**Document:** Approval in Principle Submission **Application:** 17/00684/A — Approval in principle for the erection of a 80 bed Care Home **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2018-10-18 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/10910-braddan-land-adjoining-far-end-king-erection-80-bed-outline/documents/1305027 --- # Approval in Principle Submission ## 1700684 L4200(10)/3.1/JS/SE/02 22nd June 2017 Planning and Building Control Directorate Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2SF For the attention of Mr Chris Balmer Dear Sir, ### Proposed Care Home Development at Far End King Edward Road, Onchan, Isle of Man SUBMISSION FOR APPROVAL IN PRINCIPLE Further to earlier email communications, please find attached Planning Application form, (PA Form 2(i)), Planning Application Check List (Form PL.7(i)), Certificate of Land Ownership (Certificate 01(i) along with the schedule of drawings list and drawings for the above. With regard to the specific points that you set out in your email of 19th June 2017, I set out below key information for your consideration as part of this application. 1. Principle of the use The principle of the use would be for an 80 bed Care Home with the proposals set on three floors designed in an L-shaped plan form positioned so as to utilise sea views from each side of the building. Our Client believes that there is sufficient demand in the area for such a use, especially because of the increasing aging population. The building would be split into wings so that on each floor there are smaller independent areas which can be dedicated to different and specific care need groups thereby adding flexibility to its use. ### 2. Parking provision The parking provision would amount to 30 car spaces which equates to approx one space per 3 beds which should be more than adequate provision as no resident will have the ability to have a car. The parking provision is therefore essentially for staff and visitors to residents. - As far as traffic and transportation Issues we would point out the following: - Maximum staffing will be during daytime and will be approximately 20 - 24 people. Night time staffing will be less. There will be 3 shifts in operation and part-time staff will also be employed. The shift patterns for nursing and care assistant staff are 8.00 am to 2.00 pm , 2.00 pm to 8.00 pm and 8.00 pm to 8.00 am . In addition other staff (administration and cleaning staff) work 9.00 am to 5.30 pm . Part time care assistants work more flexible times to suit i.e. at peak times within the main shifts. As a consequence of these staffing patterns those staff who do use cars will arrive at staggered times during the course of the day. About 80 staff in total will be employed. - Where cars are used by staff, car sharing is common practice. - It should be pointed out that no residents will be car owners or users by virtue of either old age or their infirmity hence being in the Care Home. Residents in the Home will be drawn from the local community - however unfortunately it is a common experience for residents to be visited on a very infrequent basis. - From experience where Care Homes are built with car parking levels in compliance with the highway standards these are often less than occupied even at the busiest times. - We therefore consider and conclude that the provision of a minimum of 27 spaces will be a suitable number for this development. - Cycle parking with 6 'Sheffield' cycle racks is also proposed outside of the building main entrance. - The anticipated servicing and vehicular movements to the Care Home are anticipated to be as follows: No vehicular ownership. Bicycle, car or on foot. Shift change over times being and 8.00 pm generating 15-20 vehicle movements per day. For taking residents to hospital for clinic appointments etc, generating 2-4 vehicle movements per day. By transit van giving bulk deliveries 2-3 times per week. 1-2 times per week. By car generating 1 or 2 vehicle movements per day. Unfortunately due to the very nature of the residents in a Care Home often few relatives remain and visits if any are of an infrequent nature, and from experience would generate from 2-8 vehicular movements per day. Visits also tail off the longer the period the resident lives in the Care Home. In conclusion it is clear that the development will generate only very low levels of traffic, and as an overall guide at maximum it is unlikely that in excess of 40-45 vehicular movements would be generated each day. It is generally recognised the traffic generated by developments of this kind are low. ## 3. Highway Impacts The site already has the benefit of a vehicular site access having been formed directly off King Edward Road with appropriate sight lines for a development of this nature (bearing in mind the low vehicular movements as noted above). There have already been formed an onsite driveway to serve the site (previously approved for a small number of dwellings one of which has been built and with it appropriate turning facilities would be formed to ensure that all vehicles using and serving the site will access and egress it in a forward gear. 4. Visibility splays and access onto King Edward Road The site already has the benefit of a vehicular site access having been formed directly off King Edward Road with appropriate sight lines for a development of this nature (bearing in mind the low vehicular movements as noted above). There have already been formed an onsite driveway to serve the site (previously approved for a small number of dwellings one of which has been built and with it appropriate turning facilities would be formed to ensure that all vehicles using and serving the site will access and egress it in a forward gear. 5. Impacts on Neighbouring Properties The only neighbouring properties are individual dwellings to one side of the site only (all other sides are open. By careful planning to set the proposed building well away from these properties distances are well beyond the acceptable minimums and therefore overshadowing and over-looking will not be a problem. Furthermore the property immediately adjacent to the proposal will not be directly overlooked by virtue of the part of the proposal being gabled. 