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23/00060/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 23/00060/B Applicant : Peel Commissioners Proposal : Alterations to existing car parking area adjoining Peel Town Hall, including the formation of a second access from the highway, modification of existing access, provision of a bicycle enclosure, provision of an EV charge point and redefining of parking layout. Site Address : Peel Town Hall Derby Road Peel Isle Of Man IM5 1RG
Senior Planning Officer: Mr Jason Singleton Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.04.2023 __
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 and Transport 4 & Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan 2016.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to drawings and supporting information received on 25 January 2023, referenced; P00, P01, P02, P03.
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
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Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site identified in red is the curtilage for Peel Town Hall. The existing building is a two storey detached property to the North of Derby Road with car parking surrounding the building to the south (front) and West (side). Access to the site is from Derby Road via a single point of access and egress. The boundary detail here adjacent to the footpath is a small stone wall approx. 50mm in height with a capping stone.
1.2 The application has been submitted by Peel Town Commissioners.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed are a series of alterations to the existing car parking area only which includes the formation of a second access from the highway of Derby Road, modification of existing access that serves the building, The installation of a bicycle enclosure to the eastern part of the car park, and the installation of a singe of an EV charge point bollard and redefining of parking layout given the above alterations.
2.2 The scope of works are solely contained to the car park apron to the front and side of the Commissioners building.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is within an area zoned as "Civic Buildings" and is within the Peel Conservation Area, both identified on the Peel Local Plan 1989.
3.2 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this application;
General Policy 2 Environment Policy 35 Transport Policy 4 & 7
4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The application site benefits from the following approvals; 10/00977/B - Alterations to front entrance 10/01052/CON - Registered Building consent for the demolition of dwelling and creation of car parking (In association with 10/01051/B) 10/01051/B - Demolition of dwelling and creation of car parking (In association with 10/01052/CON)
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Peel Town Commissioners have not commented as the application was submitted by them.
5.2 Highways Services initially commented (13.02.23) to advise a detailed assessment to follow, and on (22/02/23) seeking a Stage 1 Road Safety Audit and internal alterations to increase the width of the parking spaces 4,5,10,11.
5.3 Peel Town Commissioners (21.03.23) commented on highways requests as below "The proposals in application 23/00060/B clearly improves the safety for existing car park and highway users which is the primary purpose of the application. The current access arrangements involve vehicles having to make an awkward 360 degree turn to egress the cark park the correct way down the existing one way street or undertake a three point turn in the road. Currently a high proportion of vehicles don't make this manoeuvre and frequently travel
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23/00060/B Page 3 of 5
the wrong way along the Derby Road one way system. In addition, vehicles approaching the new second access to the car park will have better visibility when egressing because they have the majority of the Town Hall frontage to view oncoming vehicles travelling along the Derby Road one way street and visibility is no longer obscured by the large retaining wall located to the east of the Town Hall. In these circumstances, when no additional traffic is being generated by the planning application proposal, and it is evident access/egress will be made safer it is difficult to justify a safety audit. Furthermore, I have been unable to find any planning documentation where the requirement for a safety audit is mandated and development control/planning officers should be able to assess this application involving minor changes on its merits.
The car parking spaces are in an existing car park and meet the same 2.4 metre by 4.8 metre minimum standard as those currently in the car park. This disable space is deliberately located at the end of the row and has sufficient space around it to facilitate disabled access. It should be noted, in the Department of Infrastructure's Peel Town Centre Parking Study and Parking Policy Development Options prepared by AMEY in February 2013 accurately reports the parking problems in Peel. This report emphasised the parking problem on residential roads around the Town Hall reporting 100+ occupancy on weekday evenings and weekends (figures 11 and 13) when the Town Hall car park becomes full with residents' parking. During weekdays the Commissioners' car park is used for longer stay parking for businesses in the Town and is currently full from 9am onwards. Currently, the Commissioners must erect barriers within their car park every Tuesday and Thursday to permit the mobile Bank to locate at the Town Hall prior to it becoming full with parked vehicles. The car park surface levels will remain as existing with the footway forming the ramp between the car park and carriageway level. The existing car park surface is designed to get rainwater to flow in to a drain located in the car park at the front of the Town Hall. The application proposal does not change these drainage arrangements or change the surface levels in the car park".
6.0 ASSESSMENT The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are; (i) Principle (GP2) (ii) Visual Impact (GP2, EP35) (iii) Neighbouring amenity (GP2) (iii) Highways impact (TP4&7)
Principle 6.1 The existing area is used more as circulation space opposite the existing entrance and not for parking. The proposal would add 4 new parking spaces and a dedicated disabled parking space at the front of the building. The inclusion of EV charging points and bicycle parking would also be seen as a positive addition to the area. The general principle of improvements to an existing parking area that is currently used for public car parking to the Town hall building would be acceptable in principle and would seek to improve the current parking and access arrangement to the benefit of the public.
Visual Impact 6.2 The scope of works would be minor in terms of overall terms of visual impact and would not offer any change of use but essentially improve how the layout of the car parking area is to be used. The alterations to the low level boundary wall to create the additional access would remove a section of (5.7m) of wall but would be an acceptable alteration with little to no visual impact upon the character of the street scene and would still retain the majority of the existing wall.
6.3 In terms of impact upon the wider conservation area the small scale of the proposals would have a neutral visual impact and would continue to preserve the character and appearance of the area.
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Neighbouring amenity 6.4 The nearest neighbours to this scheme are to the East, which are the rears of those properties fronting onto Mona Street. The boundary wall here is a 3.0m+ high Manx Stone wall. The proposals as advertised would not be considered to have any detrimental impact through an overbearing impact, loss of light, or privacy upon any neighbouring or residential properties given the small scale of the proposed works. It is further noted we have not received any objections from any neighbouring properties.
Highways Impact 6.5 The comments from highways and the need for further traffic studies to make a theoretical assessment is noted and also the comments from the applicants who set out their case offers practical explanation to the content of the proposals. Taking into consideration the scope of works and the one way traffic direction of the Derby Road at 20mph, the proposed entrance would not be considered to have any detrimental impact over and above the current access to the building and would seek to offer an improvement over the existing arrangement and capable of accommodating vehicle movements and pedestrian access in a safe and appropriate manner.
6.6 In terms of the size of the parking space and the minor difference, given the proposal would be an improvement and is only concerning 4 spaces to the front elevation including a disabled space would be acceptable in this instance. It is noted the parking arrangement is managed by the commissions and would be acceptable.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal is considered to comply with GP2 and Environment Policy 35 and Transport 4 & Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan 2016 and recommended for an 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 o whether there are other persons to those listed above 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.
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23/00060/B Page 5 of 5
Decision Made : Permitted
Date: 03.04.2023
Determining officer Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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