9 July 2024 · Planning Committee
Doi Pillar, Glen Road, Laxey, Isle Of Man, IM4 7qr
Flood Management Division of the Department of Infrastructure applied to replace and raise informal flood defences along the north bank of the Laxey River from near the New Laxey Bridge to Braeside, covering about 350m and protecting properties including Lewins Cottage, Digby House, and others.
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The principle of development is acceptable as it replaces existing flood defences protecting residential properties prone to flooding, responding to past events like the 2019 flood.
Strategic Policy 3 - To respect the character of our towns and villages
Requires protecting or enhancing town/village character using local materials. Assessed as compliant via conditioned materials to assimilate walls into Conservation Area surroundings.
Strategic Policy 4
Protects Conservation Areas and nature conservation, avoids environmental pollution. Proposal enhances flood protection while mitigating ecology impacts via conditions.
General Policy 2
Requires development to respect site/surroundings, avoid adverse impacts on landscape, habitats, flooding risk. Flood defences respect residential zoning, mitigate flood risk with limited ecological harm via conditions.
Environment Policy 5
Mitigation for developments affecting ENV4 sites via conditions/planning agreements for habitat replacement. Directly applied through conditioned habitat mitigation plan.
Environment Policy 35
Permits only development preserving/enhancing Conservation Area character. Materials conditioning ensures sympathetic design despite raised wall heights.
Time limit
The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.
Materials approval
Prior to the commencement of any works of construction for the development hereby approved, details and samples of the surface finish for all works, including facing stones and coping stones for the flood defence walls, above river level shall be submitted to and approved in writing by DEFA Planning. Thereafter, the works shall be implemented using the approved materials.
Seasonal works restriction
Any works to the watercourse bank and channel are restricted to the period July to September (inclusive).
Fish disturbance method statement
Prior to the commencement of any works of construction for the development hereby approved, a written method statement outlining measures to minimise disturbance to fish shall be submitted to and approved in writing by DEFA Planning. The works shall then be carried out in accordance with the approved details.
Habitat mitigation plan
No works of development on site shall commence prior to the submission of a habitat mitigation plan, written by a suitably qualified ecological consultancy, has been provided to DEFA Planning and approved in writing. The plan should contain details of propionate habitat replacement works, alongside a timetable for implementation. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.
no objection providing conditions met for seasonal works and method statements to protect fish
DEFA Biodiversity objects in principle due to flaws in the Ecological Impact Assessment and requests detailed mitigation plans; other consultees including DEFA Fisheries, Manx National Heritage, and Garff Commissioners raise ecological and aesthetic concerns but support the flood protection works with conditions.
Key concern: Flaws in Ecological Impact Assessment and unmitigated habitat loss (DEFA Biodiversity)
DEFA Biodiversity
Conditional No ObjectionThe Ecosystem Policy Team do not object to these works in-principle. However, we do not believe that adequate environmental consideration has yet gone into the proposals; details of proportionate mitigation need to be provided prior to determination of the application
Conditions requested: No works to commence unless a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), consulted on with a suitably qualified ecological consultancy, has been submitted to Planning and approved in writing. The CEMP will need to include: details of a suitably qualified Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW); measures for protection of river ecosystem and Laxey Bay MNR (pollution/sedimentation prevention); measures for nesting birds (timescales, pre-removal checks); light pollution prevention; invasive species control/eradication; bankside habitat protection (exclusion areas); measures if frogs found.; No works to commence unless a habitat mitigation plan, written by a suitably qualified ecological consultancy, has been provided to Planning and approved in writing. The plan should contain details of proportionate habitat replacement works, alongside a timetable for implementation.
Manx National Heritage
Conditional No Objectionwe wondered if it may be possible to construct a wall from the landward side of the existing wall; this would avoid the loss of riparian biodiversity; Development which would cause demonstrable harm to a watercourse... will not be permitted. Where development is proposed which would affect a watercourse, planning applications must comply with the following criteria: (a) all watercourses... identified... (b) details of pollution... (c) all engineering works... phased... (d) development will not normally be allowed within 8 metres of any watercourse
DEFA Fisheries
Conditional No ObjectionDEFA Fisheries has no objection to this proposal providing the following conditions are met
Conditions requested: Any works to the watercourse bank and channel are restricted to the period July to September (inclusive); Works are conducted according to written method statements agreed in advance with the Inland Fisheries Section of the DEFA Fisheries Directorate
Garff Commissioners
Conditional No ObjectionThe construction of the new flood wall defences along this section was welcomed; concrete wall would appear out of character when viewed from the public pathway on the opposite bank of the river
Conditions requested: The Commissioners request that this section has a stone finish on the riverside of the wall
2 Glen Road (private resident)
Objectionwithout any details there should be absolutely no consent for any works on this wall; concrete coping is totally inappropriate
Conditions requested: All the wall whether concrete block or slab should be covered in Manx stone, traditionally laid i.e. the existing stone which is to be taken down should be used to face the new wall on the river side; Traditional stone facing on both sides of the wall which serve a public recreational area should be essential
