Officer Planning Report Recommendations

Planning Report And Recommendations {{table:103649}} {{table:103650}} {{table:103651}} {{table:103652}} ### Considerations {{table:103653}} ### Written Representations ### Consultations {{table:103654}} ### Policy

Officer's Report

The site represents a small piece of land, approximately 10m by 7m opposite the Town Hall in Port St. Mary on the Promenade. The site used to accommodate shops with living accommodation above prior to the buildings being demolished.

The site is within an area designated as Existing Predominantly Tourist Accommodation on the 1982 Plan and Mixed Use (Residential/Retail/Tourism/Industry and Offices) on the emerging Port St. Mary Plan (although this is not likely to emerge further than the public inquiry which was held in 2001).

Previously, a planning application was submitted in respect of the site along with the land to the north east. PA 04/0389 was refused for the principle of the erection of (four) replacement dwellings. The refusal, confirmed on appeal, related to over-development of the site. Whilst the Inspector accepted that only limited amenity and car parking space was to be provided and included these as reasons for refusal, the Minister disagreed with this and reduced the reasons for refusal to be concerned only with over-development. The indicative plan at that time showed a four storey building occupying all of the site except for small yards at the rear.

Now proposed is the principle of a four storey building on half of the site with roughly the same footprint. The indicative drawing shows a building which is a little over 11m in height: that proposed previously was 15m in height and did not include integral garaging as this one does.

The floor layout shows the building would be sub-divided into one four bedroomed house: previously the scheme was for four dwellings. In essence the new scheme proposes a quarter as many dwellings but with a building with occupies almost the same footprint over half the site, but is 4m lower.

DoT and PSM have indicated that neither feels that the application should be refused although the DoT are concerned about parking standards.

It is difficult to see how else the site would be developed whilst still maintaining a mass of building which would be compatible with that of those around it. I feel that by reducing the scale of the building and reducing the number of dwellings to be occupied therein, these changes satisfactorily address the reasons for refusal of the previous scheme. There is only one parking space within the garage which is less than the prescribed one and a half spaces. However the provision of an additional space or half a space would result in all of the ground floor frontage being garaging which may not be complementary to the streetsce. There is a public car park next door and there are many buildings which have been converted to flats elsewhere on the Promenade where there is no on-site parking provided.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision: Permitted

Date of Recommendation: 25.05.2005

Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal

• : Notes attached to refusals

C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

C 2.

Decision Made : ... Committee Meeting Date : ...