228734

==== PAGE 1 ====

3 November 2014 14/01001/B Page 1 of 5 PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 14/01001/B Applicant : Mrs Carolyn Stephenson Proposal : Creation of a temporary campsite for the weeks covering TT and MGP and installation of toilet and shower facility Site Address : Glebe Farm Main Road Kirk Michael Isle Of Man

Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken : 12.09.2014 Site Visit : 12.09.2014 Expected Decision Level :

Planning Committee

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS OTHER APPLICATIONS FOR TEMPORARY CAMPSITES HAVE BEEN SO CONSIDERED

THE SITE 1.1 The site is part of the holding of Pennybridge Stables, an equestrian facility situated on the outskirts of Kirk Michael, to the rear of the fuel filling garage which is the last building at the eastern end of the village. The holding extends to a greater area which lies further north and west than the application site which includes part of the fields between the house and stables and the TT Course (A3) and the secondary access from the application site and the farm onto the Orrisdale Road.

1.2 The stables on the site are not used for liveries but for the accommodation of the applicants' own horses. A horse riding school is operational on the site in a large building behind the fuel filling station. A relatively newly planted copse of trees lies between the building and the A3.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the temporary use of the space between the farm and the TT Course for camping in tents. The applicant has explained that during the TT and Manx Grand Prix/Festival of Motorcycling periods the field cannot be used for horses due to the proximity of fast moving vehicles and as such, their income is reduced accordingly. They would like to supplement the income from the horse riding school with that from the camp site and also utilise the fields during the practice and race periods.

2.2 The campsite would accommodate both pre-erected tents and those bringing their own camping equipment. Regency Travel and Department of Economic Development have both indicated their support for the application.

2.3 Also proposed is the installation of a toilet and shower facility in the form of a mobile home which is already in situ between the indoor riding school and the fuel filling station. This is around 3.6m wide and around 9m long and is currently a cream colour.

==== PAGE 2 ====

3 November 2014 14/01001/B Page 2 of 5 2.4 Finally a new waste water treatment system is to be introduced in the form of a septic tank which will be sited between the indoor school, the shower and toilet facility and the house.

2.5 The drawings do not provide any indication of how many tents would be accommodated. However, comparing it with other proposals for local sports pitches, the site could accommodate around 65 tents, using the ratio applied at the NSC, which proposed to accommodate more tents per sq m than Ballakermeen, Colby or Rushen.

PLANNING STATUS AND POLICY 3.1 The site is designated as Agricultural Open Space on the Kirk Michael Plan of 1994. The house and stables are within a wider area of Predominantly Residential land use.

3.2 As such there is a presumption against development as set out in Environment Policy 1 of the Strategic Plan.

3.3 In planning terms, there is no provision within the Strategic Plan to support new camp sites and tourist development is treated the same as any other form of development in the countryside - that is, there is a presumption against development. However, it is recognised that camping is becoming an important part of the Island's tourist attractions and an increasing popular form of tourist accommodation and understood that Department of Economic Development is supportive of initiatives which attract and accommodate more visitors to and on the Island. A number of camp sites have been approved - some brand new ("Silly Moos" in Lezayre, Ballaugh Glen, Knockaloe Beg), others which have existed in an unauthorised form for some time and some of which now have approval (Glenlough in Marown). Encouragement is given for such facilities to be grouped near to existing buildings and where possible, to complement existing operations on the same site.

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 Planning approval has been granted for a number of developments on the site as a whole, none of which is particularly relevant to this current proposal.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 There are letters of support for the proposal from regency Travel and Department of Economic Development. The former acts as an Official Travel Partner of the Isle of Man TT and Festival of Motorcycling and have seen increases in the number of visitors coming to the Island over the past 3 years and have actively been seeking Island partners to offer this type of accommodation due to increased demand.

5.2 Department of Economic Development explain that they have a duty to maintain, encourage, develop, protect, promote and facilitate tourism in, to and from the Island to the best advantage of the Island (Tourist Act 1975) and suggest that the demand for tourist accommodation during TT outstrips supply with many accommodation providers and TT campsites already reporting that they are fully booked up three years in advance and visitor numbers are generally increasing. They fully support the application.

5.3 Whilst Kirk Michael Commissioners support the provision of a campsite in principle, they are concerned as to the outfall from the sewage treatment plant and its effect on the disused railway line, whivh is now a public footpath. There have been problems with foul water in this area.

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issues in this case are the visual impact of the proposed campsite including the toilet and shower facility and whether the proposed use can be satisfactorily serviced in terms of waste water treatment and access.

