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P.O. BOX NO. 2, TOWN HALL, RIDGEWAY STREET, DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN, IM99 1AD TELEPHONE: (01624) 696300

Coonceil Valley Corpagh Doolish

Environment & Regeneration Department The Secretary to the Planning Committee Planning & Building Control Division Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture Murray House Mount Havelock DOUGLAS

15th December 2021

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: PA 21/01398/C Continued use of 22 temporary car parking spaces 20 St Georges Street Douglas Isle of Man

Douglas Borough Council has now considered the above planning application to which we would like to make the following comments.

The Council considers that the repairs to the church wall and the application to continue the use of the 22 parking spaces are separate issues. With regard to the request to extend the use of the carpark for a further 3 years, the Council objects to this proposal on the following grounds:

Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 Strategic Policy 1 - Development should make the best use of resource:

(a) Optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and underused land and buildings, and reusing scarce indigenous building materials; (b) Ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs of access, landscaping, open space(1) and amenity standards

The Council is of the opinion that the continued use of the site as a temporary carpark would be contrary to the above policy.

The Council also gave consideration to the feedback received from the Improving the Planning System consultation. A key element of this being that it is preferable for unused brownfield sites to be developed as opposed to becoming carparks some of which are considered to have a negative impact upon the surrounding townscape.

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P.O. BOX NO. 2, TOWN HALL, RIDGEWAY STREET, DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN, IM99 1AD TELEPHONE: (01624) 696300 The Council has also given weight to the Council of Ministers’ approved Action Plan to incentivise and support site redevelopment and that planning approval for temporary car parks should not be given for more than two years. This site has previously had planning approval for a temporary car park and the Council objected to the last application to have this extended.

If the Planning Committee resolves to permit this application the Council would ask that any permission granted should be conditional on improvements to upgrade the surface of the carpark with tarmac (or similar) in order to improve its visual appearance and reduce the growth of weeds/vegetation.

The Council has no objection to the repairs to the wall and, if this is possible without planning consent, would wish to see the repairs carried out as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

S Salter Dilapidation Enforcement Officer Direct Line: 01624 696394 E mail: [email protected]