**Document:** Ballafletcher Road Planning Statement **Application:** 11/01290/A — Approval in principle for mixed used development to provide industrial / warehousing, office / retail accommodation and leisure facilities including service road and car parking (discharging siting and means of access) **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2012-08-21 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/1861-braddan-land-industrial-estate-ballafletcher-parking-outline/documents/1259444 --- # Ballafletcher Road Planning Statement Proposed Development at Ballafletcher Road Braddan for EFB (IOM) Ltd ## Planning Statement Job No. 1699-01 Property Investments (IOM) Ltd 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Current Designation of Land 3.0 Proposed Uses 4.0 Consultations 5.0 Transport and Highway Issues 6.0 Design Statement 7.0 Summary ## 1.0 Introduction 1.1 The land is currently owned by Isle of Man Government. EFB (IoM) Ltd have an option to buy. 1.2 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 to the East by the existing industrial estate. The land is presently vacant. 1.3 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. 1.4 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). 1.5 EFB (IoM) Ltd has multiple retail and wholesale operations that collectively make it the largest independent distributor of alcohol in the UK. The off trade retail chain largely consist of the Oddbins, Whittalls Wines and Simply Food & Drinks stores. The public house, club, gastro pub and bar & restaurant retail sites all occupy the premium end of the on trade retail market. The wholesale operations trading under European Food Brokers and 2Ticks represent the delivered wholesale and cash & carry areas of the business to independent off trade retailers. John Stephenson’s & Sons services the delivered on trade sector, predominantly public houses and restaurants. The multisite network includes bonded warehouses and geographically covers England, Scotland and Wales. 1.6 EFB (IoM) Ltd presently occupy offices in Douglas and are now seeking to develop in Ballafletcher Road in line with their core operations, i.e., - Warehouse - Offices - Leisure Activities 1.7 EFB (IoM) 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 1.8 EFB (IoM) Ltd feel that the Ballafletcher site meets all the requirements for a mixed-use development of complimentary operations. 2.0 Current Designation of Land 2.1 The land use designated under the Isle of Man planning scheme (Braddan Parish District Local Plan) order 1991 is “Predominately Industrial Use”. 3.0 Proposed uses 3.1 The warehousing proposed sits comfortably within this designation, the nature of the present estate has evolved from its initial industrial use in that a large proportion of the present buildings are “office use”, and are not what was originally considered “industrial”, i.e., Mannin Media and TLC Business Solutions. The approximate area of the warehouse is $1400\mathrm{m}^2$. It is envisaged that there will be approximately 30 full time employees in relation to this activity. 3.2 The office use proposed is therefore similar to the offices in connection with “industrial” use elsewhere on the estate. EFB (IoM) Ltd intend to occupy the offices in connection with their core operations and it is the intention to run their international operations from the offices. It is envisaged that there will be approximately 50 full time employees. 3.3 It is intended to include an area for retail use on the ground floor of the offices. This area will be used as a showcase for one of the group brands “Oddbins” which caters for fine wine and champagne. This area can be used by the public, but is mainly for buyers and sales representatives visiting EFB (IoM) Ltd to view products. 3.4 The leisure/entertainment areas shown are grouped around the car parking, accessed solely from Ballafletcher Road and consist of 3 buildings:- #### 3.4.1 Public House/Restaurant/Motel EFB (IoM) Ltd identified that there was a need for a public house/restaurant to service their 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 (IoM) 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 of 9 en-suite rooms and 3 suites. The requirement in the first instance is for the motel to serve EFB (IoM) 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. It is envisaged that the facility will employ approximately 10 full time employees. #### 3.4.2 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 storey and will have soft play incorporating a framed structure with ball pits, shoes, tubes, nets and swings. The secure external area with soft surfaces has 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. It is expected there will be approximately 5 full time employees. #### 3.4.3 Entertainment Centre Sited opposite the above facilities this area is intended as a follow-on area in providing facilities for children and adults, the ground floor accommodating a 12 lane bowling alley with associated bar, café and games areas. 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 (IoM) Ltd and the adjacent business operations could also fulfil a community use 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. It is expected there will be approximately 5 full time employees. ### 4.0 Consultations #### 4.1 During the development of the scheme, the following were consulted:- - Mr A Holmes, Planning Officer - Mrs H Fletcher of the Department of Infrastructure (Highways) - Braddan Commissioners - Mr D Kinrade, Isle of Man Transport ### 5.0 Transport Highway Issues #### 5.1 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 120m 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 would be required in due course 5.2 An initial transport assessment has been made as follows; #### 5.2.1 Vehicle Access - Warehouse and offices from existing Estate Road to Ballafletcher Estate from Ballafletcher Road. - Leisure activities from a new entrance from Ballafletcher Road, sited midway between the existing crests in Ballafletcher Road. The entrance to be constructed in accordance with the current standards in Manx Roads 2. #### 5.2.2 Car Parking Car parking is to be provided in accordance with the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (7.6) parking standards" as follows:- The shortfall in numbers are taking into allowance that the uses proposed, will result in not all parts of the development being used concurrently and there will be some overlap or common car parking shown in front of the offices, which will be used at differing times. It is envisaged that the Entertainments Centre will be used largely at the weekend and evenings and the office in normal working hours. #### 6.0 Design Statement 6.1 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 fashion. [Table omitted in markdown export] 6.2 Separate access to the development was considered vital at an early stage, i.e., vehicle access to all leisure activities to be totally segregated from the offices and warehouse, which are entered from the existing service road. The leisure activities would be accessed from Ballafletcher Road. Parking is also segregated but the uses of the buildings will allow dual use of some parking in front of the offices, where activities will be taking place at differing times. 6.3 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. 6.4 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. 6.5 It has been possible to minimise the loss of trees with the careful positioning of the entrance. 6.6 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. 6.7 The warehouse is as large a building as possible taking into account the necessity 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 and its access past and separate car parking. We would consider therefore, that the loss of industrial use land to leisure use is minimal. ### 7.0 Summary 7.1 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 activities of warehouse and offices. 7.2 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, filling a real need for the community 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/1861-braddan-land-industrial-estate-ballafletcher-parking-outline/documents/1259444*