highway safety.

3.3 The proximity of the Conservation Area introduces Environment Policy 36 which states:

"Where development is proposed outside of, but close to, the boundary of a Conservation Area, this will only be permitted where it will not detrimentally affect important views into and out of the Conservation Area."

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18 August 2014 14/00849/B Page 2 of 3 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The site has been the subject of a number of applications, the most relevant of which are listed in paragraph 1.1 above.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 ht indicate that they do not object to the application.

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The site is clearly visible from the road without any planting or walling which would screen the parked vehicles from view. The site is also within a densely developed part of town with two and three storey buildings nearby and little in the way of vegetation or soft features within the streetscene. Unfortunately the car park now reveals the rear of the properties to the rear which were clearly not designed to be on public view and lack the detail and interest of the fronts of these buildings. However, the car park is authorised and the proposed works will not have any significant impact on how the site appears. the structures proposed are relatively low level and not the sort of features which are unexpected in a car park. The works are not considered to have any adverse impact from within or into the Conservation Area.

6.2 The works are considered to be acceptable and as such the application is recommended for approval.

PARTY STATUS 7.1 The local authority, Douglas Borough Council is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, paragraph 6 (4) (e), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.

7.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services is granted interested party status under the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 paragraph 6 (4) d.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted

Date of Recommendation:

18.08.2014

Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : Notes attached to refusals

C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

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18 August 2014 14/00849/B Page 3 of 3 Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

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This approval relates to drawings 01 and 02 and the specification and details of the frames all received on 17th July, 2014.

I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control /Head of Development Management/ Senior Planning Officer.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 21/08/14

Determining officer (delete as appropriate)

Signed :... Chris Balmer

Senior Planning Officer

Signed :... Sarah Corlett

Senior Planning Officer

Signed :... Michael Gallagher

Director of Planning and Building Control

Signed : Jennifer Chance Jennifer Chance

Head of Development Management