**Document:** Officer Planning Report Recommendation
**Application:** 09/01880/B — Creation of a car park and amenity woodland (comprising amendments to 05/92367/B)
**Decision:** Permitted
**Decision Date:** 2010-01-14
**Parish:** German
**Document Type:** report / officer_report
**Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/64285-st-johns-former-dot-depot/documents/1393633

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# Officer Planning Report Recommendation

**Application No.:** 09/01880/B
**Applicant:** Tynwald Mills (Isle Of Man) Ltd
**Proposal:** Creation of a car park and amenity woodland (comprising amendments to 05 / 92367 / B )
**Site Address:** Former DOT Depot And Adjacent Woodland Poortown Road St Johns Isle Of Man ### Considerations Case Officer : Mr Steve Stanley
**Expected Decision Level:** Senior Planning Officer ### Written Representations ### Consultations Consultee : Highways Division Notes: do not oppose Consultee : German Parish Commissioners Notes : Consultee : Drainage Division Notes: no objection

### Officer's Report

### Application Site

The application site relates to the former Department of Transport Depot which is located adjacent to Poortown Road. It is currently a vacant site which would appear to be used at times for parking with access off the Poortown Road. The site extends northwards to Ballig Bridge and westwards to Tynwald Mill. To the south of the application site is the River Neb and on the opposite side of the river is a converted mill building, which serves as a conference facility.

### Proposal

The proposal is to create a car park and amenity woodland. 31 parking spaces are to be provided along with a new footbridge which would be constructed over the River Neb to link the car park to Tynwald Mills and the Mill House conference facilities. The proposal is to create the parking area on the area currently laid with existing hardstanding incorporating new planting, and a pedestrian walkway. The car park would have a block pavior surface. The woodland area of the site would be retained and a riverside walk would be introduced through the trees. A gazebo would be provided which would incorporate information boards from the Manx Wildlife Trust. The existing access would 7 January 2010

be altered to improve visibility and a pedestrian gate would be provided. The proposal includes the removal of three trees, one of which has decayed.

## Planning History

04/00442/B sought approval for the erection of a timber built residential, recreational, educational and leisure facility with services for mentally and physically disabled persons and their carers, with car park and amenity woodland. This was withdrawn 15th December 2005.

00/00995/A sought approval in principle for creation of coach park and overspill car park. This was refused at appeal on 16th November 2001.

05/92367/B sought approval for the creation of a car park and amenity woodland, former DOT Depot and adjacent woodland. This was approved 29th June 2006 and is valid until 29th June 2010.

### Planning Status

The site falls within the area covered by the St Johns Local Plan (Planning Circular 6/99) as Registered Trees and as such is not zoned for development. However the site is also identified as Landscape Improvement Area A - The Department of Transport Depot at Tynwald Mills. Recommendation OS/R/1 refers to this area stating: "Removal of the existing concrete bases and the introduction of screen plating along the boundaries of the river edge. The Department of Transport has suggested that part of this area should be used for coach parking. Any proposal for such a facility must be carefully considered in light of local comments and traffic implications, and should include for consideration a new bridge over the River Neb providing pedestrian access onto the public road."

### Statutory Consultation Responses

German Parish Commissioners have not commented on this application. The Department of Transport Highways Division does not oppose this application. The Department of Transport Drainage Division does not object this application but requests that the applicant contact them to discuss any works on the watercourse and riverbanks including the construction of the bridge which would require consent under the Land Drainage Act 1934.

### Assessment

This application represents a revision to the development permitted under 05/92367/B which is a valid consent. The proposal differs from the approved scheme in a number of relatively minor ways. For clarity these, the main changes are listed as follows:

1. The car park area would be laid out so as to have a different boundary at its edge with the woodland area resulting in a reduced projection into the area of trees. The car park would also provide 31 spaces as opposed to 27 which has been achieved by altering the layout and removing two small tress.
2. The pedestrian bridge would be sited further to the east so as to provide access onto the lane which serves the conference centre and Tynwald Mills.
3. The car park surface would be finished with block paviours as opposed to chippings rolled in bitmac.

