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The site represents the curtilage of Knock Rushen House, a detached substantial house standing at the southern end of Queen Street. The house falls within an area designated as Residential on the Castletown Local Plan adopted by Tynwald in 1991. The garden to the south west is designated as Private Woodland although there are not many trees on the site.
The site has previously been the subject of a number of applications for the site:
Now proposed is the principle of the conversion of the existing building into 6 apartments. The indicative sketch included suggests that the building would accommodate two flats per floor. 12 parking spaces are shown to the south west of the house. No changes are proposed to the existing access into the site.
The two recent applications for the conversion of the building to apartments (12) includes as the reason for refusal, given at review, the following:
"The proposed development would result in an increase in traffic using Queen Street/Scarlett Road; this road is, in parts, narrow and there are dwellings immediately adjacent to the carriageway; the increase in traffic would constitute a danger to existing residents". A note was added following the applicant's offer to install traffic calming measures: "Whilst the Committee notes the applicant's suggestion that the speed of traffic could be controlled by the installation of traffic claming measures, there is no indication of what this would entail and as such, is no way the Committee could judge whether such measures would be sympathetic to the Conservation Area in which some part of Queen Street lies, or indeed that such measures would be acceptable in terms of the impact on the residential properties nearby".
The increase in traffic from 6 apartments rather than 12 would of course be less. However this would be greater than than generated by the dwelling occupied as one property. I have had two meetings with an elderly couple who are interested in purchasing the property and to live in it as a single dwelling.
There are objections from Castletown Commissioners, DoT who are concerned at the visibility available to drivers of vehicles emerging from the site. This was not raised previously by them as an objection - check this on site.
Objections have also been received from Castletown Heritage, 2 local residents and comments have been received from the Water Authority and the DAO.
The visibility for drivers of vehicles emerging from the site is good towards Castletown but obscured by the stone wall pillar and hedging. Due to the alignment of the walling, the removal or re-positioning of the pillar and wall would not help this much as the entrance is on the outside of the curve of the road. Unfortunately this has not been mentioned previously but should not be ignored.
Recommended Decision: Refused
Date of Recommendation: 10.08.2005
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
R 1.
Whilst this proposal for the conversion of the building to six apartments represents a decrease in the number of apartments proposed in the previous application, PA 04/2404, the proposed development would still result in an increase in traffic using Queen Street/Scarlett Road; this road is, in parts, narrow and there are dwellings immediately adjacent to the carriageway; the increase in traffic would constitute a danger to existing residents. Whilst traffic calming measures could be introduced to attempt to reduce traffic speed this would not affect the amount of traffic using Queen Street and in any case there is no indication of what this would entail and as such, is no way the Committee could judge whether such measures would be sympathetic to the Conservation Area in which some part of Queen Street lies, or indeed that such measures would be acceptable in terms of the impact on the residential properties nearby.
R 2.
It is also noted that visibility for drivers emerging from the site and looking towards Scarlett is inadequate to serve the increase in traffic which would result from this development.
Decision Made : Refuse Committee Meeting Date : 19.8.5
Application No. 05/21129 Page of
confirmed refusal on renew 21/10/05
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