DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/00118/C Applicant: Department Of Infrastructure Transport Services Proposal: Additional use of existing parking spaces for the parking of five minibuses Site Address: Bunscoill Rhumsaa Lezayre Road Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 2PA Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.03.2021 _________________________________________________________________

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 be in accordance with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 in that no unacceptable visual, residential amenity, highways or other impacts were identified.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on

• 01.02.2021:

Site Location Plan Block Plan Traffic Movement Plan Supporting Documents _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS IT DOES NOT ACCORD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN BUT IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the grounds of Bunscoill Rhumsaa, a primary school in Ramsey on Lezayre Road. The application specifically relates to a car park to the rear (north) of the site and areas near the southern and western boundaries. There are residential areas to the north and west, and another school to the east. - 1.2 The site is not within a Conservation Area or close to any Registered Building.

- 2.0 THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The current application seeks approval for the additional use of the school grounds for the parking of up to five minibuses outside of operational school hours. - 2.2 Included within the application is a statement from the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) which states that the minibuses form part of 'bus vannin' although are operated separately to the 'big bus' section. In total the minibus section operated 33 vehicles ranging between 9 - 16 seats. These minibuses offer services to DESC, DHSC for the transport of school children and students to various sites across the Island, along with adult and elderly patient transfers, the minibuses also provide a commercial service to the Sea Terminal and a demand service to the North. The vehicles are generally out all day but there may be some days when they are not required and could be parked all day. There will be no requirement to wash, maintain or refuel the vehicles at the site. - 2.3 The use is ongoing and the application seeks to regularise the parking of the minibuses on this site.

- 3.0 PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site falls within an area designated as a Primary School in the Ramsey Local Plan

1. As such, General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan is the key policy in the consideration of this application.

3.2 General Policy 2 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:

• b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape;

• 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 unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan;

• m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and
• n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption.

- 4.0 PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 There have been a number of similar applications submitted for the additional use of sites across the Island for the parking of DOI minibuses, those considered materially relevant to this application are:

• PA 18/00813/C - parking of two minibuses at Foxdale School

• o PA 18/00810/C - parking of three minibuses at Marown School
• o PA 18/00815/C - parking of four minibuses at Braddan School
• o PA 18/00811/C - parking of two minibuses at Kirk Michael School

4.2 18/00811/C is of particular relevance. This application was initially approved, with a subsequent appeal being upheld by the planning inspector. The inspector considered the visual impact of the minibuses on the character and appearance of Kirk Michael Conservation Area and the impact on the safety and amenity of school users, including pupils, to be key considerations. They also concluded that the use of the school for the parking of minibuses for uses other than solely in connection with the school, constituted a change of use.

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 DOI Highways state that they not oppose this application (23.02.21). - 5.2 Ramsey Town Commissioners have no objection to the application (22.02.21).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key considerations in the assessment of this planning application are:

• o The Principle of the Use
• o Visual Impact
• o Highway and Parking
• o Residential Amenity
• o Impact on the existing School Use

6.2 Principle of the Use

• 6.2.1 The minibuses are intended to serve a range of purposes and are not specifically for use by the school, although will provide services to The Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC), which operates the Island's schools and the University College Isle of Man and The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) which includes healthcare as well as social services for adults and for children and families. Alongside this the minibuses will also provide an on demand commercial service to the general public and ports services. The minibuses are to be located at various sites across the Island and within close proximity to the route which they will likely serve and in reasonable distance from their driver's home. This operation is likely to reduce the need for long journeys (both staff and vehicles) and expected to help create a more sustainable and energy efficient process.
• 6.2.2 The school car parks to the rear of the school buildings and parking areas to the front and side of the site are all shown on the submitted site plan as proposed minibus parking zones. These car parks are used primarily for staff parking and parents. There is a one way access system encircling the school building.
• 6.2.3 PA 18/00811/C is considered as material in the assessment of this application and is outlined in 4.2 of this report. In considered the appeal, the planning inspector concluded that whilst the use of school parking spaces to serve Bus Vannin operational needs was 'partially in accordance with the land use designation' as a school, the greater part of the use would not accord with this designation.
• 6.2.4 Accounting for the above, it is considered that the use of the school parking areas by Bus Vannin as an operating centre for minibuses serving a variety of needs off-site, is a material change of use of the site. For this reason, the proposal does not accord with the Primary School land use designation as per the Ramsey Local Plan and is therefore at odds

with the Development Plan - of which the Local Plan forms a part. The impacts of the use proposed must be considered in detail and balanced against the lack of accordance with the Development Plan, as discussed below.

6.3 Visual Impact

• 6.3.1 The school car parking to the rear is not readily visible from Lezayre Road and public view. The parking areas to the side and front are partially visible although partly screened by trees to the boundary.
• 6.3.2 As noted above, the site is not within any Conservation Area and is not within the setting of any registered building.

• 6.3.2 The school buildings are all modern and relatively functional in appearance, not considered to be of any particular architectural merit within the street scene. The parking of up to 5 minibuses within the site would have a limited impact on the appearance of this large school complex and would not unacceptably harm the character and appearance of the site or the Lezayre Road street scene.

6.4 Highways and Parking

• 6.4.1 The proposal does not result in any changes to the existing site access arrangements and the buses would be parked within the confines of the existing parking areas so as to reduce any obstructions to vehicles moving through the site. While traffic coming into and out of the site may marginally increase (resulting from an expected maximum of 10 additional vehicle movements per day) this is not expected to result in any detriment or adverse impacts on general traffic flows or highway safety. The site accesses are used by school buses each schoolday and it is considered that they would comfortably accommodate the minibuses.

• 6.4.2 For the above reasons, the proposal is considered to accord with General Policy 2 (h&i).

6.5 Residential Amenity

• 6.5.1 As noted above, the proposal will have a likely impact in increasing activity on the site including during hours outside of normal school days/times. The proposed use of the parking areas would be for the overnight parking of up to five minibuses only. There would be some noise from the vehicles and bus driver's personal vehicles when the buses arrive and leave. This would not be significant however relative to the primary use of the site as a school and the level of activity and noise which the primary use brings to the area.

6.5.2 With regard to residential amenity, the proposal would accord with General Policy 2 (g). 6.6 Safety and amenity of site users 6.6.1 The parking area is not controlled and access can be achieved at all times, the parking of the minibuses is not expected to cause any community safety issues, and minibuses parked here would be done so at the applicants own risk.

• 6.6.2 When operational, the minibuses would increase the level of vehicular activity on the site as discussed above. The applicant seeks to use the site for overnight parking outside of school hours however. Given the existing nature of the parking areas and daily usage of the site by school buses, staff cars and parents collecting and dropping off pupils, the additional risk to safety of site users would be considered minimal and in accordance with General Policy 2 (m).
• 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposal would provide a local operating centre for the overnight parking of up to five minibuses. No significant concerns in relation to visual, amenity, highways or safety impacts have been identified. The proposal is considered to accord with General Policy 2 of the IOMSP.

7.2 The partial change of use of the site, whilst not strictly in accordance with the land use designation, would not result in any unacceptable impacts as set out above. For this reason, the proposal is recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

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 confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 29.03.2021

Signed : N SALT Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).

Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below

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