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22/01174/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 22/01174/B Applicant : Ms Emily Cattle Proposal : The erection of a single storey detached building to be used as a nursery and pre-school. Site Address : Saint Josephs Nursery St Josephs Church Snaefell Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 6PD
Planning Officer: Mr Toby Cowell Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 01.12.2022 __
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in principle, providing much needed additional space for the growing nursery/pre-school, without detriment to the visual amenities of the locality or the capacity of the local highway network. The proposals are therefore deemed compliant with General Policy 2 (b), (c), (h) & (i), Community Policy 5 and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan (2016).
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This approval relates to the following drawings and documents; existing block plan, proposed block plan, proposed ground floor plan, proposed front and rear elevation, proposed left and right elevation, planning statement and traffic management plan, all received 19.09.22.
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
It is recommended that the following properties should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 6(4):
76 Willaston Crescent, Douglas 18 Conister Road, Douglas 52 Laurel Avenue, Douglas 1 Cronk Y Berry, Douglas 2 Ballaughton Lane, Douglas 19 Keppel Road, Douglas 25 Governors Hill, Douglas 8 Cronk Gennal, Douglas 29 Lancaster Road, Douglas 6 Larch Hill Grove, Douglas 10 Keppel Road, Douglas 78 Willaston Crescent, Douglas 6 Hillberry Close, Douglas 98 Ballabrooie Drive, Douglas 18 Ormly Avenue, Ramsey
as they have not explained how the development would impact the lawful use of land owned or occupied by them and in relation to the relevant issues identified in paragraph 2C of the Policy, as is required by paragraph 2D of the Policy. __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site comprises St. Joseph's Church and its associated grounds within the centre of the Willaston residential estate, Douglas. The site occupies a prominent location within the estate, at the point where Fenella Avenue splits in 2 and meets Snaefell Road.
1.2 The core of the church building is L-shaped, predominantly single-storey (the front of the main wall adjacent to Snaefell Road aside) and with a deep dual pitched roof, whilst being connected to a two-storey building occupying the western corner of the site which resembles the appearance of a dwellinghouse. The remainder of the site is grassed, surrounding by a low- level brick perimeter wall. 3 no. trees occupy the site southern boundary with a further mature tree present along the northern boundary.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Permission is sought for the erection of a single-storey flat roofed building measuring 13.2m long and 7m wide with a height of 2.875m. The building would incorporate additional provision for the nursery and pre-school presently operating within the main church hall, and include a main hall, with a small office, cloakroom area, toilets and a kitchenette. Double doors on the south-eastern elevation would open out onto an external decking area with a single door on the opposite elevation, complete with a series on windows on the north and south elevations. The building would be accessed via an external pathway from the existing main hall and church up a small set of external stairs to the decking area.
2.2 The building would be finished in unspecified 'pale colour' cement weatherboarding with unspecified materials for the flat roof. As per the existing situation, there would be no on-site parking provision but the submitted planning statement advises that whilst drop off parking is available on Fenella Avenue, the majority of children would arrive on foot with arrival times to be staggered.
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2.3 The submitted Traffic Management Plan provides the following information:
o 8.30am - up to 4 children arriving o 8.40am to 9.00 am - up to 10 children arriving o 9am until 9.45a - up to an additional 10 children expected to arrive
2.4 Most of children have older siblings at the local primary school and would either drop off prior to 8.50am school day or drop off after; around 9.00am to 9.15 am. Most families who attend the nursery are local and will walk to school/nursery
2.5 The nursery closes formally at 4pm, pick up times will begin about 2.45pm, and trickling through to 4pm. Pick up time will vary depending on whether a parent chooses to collect on the way to school or the way back from school. There isn't a mad rush at 4pm but a trickling from 2.45pm, where we may see 2 or 3 children being collected, then maybe 4 children at 3 pm with the rest being collected between the last hour.
2.6 The nursery and preschool is already established on the site and the traffic generated by children arriving in the morning and being collected in the afternoons is manageable for the reasons explained above and does not cause any disruption or nuisance to the surrounding properties. The proposed new playschool building will add capacity for a further 24 children and the traffic generated by these extra arrivals and departures will be spread over the times explained above.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 None.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as 'predominantly residential' in the Area Plan for the East and within the settlement boundary of Douglas. The site is not within a Conservation Area.
4.2 General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan (2016) requires development, amongst other things, to be of a suitable design so as to respect the site and its surroundings, whilst not adversely affecting the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape, providing safe and convenient access for all highway uses and adequate parking.
4.3 Community Policy 5 states that permission will generally be given for proposals to improve or extend existing school, subject to their being sited and designed in accordance with other policies of the development plan.
4.4 Transport Policy 4 requires new and existing highways which serve any new development to be designed so as to be capable of accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys generated by that development in a safe and appropriate manner.
4.5 Transport Policy 7 requires that all development is served by appropriate parking provision in accordance with the Department's current standards.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Douglas Borough Council - no objection (07.10.22)
5.2 Highways Services - considers the proposals would have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking (07.10.22)
5.3 15 letters of representation have been submitting writing in support of the application. 14 of the received letters appear to be identical in wording, and considered that the proposed
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building would provide ideal extra space for the nursery and pre-school, with the nursery providing much needed child care and currently require extra space due to increased demand from local residents.
5.4 The additional representation which differs in wording and format states that the pre- school is a place of life and care which is greatly thought of in the community, whilst also being very popular and lacking in the larger space to include more children. With the recent closure of other pre-schools there is such a need for extension and increase.
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The site is located within an area zoned as 'predominantly residential' within the Area Plan for the East and comprises an established church with an integrated pre-school/nursery. The principle of development is therefore acceptable and supported by Community Policy 5.
6.2 Whilst the proposals would lead to additional built development within the grounds of the church, a reasonable degree of open space would remain within the site and, given the moderate scale and proportionate footprint of the building, the proposals are not considered to be excessive or tantamount to overdevelopment. The design and form of the building is generally lightweight, conventional and unobtrusive, with no concerns raised with respect to the visual impact of the development upon the wider streetscene.
6.3 No objections have been raised by Highways Services with respect to the uplift in number of children attending the site and potential additional pressures on the local highway network. It is also recognised that the existing nursery serves the population of its immediate surroundings where the majority of children will likely walk to the site or be dropped off by parents nearby. The proposals have further received significant support from the local community which further adds to the argument that a clear need is evident for additional space to serve the nursery and its growing numbers.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in principle, providing much needed additional space for the growing nursery/pre-school, without detriment to the visual amenities of the locality or the capacity of the local highway network. The proposals are therefore deemed compliant with General Policy 2 (b), (c), (h) & (i), Community Policy 5 and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan (2016), and therefore recommended for approval.
8.0 INTERESTED 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 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
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o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) 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: 09.12.2022
Determining officer Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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