**Document:** Supporting Statement **Application:** 14/01437/B — Variation of condition 1 of approved application PA 11/00170/B (erection of an office building (Block A) with associated drainage works, car parking and landscaping) in order to extend period of permission by two years **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2015-01-23 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/5516-braddan-mea-building-condition-variation/documents/914776 --- # Supporting Statement ## Dandara Commercial Ltd. Erection of office building with associated drainage works, car parking and landscaping, part of field 521895, between Cooil Road and MEA building, Isle of Man Business Park, Braddan. ### Supporting Information 1. The site is an area of approximately 0.3 acres (excluding access road) which adjoins the eastern side of Cooil Road, adjacent to the existing MEA Headquarters building and associated depot. It is within an area which has previously been approved for Business Park use under PAs 89/04166 & 90/04155 and is included within the Business Park "Masterplan" area identified in the Braddan Local Plan. It was also within an area proposed for Business Park use in the Draft Braddan Parish Plan 2003. 2. Much of the site is clear of topsoil and vegetation having previously been used as a temporary builders compound (approved under PA 04/01292). An application which sought approval in principle for the creation of two commercial development plots on fields 521888 & 521895 was subsequently refused due to concerns over access (which was to be taken directly from Cooil Road) and the introduction of a car sales use to the area. Planning approval has more recently been granted under PA 10/00749 to erect an office building on land immediately to the north west of the site (which is currently under construction) and under PA 10/01676 to erect an office/warehouse building directly to the south east. 3. It is now proposed to develop the site with an office building to be used as corporate headquarters (Block A), with associated access and drainage provisions, car parking and landscaping. A separate application has been submitted which seeks approval for a larger office building (Blocks B & C) on a site immediately to the west. The buildings have been designed to take into account their location, including the recently approved buildings on either side, and in part they sit upon columns which raise the accommodation up to first floor level. The need to provide modern office accommodation in a commercial setting is an important consideration and a design statement accompanies the application. 4. Vehicular access to the site is to be taken through the Isle of Man Business Park and not directly from Cooil Road. Block A will provide approximately 405 sq.m of nett office space and the 27 parking spaces to be provided will satisfy the relevant parking standard of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (1 space per 15 sq.m of nett floorspace for out of town offices). The application is accompanied by a Transport Assessment prepared by Bryan G Hall Consulting Civil & Transportation Planning Engineers which confirms that "the traffic likely to be generated by the two application proposals and by the development of the adjoining undeveloped land will not be detrimental to the safety or convenience of other road users within the Business Park", and which goes on to conclude that "the application proposals conform with the Policies of the extant Braddan Parish District Local Plan, the Draft Braddan Parish Plan and the Isle of Man Strategic Plan and that planning permission should not be withheld for any of these reasons." 5. The Manx sod hedge which forms the original roadside boundary is to be retained and strengthened where necessary, and the trees which exist at the site boundary are to be retained and protected during construction. Further landscaping and planting is to take place within the site. The application is accompanied by an Energy Impact Assessment/Statement as required by Energy Policy 5 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan¹. ¹ An Energy Impact Assessment/Statement is attached at Appendix 1 ## Appendix 1 Energy Impact Assessment/Statement ## Energy Impact Assessment ### Background The Isle of Man Strategic Plan states: **Energy – Policy 5:** 'The Department will prepare a Planning Policy Statement on Energy Efficiency. Pending the preparation and adoption of that PPS the Department will require proposals for more than 5 dwellings or 100 square metres of other development to be accompanied by an Energy Impact Assessment.'¹ The above Policy Statement is further defined with the following: #### 12.2.10 'In addition to alternative sources of energy supply, the Strategic Objectives in Chapter 3 refer to the promotion of efficiency and economy in the use of resources and the reduction of energy consumption by more efficient use of energy through energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction. There are numerous ways of increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption both in the design and construction of new development and its subsequent operation, management and maintenance. The Building Regulations set standards for energy efficiency in new buildings including walls, windows, roofs and heating appliances. But the design and layout of new developments can in themselves reduce energy consumption through for example Passive Solar Estate Layouts.'² Added to this are the various solar panel, photovoltaic cell, solar energy and heat pump technologies.'¹ #### 12.2.11 'Within the Strategic Objectives relating to resource and to energy efficiency, the Department wishes to promote a greater awareness and recognition, of the benefits both to the environment and the consumer of energy efficiency in its widest sense. To this end the Department intends to prepare a Planning Policy Statement on Energy Efficiency. In the meantime it will require a planning application for more than 5 dwellings or commercial development of more than 100 square metres to be accompanied by an Energy Impact Statement'³ to demonstrate what measures have been taken in the design of the development to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency.'¹ --- (1) Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 (2) UK Department of the Environment General Information Report 27 – Passive Solar Estate Layout (3) Definition From Appendix 1 of Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 – 'Energy Impact Statement: An assessment, prepared by the developer/applicant, of the impacts of the development in terms of energy consumption and proposals for reducing that consumption and improving the energy efficiency of the development.' The attached document is a suggestion of a possible format for an Energy Impact Assessment as required by Energy Policy 5 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan. The headings for the Energy Impact Assessment have been drawn from the following documents: - Town and Country Planning Act 1999 – Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 - UK Communities and Local Government documents: 'Code for Sustainable Homes – A Step-change in sustainable home building practice'. 'Regulatory Impact Assessment Energy Performance of Buildings Directive Articles 7-10' - BRE BREEAM Ecohomes Standards and Sustainability Checklist (including Pre-Assessment Estimator) - Sustainability Checklists – Woking Borough Council - Energy Saving Trust – Passive Solar Estate Layout (specifically referred to in 12.2.10 of the Strategic Plan) - Town & Country Planning Association (TCPA) 'Planning for Sustainable Energy' ## Dandara – Energy Impact Assessment [Table omitted in markdown export] SCHEME: Isle of Man Business Park [Table omitted in markdown export] [Table omitted in markdown export] --- *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/5516-braddan-mea-building-condition-variation/documents/914776*