**Document:** Design Statement
**Application:** 03/00038/B — Residential development comprising 8 first time buyers houses and six sheltered housing units, new bus shelter, layby and associated works
**Decision:** Permitted
**Decision Date:** 2003-07-01
**Parish:** Malew
**Document Type:** report / planning_statement
**Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/73104-malew-land-at-ballacubbon/documents/1561548

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# Design Statement

## Design Statement

### Proposed Development Of Land At Ballacubbon, Colby, Isle Of Man, For The Department Of Local Government And The Environment.

| PLANNING COMMITTEE |
| :--: |
| SECRETARY'S OFFICE |
| RECEIVED |
| -2 APR 2003 |
| 30038 |

Office of Architecture
Department of Local Government and the Environment
Murray House
Mount Havelock
Douglas
IM1 2SF

## Site Analysis.

The site is located to the East side of the Colby Glen Road, South of the football pitch and accessed from the main Colby to Castletown road.

The access currently forms the hedge lined drive to Ballacubbon House, a private residence to which access has to be maintained throughout the construction of the proposed development, which effectively divides the site into two areas.

The area to the East (approximately 1.7 acres) is bounded by rear gardens of private bungalows of a previous development, and the area to the West (approximately 1.45 acres) by rear gardens of older properties to Glen Road, some of which are either on or very near to the site boundary, and overlook the site.

Ballacubbon House is bounded by established non-coniferous trees, which in the majority will be retained. As part of an agreement in purchasing the land a boundary wall has been constructed in manx stone for which planning approval has been granted.

During the process of preparing sketch plans, the Arbory Parish Commissioners were in contact with this Department suggesting that consideration might be given to incorporating a village shop in this development as both the Post Office and the last remaining village shop have been lost, however it is now understood that a new shop has now been opened in the village. Nevertheless a space has been made available adjacent to the bus shelter, which has been indicated on the drawings as Public Open Space. However if a shop is to be included at some later stage a drainage engineer may have to be engaged to liase with the Department of Drainage Division, due to restrictions on the number of units permitted in both the Local Plan and capacity of the existing sewer system as advised by the Drainage Division.

A bus shelter and a 3.0 metre deep lay-by have been included in the proposals, as required by the Department of Transport, Highways Division, who as a result of consultations with them have also agreed that the vision lines at the site access are acceptable.

Following further discussions with the Arbory Parish Commissioners alternative sketch plans were prepared totalling 14 units to address the assessment of need, incorporating:
a) 8 first time buyer houses.
b) 6 elderly persons units (ideal location in the village)

The application for Approval in Principle, submitted by this Department in July 2001 for a housing development for mixed use comprising First Time Buyer houses and Elderly Persons Units was subsequently approved.

This application was submitted in order to establish that areas 12 and 16 referred to in the Arbory and East Rushen Local Plan can be considered as one site, in that the distribution

of units, although total 14 no. vary from numbers stated per area, ( 6 dwellings area 12, and 8 dwellings area 16 ).

There is an overall fall of approximately 3.5 metres from the rear of the site towards the Main road, which has been addressed in considering the design for this scheme.

The preferred layout of this department comprises a terrace of 6 first time buyer houses and six elderly persons housing units in the western area (area 12) and 2 first time buyer houses in the eastern area (area 16) which, due to the location of buildings in the bounding property have been sited accordingly. All the properties include for associated car parking.

The submitted scheme allows a large area of public open space for a children's play area etc. adjacent to the football field, a further variation of the requirements of the Arbory and East Rushen Local Plan.

Following consultations with the Planning Officer responsible for this district an additional play area has also been incorporated, which will be fully equipped for the younger children.

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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/73104-malew-land-at-ballacubbon/documents/1561548*