**Document:** Support Documents Planning Statement **Application:** 17/00936/B — Variation of condition 2 of PA 15/00004/B for the creation of a leisure/industrial development, to extend the period of approval for a further 2 years **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2017-10-17 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/21945-braddan-land-industrial-estate-ballafletcher-condition-variation/documents/1018389 --- # Support Documents Planning Statement ## 17/00936 ### Proposed Development at Ballafletcher Road Braddan for EFB (IOM) Ltd ### Planning Statement Job No. 1699-01 ### 101111 McGarrigle + Jackson architects and urban designers Prepared by:
McGarrigle + Jackson
19 Mount Havelock
Douglas
IMI 2QG
Tel: 01624628141
Fax: 629334
email: info@mcgarrigle-jackson.com
web: www.mcgarrigle-jackson.com 1.00 Introduction 2.00 Current Designation of Land 3.00 Proposed Uses 4.00 Consultations 5.00 Transport and Highway Issues 6.00 Design Statement 7.00 Summary ## 1.00 Introduction 1.01 The application is for approval in principle for a mixed use development, discharging siting and means of access. 1.02 The land is currently owned by Isle of Man Government. EFB (loM) Ltd have an option to buy 1.03 The land lies to the North of Ballafletcher Road, bounded on the North and West by playing fields (previously part of the Nobles Hospital grounds) and is a continuation to the East of the existing industrial estate. The land is presently vacant and could be described as scrub land. 1.04 The boundary to Ballafletcher Road consists of a Manx hedge with a number of trees. These have been measured, photographed and shown on the enclosed drawings. The land generally falls from North West to South East. 1.05 The land forms the end of the existing Ballafletcher Industrial Estate Road and is tapering towards the playing fields, access is presently from the Estate Road, and there is a field gate entry onto the Ballafletcher Road (marked on the site plan). 1.06 EFB Ltd is the largest distributor of alcohol in the UK, it operates bonded warehouses, and distributes wholesale to major supermarkets, operates various retail outlets under the brands "Booze Buster", "Shop to go", "Oddbins", "Whittles Wines" and "Wine Cellar". It also operates in the on-trade, which serves public houses and restaurants under the brand name "John Stephenson" and operates cash and carry operations under the brand name "2 Ticks". 1.07 EFB (loM) Ltd presently have offices in Douglas and are now seeking to develop in Ballafletcher Road in line with their core operations, i.e., - Warehouse - Offices - Leisure Activities 1.08 EFB (loM) Ltd have investigated other sites on the Isle of Man, but have been unsuccessful in securing an option on a suitable site, which has the benefits of the land in Ballafletcher Road, i.e., - Area for warehousing - Area for offices in close proximity - Additional area to expand their core leisure operation in close proximity to housing, office and industrial areas 1.09 EFB (loM) Ltd feel that the Ballafletcher site meets all the requirements for a mixed-use development of complimentary operations. ## 2.00 Current Designation of Land 2.01 The land use designated under the Isle of Man planning scheme (Braddan Parish District Local Plan) order 1991 is "Predominately Industrial Use". #### 3.00 Proposed uses 3.01 The warehousing proposed sits comfortably within this designation.. The approximate area of the warehouse is . 3.02.1 The office use proposed is similar to the offices in connection with "industrial" use elsewhere on the estate. The nature of the present estate has however evolved from its initial industrial use in that a large proportion of the present buildings are office use only and are not what was originally considered "in connection with industrial", there have been a number of recent applications solely for office use which have been approved on the neighbouring plots ie 99/02128/B [Mannin Media] 17/00652/B [TLC] 10/01673/B [plot between Mannin Media and TLC] 10/01446/B and 10/01445/B on the North side of the adjacent access road EFB (loM) Ltd intend to occupy the offices in connection with their expanding core operations, as it is the intention to run their international operations from these offices. 3.03 It is intended to include an area for use as a trade counter operation on the ground floor of the offices. This area will primarily be used as a showcase for one of the group brands "Oddbins" which caters for fine wine and champagne. This area will be able to be used by the public for the fine wine market as an extension of the adjacent warehouse storage facility, but is mainly for buyers and sales representatives visiting EFB (loM) Ltd to view products. 3.04 The leisure/entertainment areas shown are grouped around the car parking, accessed solely from Ballafletcher Road and consist of 3 buildings:- - Public House/Restaurant/Motel - Play Barn - Entertainment Centre **Public House/Restaurant/Motel** EFB (loM) Ltd identified that there was a need for a public house/restaurant to service their own offices, in addition to the remainder of Ballafletcher Estate. There is also the opportunity of serving nearby housing in addition to the adjacent sports facilities. This operation represents a core part of the EFB Ltd operations and therefore they have extensive experience of building, managing and operating this kind of development. It is also intended to include within this building a motel facility on the first floor comprising of 9 en-suite rooms and 3 suites. The requirement in the first instance is for the motel to serve EFB (loM) Ltd and their visiting personnel and representatives, difficulty has been experienced finding suitable accommodation on the island at short notice in the past. The facility can also serve adjacent units