Received 15 10 07 DoLGE 7001917 Town and Country Planning Act 1999 PLANNING and BUILDING CONTROL DIRECTORATE
Decision
Date and Officer Initials
Initial
A
15/2/08 SC
Appeal
App
29708
Amended
Revised
Layout of Residential Estate to Include Roads, Plots, Sewers and Open Space, Land at Ballanard Farm, off Ballanard Road, Douglas
Statement of Supporting Information
Heritage Homes Ltd.<br/> Dandara Group Head Office<br/> Isle of Man Business Park<br/> Braddan<br/> Isle of Man<br/> IM2 2SA
Heritage Homes Ltd.
Layout of Residential Estate to Include Roads, Plots, Sewers and Open Space, Land at Ballanard Farm, off Ballanard Road, Douglas
Statement of Supporting Information
This application seeks detailed planning approval for the layout of a residential estate on land to the east of Ballanard Road. The site is an area of just under 23 acres and is enclosed within clearly defined boundaries, with Ballanard Road (and the dwellings alongside it) to the east, the Highton Wood Hill residential area to the south, a wooded bank (with the former laundry mill pond/race and the Tromode Industrial Estate beyond) to the west, and The Castleward Green residential development to the north. Registered Building no. 166, Cadran Cottage, is located outside the site on the Ballanard Road boundary. The site is currently in agricultural use, with the building group of Ballanard Farm towards the eastern site boundary and the remainder of the site containing grazing land, woodland, scrubland and a marsh area.
The site is largely within an area which is designated for Low Density Housing in Parkland (LDHP) by the Douglas Local Plan, although parts of it - alongside Ballanard Road and adjacent to The Cherry Walk - are within an area of Predominantly Residential use¹. Planning Circular 8/89² provides guidance for the development of Low Density Housing in Parkland, the most fundamental stipulation being the requirement for each dwelling to be set in "at least 1 acre (0.4 ha) of its own grounds". The Circular also states that all trees within an area which is designated for LDHP are deemed to be Registered, although DAFF advises that only an area of woodland on the eastern side of the site (which also contains a pond) is actually entered upon the Register.
The application seeks approval to the layout of plots, roads (including the access from Ballanard Road), drains, landscaping and open space. Approval will be sought separately at a later date for the erection of dwellings. The plots within the area which is designated for LDHP are all at least an acre in size, with 4 other plots to be created within the Predominantly Residential area. An
¹ A plan indicating the land use designations applied to the site by the Douglas Local Plan is attached at Appendix 1 ² Planning Circular 8/89 Low Density Housing in Parkland is attached at Appendix 2
extensive ecological study has been carried out on site by the Environmental Research and Advisory Practice (ERAP), a bat survey has been carried out by the Manx Bat Group and an examination of highways and traffic issues has been undertaken by Bryan G Hall Consulting Civil & Transportation Planning Engineers. The proposed layout takes account of these survey reports, copies of which accompany this application.
The access to the site from Ballanard Road will be realigned and upgraded so that it can safely serve as the access to the new development. It is proposed that the new development will remain as a private estate, with access to be controlled by gates close to the site entrance. The open space within the estate will be for the communal use of the estate residents, and its maintenance (along with that of the roads, verges etc) will be the responsibility of a management company.
The layout as now proposed takes proper account of the land use zonings of the Douglas Local Plan and seeks to use the site as efficiently as possible within the physical constraints which are present. Since the introduction of a personal income tax cap by the Isle of Man Treasury there has been a well publicised increase in the demand for larger properties and this scheme will contribute positively in that respect.
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