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22/01456/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 22/01456/B Applicant : Douglas Borough Council Proposal : Demolition of existing building and replacement with changing rooms to current English Football Association standards Site Address : Pulrose Pavilion Springfield Road, Pulrose, Douglas IM2 1AX
Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 10.01.2023 __
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 building hereby approved shall not be used other than for sport and leisure purposes in connection with the adjacent playing fields, or such other use/s which shall first have been agreed in writing by the Department.
Reason: In the interest of residential amenities, parking provision and as the application has been judged on the grounds that the building will only be used as a changing rooms for use in connection with the adjacent playing fields and for no other purpose.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed clubhouse would represent a visual improvement over the existing situation and be beneficial to the visual impact to the site and the area, while providing an improvement public facility. Further the proposal has no significant adverse impact upon public or private amenities and complies with General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and Area Plan for the East 2020 and is recommended for an approval.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing all received on 25.11.2022.
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
THE APPLICATION IS BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED CONTRARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN BUT RECOMMEND FOR AN APPROVAL
1.0 APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is located to the south east corner of the playing fields on Springfield Road, Douglas. It comprises part of the playing field and a clubhouse. The existing clubhouse which was constructed about 20+ years ago and is clad in timber panels with a felt roof. It is single storey and measures 19 metres long, by 9 metres wide, and is 3.6 metres high. This has been condemned by Douglas Borough Council due to its poor condition.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks planning permission for the demolition of existing building and replacement with changing rooms to current English Football Association standards. The proposal would be single storey and measures 18.9 metres long, by 10.6 metres wide, and a roof ridge height of 4 metres. The external finishes will be a two tone (red & yellow) coloured brick and a colour coated steel with tile profile in colour mid grey.). The proposal would accommodate 4 changing rooms, two officials changing room and a number of toilets.
2.2 The applicants have indicated that; "Due to the unsafe nature of the existing wooden cabin changing facilities at Spring Valley playing fields in Pulrose, the building was condemned by the Council and the only viable option is to demolish the existing structure. This planning application is to replace the existing facilities in line with the English Football Associations Football Foundation (FF) step 7 changing room requirements. The Council have been working with the FF to ensure the new changing facility meets the current FF step 7 standards for changing facilities. With the changing facility meeting the FF requirements the project has access to significant grant funding form the FF. This FF grant funding currently makes the project finically viable for the Council."
2.3 Further they comment; "The site currently has three teams that play at the venue Pulrose United Football Club, Douglas Athletic Football Club and Douglas and District Football Club. All have a long history of using and hiring facilities at the site. Each team have their own football pitch at the site. Pulrose United Football Club, and Douglas Athletic Football Club play within the playing fields that incorporated the existing changing rooms. In the past this playing field has incorporated three football pitches and one junior or seven a side pitch. Douglas and District football club are using the pitch within field No. 524801 on the other side of Springfield Road.
Currently the three clubs who play at the venue hire the pitch and the changing rooms from the Council for football matches only. The hire of the pitches and changing room is predominantly over the weekend providing football matches for men's, women's and junior football teams. The clubs also use the site for training for all age groups and teams in the evenings and weekends"
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 Erection of replacement temporary changing facility, toilets and storage shed (Part retrospective) - 22/01058/B - APPROVED
3.1 Erection of a replacement building to provide changing facilities - 18/00732/B - APPROVED (expired 18.09.2022).
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3.2 Erection of a replacement club house - 13/00510/B - APPROVED
3.3 Siting of a temporary mobile unit to provide changing facilities - 10/01143/B - APPROVED
3.4 Construction of changing accommodation - 90/01988/B - APPROVED
3.5 Approval in principle for construction of changing accommodation - 90/01372/A - APPROVED
3.6 12/00664/B - permission granted in October 2012 for construction of 38 sheltered housing apartments and ancillary accommodation, parking and public open space. The open space and emergency access is where the existing car park is located.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The Area Plan for the East 2020 identifies the site as being within an area of "Open Space - Sports Pitches". The site is not within a Conservation Area.
4.2 Since the application relates to the loss of "Open Space" given its footprint and associated building would be installed on this land, it could be argued that the proposal is not in accordance with the zoning of the site. However, the proposals would be used in association with the "Sports Fields" and are a requirement for such facilities, therefore it is considered the principle of the works do comply with land use zoning.
4.3 Accordingly General Policy 2 should be considered which states: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development: (a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief; (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses; (e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea; (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; (j) can be provided with all necessary services; (k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan; (l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding; (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."
4.5 Strategic Policy 5 - 'New development, including individual buildings, should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment of the Island. In appropriate cases the Department will require planning applications to be supported by a Design Statement which will be required to take account of the Strategic Aim and Policies.'
4.6 Transport Policy 7 - 'The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards.'
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4.7 Recreation Policy 2 - "Development which would adversely affect, or result in the loss of Open Space or a recreational facility that is or has the potential to be, of recreational or amenity value to the community will not be permitted except in the following circumstances: (a) where alternative provision of equivalent community benefit and of equivalent or better accessibility is made available; and (b) where there would be an overall community gain from the development, and the particular loss of the open space or recreation facility would have no significant unacceptable effect on local open space or recreation provision or on the character or amenity of the area."
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highways Services comment (14.12.2022); "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking."
5.2 Douglas Borough Council do no object (13.12.20922).
6.0 ASSESSMENT The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area 6.1 The proposed building is similar in form to the original clubhouse although it would be a little larger and taller. The new building would be constructed from different materials to the existing, albeit the red/yellow brick finish would be more in keeping with the recently constructed dwelling/shelter housing complex in the area. And therefore it is felt that these finishes would be in keeping with the area. The proposal is also very similar to the previously approved clubhouse (18/00732/B) on the site, which was larger in size, but had the same finishes and overall design.
6.2 The new building would be a visual improvement over the existing. The impact of the new building would not be appreciably different to the existing clubhouse and, overall, it is felt that the character and appearance of the area would be preserved.
The effect on neighbour amenity 6.3 The site is situated on the edge of a built up residential area and use of the building has the potential to give rise to noise and conflict with residential neighbours. However, the new changing rooms are small (smaller than existing) and the impact is likely to be similar to the previous changing room use near the site to the east. It is therefore concluded that the proposal raises no new issues of impact on neighbour amenity.
Access and parking 6.4 There is limited parking available on site and this was the case for the last approved applications 13/00510/B and 18/00732/B. Until the re-development of the housing in the area, there was a greater area of hardstanding for parking to the south-east of the site; however, the majority of this area was lost to provide open space and emergency access. Accordingly, as accepted under the last approved application which was larger (18/00732/B), it is understood that the majority of the people who play for Pulrose AFC, and spectators, live within walking distance of the football pitch. Further the applicants have also previously commented that it is normally visiting teams and spectators who require car parking and they generally park alongside Springfield Road as there are no yellow lines restricting parking in the area. It should also be noted that this only occurs when football matches are actually being played, usually for a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, during the football season.
6.5 The amount of changing rooms proposed is not increasing and therefore the same number of teams who would use the changing rooms would remain as is. Accordingly, given there is no increase in traffic generation, it is again considered the proposal should not cause parking or access issues over and above the existing situation.
7.0 CONCLUSION
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7.1 The proposed clubhouse would represent a visual improvement over the existing situation and be beneficial to the visual impact to the site and the area, while providing an improvement public facility. Further the proposal has no significant adverse impact upon public or private amenities and complies with General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and Area Plan for the East 2020 and is recommended for an approval.
8.0 INTEREST 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 which 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 above who should 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: 16.01.2023
Signed : C BALMER 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 See below
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