The previous application (05/92367/B) was supported by a letter from the Director of Highways dated 24th September 2004 which set out that the Department does not intend to pursue it own proposals for a coach park on the former depot and that coaches will continue to access the complex from

Tynwald Hill. This was previously accepted as demonstrating that the area is not needed to be used as a coach parking facility.

The applicant set out at the time of the previous application that the proposed car park is to be used for the benefit of the St Johns Mill Conference Centre which presently has parking provision limited to 2 disabled spaces to the front of the building. The use of Conference centre has been specifically set out in a condition attached to the planning permission for its conversion from a mill building. The condition requires the building can only be used as meeting rooms for religious groups, registered charities, and groups of like-minded persons concerned with cultural and educational matters, and for the social and recreational activities associated therewith.

The applicant has previously indicated that the Conference Centre currently hosts each month approximately 60 events of groups ranging from 5 to 50 persons and it is the intention of the applicants to provide appropriate parking provision on the adjacent DOT Depot.

The planning officer's assessment of the previous application concluded that:

"The car parking facility will greatly improve the parking provision for the centre and reduce the level of parking on the public highway, thus removing any potential highway conflicts. A new footbridge will provide a link over the River Neb from the car park to the centre. This will allow pedestrians to safely access the southern side of the river without having to venture onto the Poortown Road. The Highways Division of the DoT consider the proposal will not adversely affect highway safety."

It was further set out that:

"I acknowledge that the introduction of a car park into an area not zoned for development would be contrary to the adopted local plan. However, I consider the benefit of a car park for the Conference Centre will outweigh the policy conflict."

It is judged that the changes now proposed to the approved scheme are relatively minor and would not increase the impact of the development which already has an extant approval. The applicant has provided details of the lighting bollards, the bridge and the gazebo all of which are judged to be acceptable.

RECOMMENDATION

Permit.

## PARTY STATUS

It is considered that the following parties, who submitted comments, accord with the requirements of Planning Circular 1/06 and are therefore, afforded Interested Party Status:

German Parish Commissioners The Department of Transport Highways Division The Department of Transport Drainage Division

Recommendation

Recommended Decision: Permitted

Date of Recommendation: 07.01.2010

7 January 2010

09/01880/B

## Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

### C : Conditions for approval <br> N : Notes attached to conditions <br> R : Reasons for refusal <br> 0 : Notes attached to refusals

C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

C 2. This approval relates to the creation of a car park and amenity woodland, Former DOT Depot and adjacent woodland, Poortwôn Road, St Johns as shown by 017/001 received 3rd November 2009 and 017/002B and 017/003 received 6th January 2010.

C 3. The car park hereby permitted shall not be used until the vehicular and pedestrian means of access have been constructed in accordance with the approved plans. Those means of access shall thereafter be kept available at all times for their respective purposes.

C 4. No existing tree or shrub, with the exception of those shown as dotted circles on plan 017/002/B, shall be cut down, grubbed out, topped, lopped or uprooted without the written consent of the planning authority. Any such tree or shrub removed without such consent or dying, becoming seriously damaged or diseased within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development shall be replaced in the next planting season with another of similar size and species, unless the planning authority gives written consent to any variation.

C 5. The development shall not be commenced until adequate steps have been taken in accordance with the Trees Survey to safeguard all trees on the site and those whose root structure may extend within the site against damage or injury during construction works. In particular no excavations, site works, trenches or channels shall be cut or pipes or services or any other works carried out in such a way as to cause damage or injury to the trees by interference with their root structure and no soil or waste shall be deposited on the land in such a position as to be likely to cause damage or injury to the trees.

I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular No 09/09 Delegation of functions, 10/09 Delegation of Functions (Development Procedure), GC No 11/09 (Advertisements) and GC No 12/09 (Registered Buildings) all to the Senior Planning Officer

Decision Made : Permitted
Date :
Signed :
Senior Planning Officer

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*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/64285-st-johns-former-dot-depot/documents/1393633*