in a similar manner in addition to the adjacent sports facilities. **Play barn** The "play barn" is a fairly new concept in the Isle of Man, but fairly well established in the UK and offers supervised play facilities for toddlers through to juniors with a focus on all round entertainment, in addition to educational play. The play area will have a themed story and will have soft play incorporating a framed structure with ball pits, shoes, tubes, nets and swings. The secure external area with soft surfaces with the emphasis on exercise as well as play. The location adjacent to the public house/restaurant is intended to provide integrated leisure facilities for the whole family. ## Entertainment Centre Sited opposite the above facilities this area is intended as a follow-on area in providing facilities for children and adults on three storeys basically as an extension of the Warehouse building. On the ground floor will be a 12 lane bowling alley with associated, café and games areas and bar area, on the first floor will be a children's adventure area catering for the older child with similar fully supervised educational exercise and play areas. On the second floor is a large multipurpose function room, which in addition to servicing the needs of EFB (loM) Ltd and the adjacent business operations could also fulfil a fully serviced community use or meeting hall for the area where none presently exist. The space is ideally suited to integrate with the adjacent facilities for children and the family as a whole. #### 4.00 Consultations 4.01 During the development of the scheme, the following were consulted:- - Mr A Holmes and Mr I Brooks, Planning Officers - Mrs H Fletcher of the Department of Infrastructure (Highways) - Braddan Commissioners - Mr D Kinrade, Isle of Man Transport. #### 5.00 Transport and Highway Issues 5.01 A (minuted) meeting was held on the 16th May 2011 with Mrs H Fletcher of the Department of Infrastructure to discuss the various issues in connection with a mixed-use development, the main points discussed were:- - Sight lines of 120 m required for the 40 mph speed limit on Ballafletcher Road - The warehousing and offices to be by the existing Estate Road - The siting of the new entrance was satisfactory in that the required sight lines could be achieved at a mid point between the "crests" on Ballafletcher Road these are at the entrance to the cemetery and at the start of the houses, good vision is therefore possible in both direction - Access to the leisure/entertainment areas to be segregated by a new entrance to Ballafletcher Road, constructed in accordance with Manx Roads 2 - Car parking to be in accordance with the Strategic Plan - Car parking to include turning areas to the dead ends - A traffic assessment/statement would be required ## 5.01 Transport Statement 5.01.I A separate Transport Statement is included in the application. #### 6.00 Design Statement 6.01 It is intended that the design of the overall complex will be of a high standard to enhance and compliment the proposed mixed uses in an integrated and contemporary fashion. The different uses envisaged offers the opportunity to form an interesting group of buildings of differing heights, form and massing. 6.02.I Separate accesses to the development was considered vital at an early stage, i.e., vehicle access to all leisure and entertainment activities to be totally segregated from the offices and warehouse, which are entered from the existing service road. The leisure activities to be from a properly designed new entrance from Ballafletcher Road. Parking is also segregated but the uses of the buildings will allow duel use of some parking in front of the offices, where activities will be taking place at differing times. 6.03 The warehouse and entertainment centre are intended to be housed at opposite ends of the same building where the warehouse will be largely single storey high enough for the storage systems employed it is envisaged that this will be of a similar height to the 3 storey Entertainment Centre. 6.03 The offices are envisaged to be 4 storey whilst the public house/restaurant 2 storey. The playbarn will be a double height space, similar overall to the public house/restaurant. 6.03.I The public House and motel are intended to be two storey whilst the play barn will be of a similar height in a double height space 6.05 It has been possible to minimise the loss of trees with the careful positioning of the entrance. 6.06 We feel that it is possible to provide an attractive development sitting between the sports pitches and the existing high-end buildings of Ballafletcher Estate. 6.07.I The warehouse is as large a building as possible taking into account the necessity for it to integrate into the overall development, the space remaining between the boundary to the sports pitches, would leave a minimum area for another industrial building taking into account the necessary access past and the requirement for separate car parking We would consider therefore, that the loss of the industrial land to leisure use is minimal. ## 7.00 Summary 7.01 The development offers a unique opportunity to provide integrated family orientated facilities in a convenient position close to the town centre, centred on the Groups core requirements of warehouse and offices. 7.02 There is the opportunity of creating an attractive development, encompassing the functionality of the offices and warehouse with the more leisure orientated facilities, in a safe and segregated manner, fulfilling a real need not only for the local working and residential community but for the Island as a whole. --- *Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).* *Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/21945-braddan-land-industrial-estate-ballafletcher-condition-variation/documents/1018389*