6. Impact upon the visual amenities of the street scene The proposal for the development immediately facing King Edward Drive would be part two and part three storeys but predominately two storeys to this frontage and as a consequence of the sloping nature of the site the ground floor will be set down below the road level effectively as a basement so that in essence the visual appearance will be similar to other properties along King Edward Road. 7. Appropriate Design The proposal would adopt a similar design approach to that of the previously and approved housing development by having a contemporary designed approach with rendered walls, flat roofs (green) and varying window sizes to reflect differing room uses, and integration of balcony terraces to day rooms on upper floors. 8. Open Space Provision A substantial amount of the site will remain as open space. It should however be noted that the nature of the residents of the Home are such that utilisation of gardens is more passive rather than active. Therefore the open space is more of one for visual stimulation (coupled with the views from the site itself) to promote an appropriate place in which residents can reside in their old age. In addition there will be patio areas close to the building as well as balcony terraces at upper floors and at the end of the wings to also provide areas which the residents can readily access and utilise. 9. How the proposed building would sit within the site given the sloping topography Consequential upon the sloping site in order to achieve level building floor plates there will need to be an amount of cut and fill resulting in the front section of the building running parallel to King Edward Road being set down to an appropriate level (approx 59 m with the lowest level on the King Edward Road side being a basement) and the side wing would follow the same level such that the lower portion would be partially raised out of the ground and ramped away. This section is also cut back at the uppermost floor level to create a roof terraced area. Attached are some sketch plans illustrating the relationships to aid full understanding. ## 10. Affordable Housing Provision As this proposal is for a Care Home and not housing in the true sense of the description it is considered that affordable housing would not be applicable to this development. 11. Amenities of future occupants (outlook clear pleasant views and outside space) Item 8 above to a certain extent covers this item and we would reiterate that virtually all residents will have views from their bedrooms and in addition and most especially from the dayrooms. This will be supplemented with the provision of large patio areas at the ground floor level and also the inclusion of balcony / roof terraces at upper levels so that sea views will be enjoyed throughout. The facilities within the Care Home will not only be bedrooms and dayrooms but will also include other amenity rooms including Cinema, Hair Salon, Bistro / Café bar amongst other such facilities including activity rooms so that the Homes residents can enjoy the remainder of their life to the full. In addition please see below information relating to item 20 of the Planning Application Form. ## 1. Agents Details John Stockill DWA Architects (London) Limited Cyclops House Link Business Park York YO10 3JB Telephone: 01904544400 Email: john@dwa-architects.co.uk ### 2. Description of the Proposals The proposals are for the development of an 80 bedroom Care Home on the existing land on which there were previous approvals for the development of a small number of large detached houses. This application is to establish whether the general principle of such a development would be considered acceptable as illustrated on the enclosed sketch proposals. ### 3. Explanation of the Proposals The submitted sketch plans illustrate the achievement of an 80 bed care home development in an L-shape with 25 beds at level 1, 30 beds at level 2 and 25 beds at level 3 with the ancillary rooms distributed to suit. There would be 30 car spaces. The design would be contemporary styled with flat roofs (green roofs) so as not to affect the ability to have sea views from all rooms. ### 4. Site Location Plan and Site Layout A site location plan is appended to this statement. A proposed sketch section is appended to this statement. Proposed site layout sketch plans are also attached to this statement. ### 5. Sketch Drawings of Outline Proposals Sketch drawings including floor plans, site section and site plan illustrating the proposals for the development on the site accompany this statement. These are sketch plans only at this stage to help illustrate how the 80 bed development could be achieved on this site in order to establish the suitability of this in principle application. In terms of the elevational treatment and the form of the building it is anticipated that this would be contemporary in style with flat roofs and balconies etc to help break up the overall massing of the proposed development. ## 6. Description of the Site The site is currently vacant. The site is the remainder of a large plot of land which was to have four large detached houses built on it, and as yet only one has been built so far. The plot of land being the subject of this application is in respect of the remaining land upon which there is an existing approval to build a further three large detached houses each on at least three levels. The site slopes steeply down from King Edward Road to the sea by approximately 24 m . An access road has previously been constructed on the site as part of the works in constructing a private dwelling with perfectly adequate sight lines and junction arrangements. This driveway would be utilised for the proposed development. ### 7. Planning History Planning reference PA08/2129/B relates to the erection of a dwelling on plot 4 of land adjoining 'Far End' King Edward Road, Onchan approved on appeal July 2009 planning reference 07/02101B relates to four detached dwellings and the creation of a new access on the site of Far End. ### 8. Photographs There are no photographs available of the site. ### 9. Known Development Constraints The main development constraints are: - the steeply sloping nature of the site - the access road which is already in place ### 10. Technical Studies There are no technical studies available at this point. Trusting that this is to your satisfaction. Yours faithfully ### John Stockill For and on behalf of DWA Architects (London) Ltd john@dwa-architects.co.uk Enc. //Cont.... --- *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/10910-braddan-land-adjoining-far-end-king-erection-80-bed-outline/documents/1305027*