==== PAGE 3 ====

3 November 2014 14/01001/B Page 3 of 5 6.2 The area to be used for camping will be mostly screened by the copse. It is relevant that the camping will only be undertaken in TT and MGP periods where there is also scaffolding for spectators and marshals along the roadside and generally more paraphernalia than is the case at other times of the year. As such it is considered that the visual impact of the proposal is acceptable.

6.3 Whilst the local authority has concerns about the means of waste water disposal, the installation of waste water treatment facilities is something which is controlled by the Building Regulations. If the waste water treatment system cannot work then the campsite cannot go ahead and this can be controlled by condition. Wastewater treatment systems can be installed without planning permission under Class 19 in certain circumstances as a replacement for an existing system, indicating that the technical acceptability of the system is not a planning matter.

6.4 The access to the site will be via the existing lane which discharges out onto the Orrisdale Road just alongside the former railway bridge. There is a wide area between the lane and the road where vehicles may manoeuvre and whilst visibility towards the A3 is good (one can see all the way to the A4) that to the north west is not so good: one can see further than the bridge but with a blind spot on the southern side of the carriageway which is blocked by the bridge wall and the highway turns sharply to the north which prevents further view of oncoming traffic. Traffic is tending to slow down to manoeuvre through the bridge at this point. Access at the junction of the Orrisdale Road and the A3 is good in both directions to enable vehicles to emerge safely onto the principal route.

6.5 The times when the facility will be operational are when this area, being on the TT Course is busy with and associated with the racing. For example, this part of the circuit often accommodates spectators in an unofficial fashion. The provision of camping with its associated toilet and parking facilities is likely to improve this situation as well as providing an attractive camping facility, close to Kirk Michael village where visitors can make use of the local shops, church and garage. The facility will have a limited visual impact due to the existing vegetation and topography of land and hedges. Whilst access is not ideal, the access exists and is likely to be used by persons unfamiliar with the roads and junctions leading to greater caution and it is considered that the provisions for access are acceptable.

6.6 It is relevant that the Department of Infrastructure is preparing an Order which will make provision for the temporary use of land, including specifically camping in association with the racing periods and if approved this would enable proposals such as this to be undertaken without the need for planning permission, subject to certain restrictions. These provisions are not yet in place however and as such planning approval has been sought.

6.7 It is recommended that the application is approved. Other applications for the creation of camp sites such as this have been subject to conditions which restrict the use to a certain introductory timescale to ensure that the facility operates acceptably. In this case there are no neighbours who could reasonably be affected and it is not considered that there is a need for a temporary provision however it would be consistent if the approval were subject to this control.

PARTY STATUS 7.1 The local authority 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.

==== PAGE 4 ====

3 November 2014 14/01001/B Page 4 of 5 7.3 Department of Economic Development is a statutory authority which raises material planning considerations and as such should be afforded party status under Article 6(4)(c) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013

7.4 Regency Travel is not directly affected by the proposal in a material planning sense and as such should not be afforded interested person status.

SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT The Planning Committee approved the application at its meeting of 10th November, 2014 subject to additional conditions to require that the shower and toilet facility is painted dark green, the removal of the shower/toilet facility should the camp site no longer be operational and amending the recommended condition 1 to clarify that the camp site may operate in 2016 and 2017 and to allow for use up to a week either side of the TT/GP periods.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted

Date of Recommendation:

03.11.2014

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 camp site may be available for use no earlier than seven days before the first practice associated with the TT and with the Manx Grand Prix/Festival of Motorcycling and up to seven days after the last race in each case and the camp site may be erected within three days before this and taken down within three days after this. After the Manx Grand Prix/Festival of Motorcycling 2018 this approval shall expire.

Reason: the application is for the use of the site for the practice and race periods only and whilst provision should be made for setting up and dismantling the camp site, the site should not be used for camping outside those times reasonably associated with these race periods. It is also important to be able to assess the impact of the use on the amenities and highway safety.

C 2. The proposed toilet and shower facility must be painted or otherwise coloured dark green prior to 31st December, 2014.

Reason: to preserve the visual appearance of the area.

C 3 The proposed toilet and shower facility shall be removed from the site in its entirety once and if the camp site is not operational.

Reason: In the interests of the visual amenity of the area.

==== PAGE 5 ====

3 November 2014 14/01001/B Page 5 of 5

This approval relates to the plans and information received on 19th August, 2014.

I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.

Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date : 10th November 2014

Signed : Miss Corlett Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason is required. Signing Officer to delete as appropriate

YES See above