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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Application No.: Applicant: Proposal : Site Address : 14/00709/B Department Of Education And Children Alterations to create an aerospace/precision engineering facility TTie Construction Crafts And Engineering Building Hills Meadow Industrial Estate Douglas Isle Of Man IMl 5EB Miss S E Corlett Case Officer: Photo Taken : Site Visit; Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Officer's Report THE SITE 1.1 The site is a piece of land which is just over an acre in area and which has a boundary with Pulrose Road of 80m, a frontage to Peel Road of 52m and a boundary with the industrial buildings to the south. Riverside Works, of 88m. The site is accessed from Peel Road via a sloping and twisting access road which is approximately 4.5m wide and leads on past the site to the rest of Hills Meadow industrial estate. 1.2 The existing building on the site has a distinctive roof profile of a series of four asymmetric pitched roofs within which is an engineering workshop with associated facilities and offices above on the first floor which extends over only part of the building. 1,3 The site is currently used for the Construction Craft and Engineering Workshops of the lOM College and also until recently the lOM Post Office for their IMS (Integrated Mailing Services). The lOM Post Office vacated earlier this year, THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed are works to the building including the following: enlargement of the ramped access into the northern elevation reduction in the width of the window alongside the access internal works to rearrange the workshops such that they are suitable for educational purposes no physical changes are being made to the first floor however the offices are to be changed to classrooms externally the existing finish is to be removed and what appears to be self coloured render applied in a red colour replacement rainwater goods and soffits to be installed throughout existing flues and railings on the north western corner of the building removed. 2.2 The use of the building will change from an engineering works to specifically an aerospace and precise facility operated by the Department of Education and Children. The existing building is owned and used by the Department of Economic Development (formerly Department of Trade and Industry). The intention of these works is to relocate the Construction Crafts centrally at the lOM College under a project which starts soon at the College, and then to create a new Aerospace Precision Engineering Facility providing 14 July 2014 14/00709/B Page 1 of 4

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educational and training support for the local aerospace and precision engineering industry. DEC and DED have been working for some time with the local industry to address this key strategic training need and the facility is planned to open for new students on 8th September this year. With regards to people coming to site, vehicles/trips and parking, the applicant considers that there will be no fundamental change in lOM College staffing/student training capacity at the site, but it is likely that as the lOM Post Office have moved off site there will, on opening, be fewer vehicles and trips generated and less requirement for parking on the site. PLANNING STATUS AND POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998 as Light Industrial. Hills Meadow contains a number of uses which do not fall comfortably into the light industrial class - for car repairs, scrap car dismantling and recycling and formerly a coal yard. The following definitions are relevant: "industrial building" means a building (other than a building in or adjacent to or belonging to a quarry or mine and other than a shop) used for the carrying on of any process, for or incidental to any of the following purposes, namely:- a) the making of any article or of part of any article; or b) the altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning, washing, packing or canning, or adapting for sale, or breaking up or demolition of any article; or c) without prejudice to the foregoing paragraphs, the getting, dressing or treatment of minerals; being a process carried on in the course of trade or business other than agriculture, and for the purposes of this definition the expression "article" means an article of any description, including a ship or vessel. Such buildings are sub-divided into light industrial, general industrial and special industrial buildings, each defined as follows: "light industrial building" means an industrial building (not being a special industrial building) in which the processes carried on or the machinery installed are such as could be carried on or installed in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of that area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit, or undue generation of traffic or parking of vehicles; the use of light industrial buildings for research and development of products or processes is permitted by the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2005. "general industrial building" means an industrial building other than a light industrial building ora special industrial building; "special industrial building" means an industrial building used for the carrying on of processes (including storage) which may be particularly offensive by reason of noise, smell, vibration, smoke, soot, ash, dust, grit, or fumes, or dangerous by reason of the storage or use of dangerous or inflammable material, or inimical to public health by reason of vermin or other causes. [Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007]. 3.2 The use of the site is not to change significantly: It Is presently a workshop and will remain so although there may be an increased focus upon education and training. 3.3 The trees at the front of the site onto Peel Road are Registered through being designated as Private Woodland on the local plan, The proposal does not involve any change to or impact on these trees. PLANNING HISTORY 14 July 2014 14/00709/B Page 2 of 4

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4.1 Planning approval has been granted for various alterations to the building and for signage and office and storage facilities, none of which is considered relevant to the current application. REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Manx Utilities Authority (Electricity) advises that there are existing electricity supplies within or near the site. They do not specify what or where. As such this is not considered to be a materia! planning issue to be referred to in the decision notice. 5.2 Douglas Corporation have no objection to the application. ASSESSMENT 6.1 The impact of the proposed works will be principally the change in the colour of the external render. The other proposed works are very minor in nature and will not change the character or appearance of the building. It is relevant that the site lies below the adjacent highways and one generally looks down towards the building other than when one is within Hills Meadow when the building is at the same level as the estate road, 6.2 Whilst the user will change, the use itself is not considered to be significantly different from the original training and education use and the facility will add to the diversity of skills available on the Island, which should provide further support to the economy and employment base here, 6,3 The works will smarten up a building which is currently a little tired and it is considered that the works proposed will improve the appearance of the site and comply with the relevant policies applicable to this development. 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. 7.3 Manx Utilities Authority (Electricity) does not raise material planning issues and as such should not be afforded interested person status. Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.07,2014 Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal 14 July 2014 14/00709/B Page 3 of 4

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0 : 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. To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Reason: Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. This approval relates to Drawings P-01, P'02, P-03, P-04, P-05, P-06 and P-07 all received on 10th June, 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 : Permittej Date : Determining ofTiceivurelei ppropriate) Signed :... Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer Signed ... SaratKI^Iett S^ior Planning Officer Signed :... Michael Galla' DirectorSfPlanning and Building Control Heatfof Development Management Signed : Jennifer. nee 14 July 2014 14/00709/B Page 4 of 4