16 July 2024 · Planning Committee (signed by J CHANCE, Director of Planning and Building Control)
Field 434113, Douglas Road, Ballasalla, Isle Of Man, IM9 2bb
The proposal involves three pole-mounted solar PV trackers, each comprising 36 panels (total 65.52 sqm per tracker, producing 50,989 kWh/year), with maximum heights varying from 3.5m flat to 6.6m when tracking the sun at 70 degrees, plus a 7.4x2.75m data centre container, 3.7x2.7m WC container (both clad in natural tim…
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The officer concluded that 'the environmental benefits of the proposed scheme outweigh the limited identified harm to the countryside' due to screening by hedges, trees, mound, and distance decay, wit…
Environment Policy 4
Requires alternative energy developments like solar judged against environmental policies. Officer assessed proposal complies as environmental benefits (CO2 reduction, net zero) outweigh limited countryside harm, with small scale (0.49ha), screening, and no significant effects.
Environment Policy 2
Presumes against adverse countryside impact. Officer found limited harm from 6.6m trackers screened by hedges/trees/mound, absorbed into landscape, not dominating views, justifying approval on balance with renewable benefits.
Environment Policy 1
Protects countryside for its own sake. Proposal in high landscape value area but minimal adverse visual impact due to setback, vegetation, scale; no significant harm to character.
Transport Policy 4
Access from road network. Existing driveway suitable per Highways, no safety impact.
Transport Policy 10
No compromise to airport safety. No comments from Ronaldsway, deemed acceptable.
Environment Policy 24 - Pollution sensitive development
EIA/supporting info for significant effects. Not required (<0.5ha, solar not listed, turbine deleted); PEAR/Glint/Screening sufficient, no significant effects.
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 erection of the solar trackers details of the colour and finish of the stem and solar PV panels shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and retained thereafter.
25-year time limit on electricity export
The applicant shall notify DEFA Planning in writing of the date of the first export of electricity generated by the site. Operations for the export of electricity using the equipment installed on the site as hereby approved, shall be time limited for a period of 25 years, only.
Decommissioning
If the 3 No. solar trackers, data centre and WC, hereby approved, become redundant or are no longer in operational use, they must be removed from the site within three months of their last use.
No additional development
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2012 (or any Order revoking and/or re-enacting that Order with or without modification), no plant, equipment, structure, garage, car port, gate, fence, wall, or other means of enclosure, or hardstanding area shall be erected or installed within the curtilage of the application site hereby approved, other than that expressly authorised by this approval, without the prior written approval of the Department.
Lizard protection
Prior to the commencement of any development on the site a Precautionary Working Method Statement for common lizards shall be submitted to and approved in writing by DEFA Planning. The development shall not be commenced until all the requirements of the approved Precautionary Working Method Statement have been implemented.
WC cladding
Within 3 months of the date of this planning permission, the WC container structure, hereby permitted, shall be clad in wooden, vertical cladding to match that applied to the exterior of the retained Data Centre structure. Thereafter, the wooden cladding attached to both structures shall be retained and maintained for the lifetime of the development.
Electricity export after dwelling completion
The development, hereby approved, shall not first export electricity until the replacement dwelling approved by PA 17/01076/B (and by subsequent implementation of approvals of PA Refs: 18/00197/B and 23/01498/B), has been substantially completed.
Use solely for approved dwelling
The development, hereby approved, shall be used solely to serve the completed replacement dwelling approved by PA 17/01076/B (and by subsequent implementation of approvals of PA Refs: 18/00197/B and 23/01498/B).
Lighting details
Prior to the construction of any of the development, hereby permitted, all details of any external illumination and/or security lighting to be applied to the buildings surfaces or at ground level around the site, and/or installed along the access drive leading from it to the replacement dwelling, shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by DEFA Planning. Thereafter, any such lighting shall be installed prior to the development being first occupied and shall thereafter be retained and maintained at all times.
no objections to the proposal
no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking, access suitable
no objection now wind turbine removed, content with March 2024 PEAR, request lizard condition
no issues with proposal as switched alternative to network, provided meets BS7671
DEFA Ecosystem Policy Team initially objected due to lack of bat surveys for the wind turbine but later withdrew objection after turbine removal, recommending a lizard precautionary method; Highways and Malew Parish had no objections; Manx Utilities raised gas pipeline and electr…
Key concern: lack of bat surveys and collision risk from wind turbine proximity to bat flyways and habitats
Highway Services HDC
No ObjectionAfter reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking, due to it being an existing driveway, as the access is suitable for the proposals and the turbine is relatively small to be delivered.
Malew Parish Commissioners
No ObjectionMalew Parish Commissioners have no objections to the following Planning Applications... 23/01364/B
Manx Utilities
Conditional No Objectiona Quantitative Risk Assessment will need to be undertaken to consider loading on the pipeline both during and after construction; Manx Utilities requests that the applicant clarifies whether it is their intention to run a totally separate system... or whether it is intended to run as a switched alternative; drawing 3... appears to include a building/object with reference "H2", but with no further details
Conditions requested: Quantitative Risk Assessment to consider loading on gas pipeline during and after construction; clarification on electricity system and compliance with Engineering Recommendations G99 and G100 if connecting to network; details on H2 building and its use; grid disconnection application if fully off-grid
DEFA Ecosystem Policy Team
Conditional No ObjectionA precautionary approach is recommended for free standing micro-turbines and it is the Ecosystem Policy Teams recommendation that they should not be located within 30-50m of known bat flyways; The Ecosystem Policy Team currently object to this application because of the lack of bat survey effort.
Conditions requested: Wardell Armstrong to provide details of UK guidance followed; exact measurements between turbine and surrounding habitat features; bat activity surveys to determine if hedges are bat flyways
DEFA Ecosystem Policy Team
Conditional No ObjectionThe Ecosystem Policy Team can confirm that we have no objection to this application in regards to potential impacts on bats, now that the wind turbine has been removed.; Should this application be approved we request that a condition is secured for no works to commence unless a Precautionary Working Method Statement for common lizards has been submitted
Conditions requested: no works to commence unless a Precautionary Working Method Statement for common lizards has been submitted to Planning and approved in writing
Manx Utilities Gas
Conditional No Objectionconstruction of access roads/crossing points across gas pipelines should ideally be perpendicular to the pipeline to minimise the length of pipeline exposed to increased risk; The current design indicates the access road is in-line with and directly over the gas pipeline which is contrary to the perpendicular principle.
Conditions requested: Quantitative Risk Assessment to assess loading impact on pipeline; easement agreement requires written approval before material changes; completion of QRA process and agreed protective measures
Arborfield Douglas Road
Objectionthe noise would continue twenty four hours every day, every year- indefinitely for Arborfield; What plans does the applicant have for producing hydrogen at the site? Can planning ascertain what is to be proposed and how safe this would be; The proposed development will have a detrimental impact on our property and amenity due to the change of purpose from agricultural to industrial
Conditions requested: independent background noise survey and noise modelling accounting for wind directions; Environmental Impact Survey for bats
