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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 20/01292/C Applicant : Dean Wood Estate Agents Proposal : Change of use from retail (class 1.1) to an estate agents (class 1.2) Site Address : 60 Parliament Street Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 1AJ

Planning Officer: Mrs Vanessa Porter Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 11.01.2021 __

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to comply with Business Policy 1 and 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 17th November 2020: o Drawing No. 001 o Drawing No. 002 o Drawing No. 100 o Drawing No. 115 o Images of doors showing proposed flood defences. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

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THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is 60 Parliament Street which is a property within the main Ramsey Town Centre. The property is two storeys and situated between a three storey building and a four storey building.

1.2 To the ground floor level is a pedestrian cut through (Collins Lane) which runs directly past the property and acts as a passage from Parliament Street to West Quay.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to change the use of the existing retail unit (class 1.1) into an estate agents (class 1.2)

PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The previous planning applications are not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application.

PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Mixed Use, Town Centre on the Ramsey Local Plan 1998, Map 2. The Ramsey Local Plan 1998 written statement has a policy which is relevant R/TC/P1 which states, "There will be a general presumption in favour of retention of retail uses at ground floor level in the main shopping streets (Peel Street, Bourne Place, Market Hill, Market Place, (West), Parliament Street (excluding Auckland Terrace), East Street, Parliament Square (East Side). Office uses (including finance related establishments) at ground floor level will not be permitted to occupy more than 30% of the street frontage in any one block between public and vehicular highways in these streets".

4.2 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 has a number of policies which are relevant to this application, Business Policy 1 and Transport Policy 7.

4.3 Strategic Policy 9 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 states, "All new retail development (excepting neighbourhood shops and those instances identified in Business Policy 5) and all new office development (excepting corporate headquarters suitable for a business park(1) location) must be sited within the town and village centres on land zoned for these purposes in Area Plans, whilst taking into consideration Business Policies 7 and 8."

4.4 Business Policy 1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 states, "The growth of employment opportunities throughout the Island will be encouraged provided that development proposals accord with the policies of this Plan."

4.5 Business Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 states, "New office floor space should be located within town and village centres on land which is zoned for the purpose on the appropriate area plan; exceptionally, permission may be given for new office space (a) on approved Business Parks for Corporate Headquarters which do not involve day to day callers; or (b) in buildings of acknowledged architectural or historic interest for which office use represents the only or most appropriate practicable and economic way of securing future use, renovation and maintenance.

4.6 Transport Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan states, "The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards.' The standard in respect of town centre residential development is one car parking space per each one-bedroom flat and two spaces per each two-bedroom flats but this can be relaxed when having regard to: (a) the location of the housing relative to public transport, employment, and public amenities; (b) the size of the dwelling;

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(c) any restriction on the nature of the occupancy (such as sheltered housing); and (d) the impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area"

4.7 Also relevant is General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 which states in part, "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: (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"

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services have considered the proposal and state the following, "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services find it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network efficiency and/ or parking. (11.12.20).

5.2 Ramsey Town Commissioners have considered the proposal and have no objection (21.12.20).

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The fundamental issue to consider in this case would be whether there would be any adverse impact to the vitality of the town centre from the change of use of the premises from a retail unit to an estate agents and whether there would be any impact with regards to flood risks.

6.2 Under the new Town and Country Planning (Changes of Use) Development (No.2) Order 2019 the existing use would fall under Class 1.1 (Shops) and the proposed new use would fall within Class 1.2 (Financial and professional services)

6.3 However, the Town and Country Planning (Changes of Use) Development (No 2) Order 2019 includes Class 1 (Change of use to shops, financial and services or food and drink), which allows for, "The change of use of a building which is located within an area specified in Schedule 2 from a use - (a) falling within Use Classes ... 1.1 (Shops).. to a use falling within Use Classes 1. 2 (Financial and professional services)..." This is subject to the condition, "No customer shall be permitted to remain within the relevant building or land after 9pm on any day".

6.4 Therefore, the proposal would fall within the new Town and Country Planning (Changes of Use) Development (No 2) Order 2019.

6.5 Due to the location of the property it is within a flood risk zone and as such there needs to be some type of flood defences. The agent has given details of the flood defences that are to be put in place if there is any flooding, which are Floodshield's to both the front door (Parliament Street) and rear door (Lane adjacent to Quayside), both Floodshield's are acceptable forms of flood defences for the proposed use of the site.

6.6 With regards to parking the proposed use will not alter the parking provisions which would be required. There are several parking areas within walking distance to the property and it is on a bus route, as such additional parking isn't required.

CONCLUSION 7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with Business Policy 1 and 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable.

INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

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8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

8.2 The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 12.01.2021

Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

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