DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No.: 21/00656/B Applicant: Department Of Education, Sport And Culture Proposal: Erection of 2No mobile classrooms Site Address: Ballakermeen High School St Catherines Drive Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 4BE Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 20.07.2021 _________________________________________________________________

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.

• C 2. Notwithstanding the submitted plan, the mobile classroom will be externally finished in a dark green colour and retained as such. Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.
• C 3. The mobile classroom hereby approved may remain on site until no later than 31st July

1. After this date the area shall be returned to its previous condition and the mobile classroom removed from the site.

Reason: To ensure that the temporary school space provision does not become a permanent fixture on the site or a long-term solution, and to ensure that current educational needs are met.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Community Policy 5 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing no. 21/3096/01, 21/3096/02 as having been received on 7th June 2021. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the Ballakermeen High School, St Catherine's Drive, Douglas, a high school within a predominantly residential area of the town. The school is also accessible through Westminster Drive. - 1.2 The main school building sits towards Westminster Drive, with a large grassed sports field area on the southeast of the main building. To the south corner of the field, there are four existing single-storey outdoor classrooms. - 1.3 The southwest and southeast boundary is screened by tall hedges. - 1.4 The existing classrooms are approx. 19m to the boundary of the closest residential curtilage and approx. 30m to the closest dwelling.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the erection of two new mobile classroom at the south corner of the sports filed. The closest distance to neighbouring residential curtilage and dwelling remains unchanged. The applicant has stated that the hedges and trees nearby will not be effected.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 Erection of mobile classroom was APPROVED under PA 19/00629/B. Erection of a double mobile classroom was APPROVED under PA 10/00857/B. Both mobile classroom are along the southeast boundary of the site.

- 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 In terms of the local plan, the site is within an area designated as Buildings or Land for Civic, Cultural or Other Use (Secondary School) in the Area Plan for the East. - 4.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: - 4.3 General Policy 2 states: "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;

• (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; (i) does not have an unacceptable 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."

4.4 Community Policy 5 states: "Permission will generally be given for proposals to improve or extend existing schools and institutions of higher education and to build new schools, subject to their being sited and designed in accordance with other policies of this plan, having particular regard to the potential for community use of the buildings and the associated Open Space."

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Douglas Borough Council has not commented at the time of the report (25/06/2021). - 5.2 DoI Highway Services states there is no highway interest in this application (28/06/2021).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key considerations of this application are the principal for the proposal, its impact on neighbouring amenities and on the character of the area. - 6.2 The principle of the proposal is acceptable as it involves the provision of additional school facilities on a designated school site. - 6.3 The proposal is ancillary to the use of the school and is within its curtilage. Although only one road away from neighbouring residential properties on St Catherine's Close and St Catherine's Drive, there are hedges screening the site, the area is already being used for four mobile classrooms and all activities only took place during the daytime so the impact is considered acceptable. - 6.4 As the proposal is not visible from any public highway due to the existing hedges, the impact on the character of the area is considered acceptable. However, to be consistent with PA 19/00629/B and to maintain consistence appearance among the mobile classrooms. - 6.5 The number of mobile classrooms has starting to encroach further into the sports field. The same time limit set out in PA 19/00629/B will be conditioned to ensure that mobile class rooms is a temporary solution and encourage long term planning to solving the current shortage of indoor education space.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 and Community Policy 5 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval. - 8.0 INTEREST 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 which 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: 22.07.2021 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

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