83780

==== PAGE 1 ====

                                      22/01183/B                                     Page  1  of  5

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No. : 22/01183/B Applicant : Manx Utilities Proposal : The Installation of Electric Vehicle charge points Site Address : East Quay Peel Isle Of Man

Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 06.02.2023 __

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.

C 2. The two charging points hereby approved must be finished in a black colour and retained as such thereafter.

Reason: for the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of visual amenity.

N 1. The applicant is to be reminded of the proximity to the harbour and the consideration of installing suitably weather proofed equipment for such a location.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The application is considered to have an acceptable visual, amenity and highway safety impact and to accord with Environment Policy 35 and Energy Policy 1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and to meet with the principles of Strategic Policies 2, 4 and 10 and Planning Policy 1/01.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the following:

o DWG 01 Rev 01 o Document 03 Rev 01 o DWG 05 Rev 02 o Document 06 Rev 01

==== PAGE 2 ====

                                      22/01183/B                                     Page  2  of  5

o Document 07 Rev 01 all date received 28.09.2022

o DWG 02 Rev 03 o Data Sheet both date received 20/12/2022.

__

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following Government Departments should be given Interested Person Status on the basis that they have made written submissions relating to planning considerations:

DOI Flood Risk Management __

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS BROUGHT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AS THE LOCAL AUTHORITY HAS MADE WRITTEN OBJECTIONS.

THE SITE 1.1 The site is an area along East Quay, Peel and outside of The Peveril Public House, Leece Museum and Harbour View Court. This area was recently approved under 20/01320/B for highway regeneration works and flood wall defences, when doing a site visit it appeared that some of these works around the promenade had commenced. More detail for this application is contained at 3.0 of this report.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Following amended drawings being submitted the proposal is now for the installation of two black coloured electric vehicle charging points serving 4 parking spaces outside of the Leece Museum and Harbour View Court.

2.2 Each port will provide two charging point and each unit will sit between two spaces. The data sheet provided indicates that the charging ports are to be 1300mm tall and around 241mm wide and 295mm deep. These EV charging points are to be finished in a black colour.

2.3 The original submission was for three electric vehicle charging points serving 6 parking spaces also stretching in from of The Peveril, Leece Museum and Harbour View Court.

PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 Drawings submitted as part of PA 20/01320/B indicated a reduction to parking along the quayside but with additional spaces provided closer to the House of Manannan. The footway outside of the Peveril was shown to be widened and infrastructure laid in order to facilitate future electric vehicle charging points. Peel Town Commissioners made comment on the application stating that they agree not to oppose, but raised concern for the loss of on- street parking and questioned the possibility of extending the new layby by Manannan House.

3.2 The officer report for the application acknowledges the loss of car parking on the quay and that this reduction comes at the cost of the improvement and expansion of pedestrian facilities and that PPS1/01 makes it clear that a balance needs to be struck between preserving the existing and facilitating pedestrian and vehicle movement so towns are used and visited, and the officer considered that that balance had been successfully struck. They concluded that "the works are considered to enhance the currently poor features within the highway and

==== PAGE 3 ====

                                      22/01183/B                                     Page  3  of  5

preserve those which contribute positively and...the preservation of the buildings of merit as they currently appear."

PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Peel Local Plan of 1989 as Mixed Use and also within the town's Conservation Area. In terms of strategic plan policy Strategic Policies 2, 4 and 5 seek to direct development to existing centres, make best use of existing land and ensure development does not harm Conservation Areas and makes a positive contribution to the Island. Strategic Policy 10 promotes a more integrated transport network and minimise private car journeys and Energy Policy 1 indicates that any provision of energy supply facilities should have minimal environment effect whilst community need is met. Environment Policy 35 seeks to protect Conservation Area's and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 offers guidance for development in best conserving the Island's historic environment.

