Planning Inspector Report

Application by Department of Infrastructure for: Construction of access road, Land Adjacent to Hangar 229 Jurby Industrial Estate, Jurby. Site visit: Monday 21 October 2013 ### Preamble 1. The application was referred to the Council of Ministers in accordance with Section 10(1)(b) of The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 because the site is owned by the Department of Infrastructure. ### Site and Development 2. The site is an area of grassland within the Jurby Industrial Estate associated with the adjacent, now little used, airfield. This estate includes hangars (or former hangars), other buildings evidently having origins as ancillary to the airfield and also more recent purpose built units. The spine road has a 7.3 m carriageway with a footway running across the front of the application site. 3. A short spur road is proposed to facilitate subsequent erection of up to four new units, which would themselves be subject to future application(s). The new length of carriageway would be mainly concrete finished, 6.0 m wide between grass verges, with tactile paving on the spine road footway either side of its junction radii. Clear visibility would be available in each direction. ### Representations 4. Mr Cushing, a Peel resident, has suggested that the carriageway be increased to 7.3 m width as more suitable for HGV use. 5. In the light of this I invited comments from the Highway Authority, which were that the Island does not have a design standard for industrial estates. The published Policy relating to the Hierarchy of the Island's Road Network defines a secondary route ( 7.3 m standard) as "accommodating all traffic classes and may link centres of population, industrial and commercial to strategic routes" and a local road (minimum 5.5 m standard) as "serving larger villages and HGV generators to the strategic and secondary routes". A 6.0 m access could be said to conform. Design recommendations by the Freight Transport Association state that a 6.0 m carriageway can be considered where traffic flows are light. 6. The Planning Officer set out background facts, planning history, planning policy, suggested assessment consideration and suggested conditions in the event of approval. ### Inspector's Assessment 7. The main issues concern the proposal's visual impact and technical adequacy. 8. The 1982 Development Plan designates the locality as an Airfield within a wider Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance (AHLV), making it subject to Environment Policy 2 of the 2007 Strategic Plan. 9. There has been a succession of planning permissions for industrial developments on the estate, which is well established and forms part of the character of the wider landscape. Its airfield origins and continued close connection with it are evident in the hangars and, compared with many industrial estates, open and informal layout. The spur road would be entirely in character with this setting, would have next to no impact on the wider landscape, and would accordingly not conflict with the aims of Environment Policy 2. Rather it would assist business growth in accordance with Business Policy 1. 10. The layout would readily accommodate intermittent comings and goings by even the largest HGVs, which would be likely to be infrequent at the types of industrial units that may be expected here. Widening the spur road carriageway to equal that of the spine road serving the whole estate would over-engineer these works and be a misuse of resources. The layout as proposed accords fully with General Policy 2, including its requirement (g) with respect to safe and convenient access to all highway users. ## Recommendation 11. I recommend that the application be approved subject to the following conditions. 12. The development hereby approved shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice. 13. The development hereby approved shall not be carried out except in full accordance with Drawing No P/001/ Rev A received by the Planning Authority on 3rd September 2013. Alan Langton<br>Inspector