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                                                 15/01258/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 15/01258/B Applicant : Castletown Town Commissioners Proposal : Alterations and extension to Civic Centre (comprising amendments to PA 15/00569/B) Site Address : Castletown Civic Centre 1 Farrants Way Castletown Isle of Man IM9 1NR

Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

PRELIMINARIES This application proposes modifications to an already approved scheme, PA 15/00569 approved on 24.08.15. The modifications are listed at paragraph 2.3.

THE SITE 1.1 The site is the curtilage of the existing civic centre of Castletown, housing the offices of Castletown Town Commissioners, the library, public toilets. When the offices are open there is pedestrian access through the building from Farrant's Way to Arbory Street. The site shares vehicular access to parking spaces to the rear of Manannan House and the bank alongside which are outwith the application site. The site accommodates a number of car parking spaces within the site.

1.2 The building is a relatively new one, approved in 1987 and is mainly rendered with different styles of window, including bays and a slated roof.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is an extension to the building to provide facilities to which the library is to be relocated. The reason for this is so that the existing library space can be released to the police who will relocate from the corner of The Quay and Castle Street and this is also part of the current application.

2.2 The extension will be in the central part of the building, building out into the space which currently provides external space to the public toilets which will be repositioned and accessed from the inside of the building. The extension is two storey, finished in render, glass and stone with a rendered column with a clock face within it on the front of the building which faces Farrant's Way. The extension does not significantly extend the footprint beyond the area already occupied by buildings or pedestrian space. At the moment, the public toilets are closed at 5pm Monday to Friday, and open at weekends until 5pm, unless there is a special event, and they are closed later on in the evening. In the new development, it is intended that they will still remain accessible as the inner sliding doors can be locked to prevent access to the Town Hall, but access to toilets still available, as currently in force. During the development, the inside toilets will be available as now. Toilets suitable for disabled users are accessible with a key at all times.

2.3 The changes from the approved scheme include the omission of two lantern lights above the stone clad porch on the elevation facing onto Farrant's Way, and instead the insertion of three rooflights. Also, on the elevation facing into the courtyard two rows of roof glazing are to be

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replaced with eight rooflights. Beneath this the glazing arrangement is to be changed slightly and the door reduced in height.

2.4 The building is described as being in need of refurbishment and repair in some places and the Commissioners would also like to improve access for the disabled including access to the first floor board room which is included in the application within the building.

2.5 One parking space within the site is to be reserved for the police and a further three provided within the George Paddock on the corner of Queen Street and Farrant's Way. Currently the police have four to five parking spaces available opposite the existing police station on the corner of The Quay and Castle Street. These parking spaces will be lost if the approved proposals to convert the former benefits office to a cafe are implemented (PAs 15/00627/GB and 00628/CON) although those proposals involved the reservation of four spaces on The Quay to compensate for those lost in the creation of the cafe and outside seating.

2.5 They consider that as the police station is being relocated and the reserved spaces alongside the benefits office will be released to other users if the police relocate, there will be no impact on the car parking requirements and provision within the town.

PLANNING STATUS AND POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 as Mixed Use and within the town's Conservation Area. As such, there is a requirement for development to preserve or enhance the Area as set out in Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01. The use is compatible with the land use designation of the site so the general standards of development as set out in General Policy 2 are also applicable.

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 PA 15/00569/B proposed alterations and extensions to the building which are largely the same as those now proposed.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services indicate that they do not oppose the application as originally submitted (26.06.15).

5.2 Castletown Commissioners indicate that they have no objections to the application (03.06.15).

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issues in this case are whether the proposal will preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area and whether the inclusion of the police station facilities in the former library will create an additional parking demand which can be satisfactorily met within the surrounding area. The scheme is very similar to a previously approved one and as such, the principle, use and general form of the proposed changes are still considered to be acceptable. The rooflights have a traditional appearance as shown in the applicant's additional information received on 1st December, 2015.

6.2 The changes to the building will result in additional mass and features but nothing which will significantly change the appearance of what is an obviously modern building within a much older surrounding streetscene on the Arbory Street side. It is considered that there are no objections to the scheme in terms of the visual impact of the proposed changes.

6.3 The police station is already within the town centre and importantly is within the same zone as the Civic Centre for the purposes of the Amey Report on Castletown Town Centre Parking Study and Parking Policy Development Options published in February, 2013. This study found in very basic terms, that there are sufficient spaces available to accommodate the existing situation but in the future, by 2017 there may be shortages, particularly within the town centre area and The Crofts, Malew Street, Hope Street, Bridge Street/Douglas Street and College Green at peak times of Friday

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evening, Saturday day and Saturday evenings (paragraph 5.6.1). Whilst the provision of adequate parking is essential in these areas, it is particularly relevant that within the same zone, a use will be relocating with those four spaces which it previously had available released for other users and four existing spaces will be allocated to this purpose. As the spaces are all within convenient walking distance of the town centre shops and as such, it is not considered that there would be a significant impact on car parking from the relocation of the police station to the application site. Whilst the additional floor space created would normally result in a requirement for additional spaces, as the site is in the town centre with a pay and display car park and on site and public car parks in very close proximity, it is not considered that the scheme as a whole results in such an impact on car parking as would justify refusal of the application.

6.4 In summary, the proposal is considered to be acceptable, will enhance the public facilities in the town and will not adversely affect car parking provision and is therefore recommended for approval. It is considered appropriate to attach a condition to ensure that the public toilets are no less accessible than are they currently.

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, in this case Department of Infrastructure Highway Services and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 15.12.2015

Conditions and Notes for Approval: C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

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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C 2. The public toilets must be available between 0900hrs and 1700hrs on any day.

Reason: In the interests of public amenity.

This approval relates to drawings SP1, PA2B, PA4 and PA5 all received on 17th November, 2015.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 17.12.2015

Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Senior Planning Officer

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