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Peel Town Commissioners - objection (03/11/2022) do not want to restrict parking spaces to electric vehicles only. The number of parking spaces has already been reduced on East Quay as part of the regeneration scheme. The designation of three spaces for electric charging will further reduce the number of commodious spaces available to the majority of vehicle drivers. The Commissioners believe the underground infrastructure could be put in place as part of this project to make provision for increased future demand. Any current demand should be met through providing this infrastructure in the House of Manannan which is where the additional relocated parking for the East Quay regeneration scheme is now located. No new comments have been submitted on the reduction of the EV charging points and spaces.

5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (13/10/2022 and 21/12/2022) no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking. The proposal is welcomed to promote net zero objectives.

5.3 Department of Infrastructure Flood Risk Management - do not oppose subject to condition (12/10/2022) - the chosen location is a potential tidal flood zone and I would suggest that the application is conditioned to make the units weather proof and suitably insulated against sea water.

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The car parking layout and number of spaces, along with the associated underground cable works for EV charging ports has already been considered and approved as part of the previous application for the highway regeneration works. The two EV charging ports now proposed are to be installed in black and to be around 1.3m tall. These units would be equally spaced between 4 car parking spaces outside of the Leece Museum and Harbour View Court.

6.2 It is unquestionable that these charging units would not be a typical feature for a conservation area or to the historic context of Peel and its harbour. It is noted from a site visit that there is already various street furniture in the area ranging from black harbour railings, black bollards outside of the public house, black and silver lamp posts and electric hook ups for vessels in the marina. The majority of these features are painted black and their subservient nature and role in the streetscene means their appearance somewhat falls into the background and being features which do not detract from those special heritage buildings in the immediate area or from those key landmarks of Peel Castle or Peel Hill. The dark colour and insignificant nature of the street furniture helps to ensure key views that contribute to the character of the Conservation Area are not harmed.

==== PAGE 4 ====

                                      22/01183/B                                     Page  4  of  5

6.3 Comments from the Commissioners express concern in the loss of 6 car parking spaces which can no longer be used by the average car and only being made available for EV vehicles, and that these EV charging ports should be directed to the House of Manannan.

6.4 Since these comments have been submitted the drawings have been updated and the number of charging units has been reduced to two and parking spaces reduced to four. Taking into consideration wider Government strategies and the Climate Change Act which seek to reduce carbon emissions, and in seeking to meet demand of EV before supply outstrips it, that the proposal to introduce two charging units and four EV parking spaces is not considered to result in such an adverse level of displaced parking as to harm general public parking or amenity, and it is not expected that there will be any new or increased highway safety issues as a result of the charging units or EV spaces being installed.

6.5 Comments from DOI Flood Risk Management are noted, however it cannot be conditioned to make the applicant ensure the units are weather proof, it would be the applicants responsibility to make sure their units and infrastructure are fit for purpose for the selected location. A note can be added to remind them of this.

CONCLUSION 7.1 Overall, it is considered the two charging units being installed in black and viewed in the context of parked vehicles and car parking spaces will likely fall into the background and not visually detract or adversely harm the wider character and appearance of the Conservation Area which is expected to be preserved in line with EP35. Whilst the initial concerns from the Commissioner have been taken into consideration, the scheme has since been reduced and it is not felt that the impact of four displaced parking spaces will result in such an unacceptable or adverse impact on general public parking provision or amenity as to refuse the application, also taking into consideration that the proposal works towards reducing carbon emissions and meeting with wider Government strategies which weights in favour of the application.

7.2 Overall it is considered that the application complies with Environment Policy 35 and Energy Policy 1, and meets with the principles of Strategic Policies 2, 4 and 10 and Planning Policy 1/01.

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 o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 4(2) who should be given Interested Person Status.

==== PAGE 5 ====

                                      22/01183/B                                     Page  5  of  5

8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status. __

I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 13.02.2023

Signed : Lucy Kinrade Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).

Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/ customers and archive records.