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15/00200/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 15/00200/B Applicant : Manx Utilities Proposal : Erection of a detached substation Site Address : Meary Veg Sewage Treatment Works Balnahowe Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HL
Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level :
Officer Delegation
Officer’s Report
THE SITE 1.1 The site is the curtilage of the Meary Veg sewage treatment facility to the south east of the steam railway line in Santon. The site is accessed by a minor, single track road which leads from the Old Castletown Road (A25) at Oatlands past two farm dwellings associated with Meary Veg Farm (Withaney and Thie ny Hawin) and the entrance to Ballaquiggin Farm buildings (which have been the subject of two applications for redevelopment into a single dwelling (PAs 07/2361 and 12/0397) which can be seen from the access into the Meary Veg Sewage Treatment site. Access from the minor road is via a private road which is mainly single track with passing places, which is also a public footpath. The footpath leads from the minor road (which is also part of the Raad ny Foillan long distance footpath system) up to The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority (IOMWSA) offices (the former Balnahowe farmhouse) and turns south before splitting into two routes - one leading down past the sewage treatment facilities to join the Raad ny Foillan on the coast, and the other leading south towards Meary Voar before turning west towards Arragon House.
1.2 The topography of the site is that there is a general slope downward from the office buildings towards the coast, with a dip midway between the coast and the offices around the point where the proposed structures are to be located, before rising again with the existing sewage treatment buildings to the north east of the footpath. To the south east of the edge of the site are the Isle of Man Clay Pigeon Shooting Club facilities.
1.3 The site has old, traditional farm buildings at the north western end, which have been converted to the offices and facilities for the Manx Utilities Authority. To the south east of these buildings are the sewage treatment facilities - a collection of agricultural-style clad large span buildings, silo-like structures and surface level tanks. The site is 430m in length at its longest point and 234m wide.
1.4 The site and its buildings are readily visible from the footpath running alongside the site. The site is visible in parts from the Raad ny Foillan to the north, at field gate entrances: the main footpath is bounded by dense bramble hedges which are generally too high to see above or through. At the time of the first site visit there was no sound emitting from the site. On the second site visit there was a low sound (like a dryer or distant aeroplane engine noise) emitted from the existing sludge treatment buildings alongside the footpath.
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15/00200/B
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THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the erection of an electricity substation which is required to power the boilers associated with the sludge drying facilities approved under PA 14/00578/B. The substation will be positioned alongside and to the north west of the approved sludge drying facilities which sit to the north east of the footpath and lane which run along the south western boundary of the overall site.
2.2 The building will be single storey with a footprint of 12.7m by 7.2m and a height of 4.2m. The adjacent sludge tank is 12m high and the sludge drying building over 11.5m high. The sub station will be finished in white painted render and the roof in dark coloured tiles.
PLANNING STATUS AND POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Order 1982 as of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance. Following a Development Order in 1995, the site was designated as a site for Sewage Disposal Works within a wider area of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance.
3.2 As such, the proposed development complies with the land use designation of the site and should be subject to the considerations in General Policy 2:
"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; d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses; 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; m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them".
PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The sewage treatment facilities were initially approved under PA 99/0845. Subsequent to this, applications have been submitted and approved for the installation of a mezzanine floor and staircase to an existing tractor store (PA 05/0510), installation of an additional cake silo (PA 01/0208), the construction of a concrete base as a foundation for the installation of an oil;/water separation unit (PA 07/0593) and the increase in the height of an existing storage silo (PA 07/1504).
4.2 Planning permission was also recently granted for the erection of a sludge storage development alongside the proposed new drier - PA 14/00578/B.
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 There are no submissions on file at the time of writing.
ASSESSMENT
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15/00200/B
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6.1 The proposed building is very modest compared with the buildings alongside which it will sit and all of the planting between the building and the footpath which was part of the proposal for the sludge drying facilities will remain. As such, the visual impact of the proposed building is very slight and considered acceptable. The substation is required for the operation of facilities on the site, which are required in the national interest and as such the application is recommended for approval.
PARTY STATUS 7.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant’s agent; (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material; (d) The Highways Division of the Department; and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 25.03.2015
Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : 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.
Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
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This approval relates to drawings C-0110, C-0111, C-0112, C-0113, C-0114, C-0115 and C- 0116 all received on 24th February, 2015.
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.
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15/00200/B
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Decision Made : Permitted Date : 25.03.2015
Determining officer (delete as appropriate)
Signed :... Chris Balmer
Senior Planning Officer
Signed :... Sarah Corlett
Senior Planning Officer
Signed :...M GALLAGHER..
Michael Gallagher
Director of Planning and Building Control
Signed :... Jennifer Chance
Head of Development Management
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