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1.1 The site is the curtilage of Castle Rushen High School situated on the southern side of Arbory Road. The site accommodates the school buildings and associated car parking and playing fields/sports pitches. The site also includes the southern swimming pool. Access to the site is directly from Arbory Road and there is a circulation system within the site for vehicles to enter, circulate and exit in a forward gear. There are various areas of car parking within the site, including an area to the east of the site adjacent to the western end of Farrant's Park. Access to this is from a separate access onto Arbory Road, to the east of the swimming pool. This entrance serves a parking area in front of the building and access to the area to the side and rear of the school. The entrance is not quite wide enough for a vehicle to enter at the same time as another is exiting the site and there is a pinch point around 6m into the site which is only one vehicle wide. Vehicular access continues from this parking area to the south west around the rear of the school. Pedestrian access to the all weather pitch continues to the south west. The surface of the access way becomes more broken up as one progresses south west.
2.1 Proposed is the creation of additional parking spaces to the south west of the existing perimeter access road towards the all weather pitch. 54 spaces will be provided, all 5m long and 2.4m wide and separated from each other by a 6m wide corridor. The car parking area will be tarmacadam finished and a fence will be erected on the western side separating the spaces from the sports fields. The site slopes upward slightly to the south and so the surface water from the new hard surfaced area will be discharged into the existing drainage system.
2.2 The access from the existing parking area beside Farrant's Park will be tarmacadam finished an formal spaces will be laid out - 24 in number and 5m long, 2.4m wide and 6m apart.
3.1 The site is designated as School Playing Fields on the Castletown Local Plan of 1990 (the buildings are distinguished from the playing fields on the plan) and on the draft Southern Area Plan the site (buildings and playing fields) is identified as Buildings for Civic, Cultural or other use - Secondary School.
3.2 As such, the following Strategic Plan policies are considered relevant in the consideration of this application:
"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: b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the space around them; c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; 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 adverse effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; 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; m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them". 3.3 Also, Community Policy 5 states: "Permission will generally be given for proposals to improve or extend existing schools and institutions of higher education and to building new schools, subject to their being sited and designed in accordance with the other policies of this plan, having particular regard to the potential for community use of the buildings and the associated Open Space."
4.1 There have been numerous applications for the development, extension and alteration of the school, none of which is considered particularly relevant to the consideration of this current proposal. 12/00811/B proposed the retention of a temporary structure in association with the all weather pitch: this is shown on the drawing.
5.1 Castletown Commissioners recommend that the "entrance/exit" is widened by a further 3 feet so that the risk of collision is minimised. 5.2 Highways Division have indicated that the visibility available to drivers of vehicles emerging from the site is inadequate. There has been a site meeting to discuss this and further correspondence indicating that Highways Division no longer object to the application. 5.3 The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority indicate that no surface water should be discharged to the main foul sewer and surface water must be attenuated at a rate agreed by them..
6.1 Parking already occurs in the vicinity of the proposed formalised parking proposal and if this application were not approved, it would be likely that the parking would occur anyway but in a less organised and less safe manner. Similarly, for the same reason, already, any difficulty in narrowness of access or visibility is already an issue, although the provision of additional parking may exacerbate this. 6.2 The difficulties in visibility have been partly resolved. The site to the east is the subject of development which has included the lowering of the boundary wall which now provides visibility to the east for drivers emerging from the site.
6.3 The existing pillar alongside the entrance to the west interrupts visibility slightly for a short section of the exit as does an existing shrub but the is a view of the opposite carriageway and part of the footway for drivers of vehicles emerging from the site. 6.4 Highways Division has indicated that they no longer object to the application. 6.5 In summary, whilst the access is not ideal due to the narrowness of part of the lane and the slight impediment in visibility, and the proposal will result in additional vehicles using the access and the lane, the provision of parking on site is important as there are limited opportunities for safe on-street parking in the vicinity. As such, on balance, it is recommended that the application is approved.
7.1 The local authority, Castletown Commissioners are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered an "interested person" and as such should be afforded party status. 7.2 the Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority is a statutory authority and raises material planning considerations and should be afforded party status in this case. 7.3 Highways Division are part of the Department of Infrastructure of which the planning authority is part. As such the Highways Division should not be afforded party status in this case.
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of 16.12.2013
Recommendation:
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This approval relates to the creation of car parking as shown in drawings IM1472/DR01, P-01 and P-02 all received on 2nd January, 2013 and the development must be undertaken in accordance with these drawings.
C 3. There must be no discharge of surface water to the main foul sewer.
NOTE: the applicant is encouraged to discuss with the IOMWSA attenuation of the disposal of the surface water.
I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control / Development Control Manager/ Senior Planning Officer.
Decision Made: Permitted Date: 13/17/13
Determining officer (delete as appropriate)
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