**Document:** APL Plans and Design Access Statement **Application:** 21/00703/C — Change of use of domestic garages to individual garage units **Decision:** Refused **Decision Date:** 2021-08-11 **Parish:** Lezayre **Document Type:** report / design_access_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/7689-lezayre-the-elms-garage-change-of-use/documents/934555 --- # APL Plans and Design Access Statement ## The Elms, Lezayre Road, Ramsey Design and Access Statement February 2021 Prepared by: Ochre Building Design The Pump House Coton Hill Mewesbury 9Y1 2OP 01743 891961 www.ochredesign.co.uk ![A photograph showing the exterior of a white, multi-story terraced building with balconies and dormer windows, set against a blue sky with a grassy foreground.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109835.jpg) ### Contents Client Kerresforth Ltd. 14 Albert Street Douglas IM1 2QA 1. Introduction 1.01 Introduction 1.02 Planning History 2. Location and Site Context 2.01 Location View 2.02 Historic Views 2.03 Existing Views of the Site 3. Planning Statement and Sustainability 3.01 Planning Statement 3.02 Sustainability 4. Original Submission Drawings 5. Conclusion ## 1 Introduction #### 1.01 Introduction This Design and Access Statement has been prepared by Ochre Building Design, in support of its full planning application to remove the existing garages, which were built as part of the development, from the original planning approval. It is fully understood that this would reduce the overall parking provision available to the residents of The Elms but, in the 17 years since the development was completed the garages have not been used other than some occasional storage. This application is made with the detailed knowledge of the operation of the site since it was first completed and, it is felt, the existing parking provision is significantly more than is required in practice. #### 1.02 Planning History The site was purchased in 2002 and a planning application was submitted and approved for 12 apartments (02/01454/B Approved 12 th December 2002). A further planning application was made for 20 apartments and is the one that was carried out to completion (03/00345/B approved 17th July 2003). ## 2 Location and Site Context ![An aerial location map showing the site boundaries and surrounding landmarks such as Ramsey Grammar School and Lezayre Road.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109837.jpg) ### 2.01 Location View ## 2 Location and Site Context ![An aerial satellite view from Google Earth (2006) showing a property circled in red labeled 'The Elms' situated near a road and other buildings.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109838.jpg) ### 2.02 Historic Views **The Elms** **Google Earth View July 2006** ## 2 Location and Site Context ![An annotated aerial site plan overlaid on a Google Earth image, highlighting a specific area with a red circle and pointing out '8 no. garages' and a 'Site entrance'.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109839.jpg) ### 2.02 Historic Views ### 8 no. garages ### Site entrance ### Google Earth View July 2011 ### The Elms ## 2 Location and Site Context ![An annotated aerial site plan showing a cluster of garages and a site entrance with red circles and arrows.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109840.jpg) ### 2.02 Historic Views **The Elms** **Google Earth View March 2012** ## 2 Location and Site Context ![An annotated aerial view map showing a site with a red circle highlighting '8 no. garages' and a 'Site Entrance'.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109841.jpg) ### 2.02 Historic Views ### 8 no. garages ### Site Entrance ### Leend ### Google Earth View May 2018 ### The Elms ### 2 Location and Site Context ![A low-quality, overexposed photograph showing a street scene with a large building on the right, parked cars, and a grassy foreground area.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109842.jpg) ![A low-resolution photograph showing a street scene with parked cars, a driveway, and buildings in the background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109843.jpg) ![A photograph showing a white garage structure behind a black metal fence, with a larger residential building visible in the background.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109844.jpg) #### 2.03 Existing Views of The Site View of the car park with the garages on the left View of the car park with the garages on the right View of the entrance gates to the car park with the garages to the right ## 3 Planning Statement and Sustainability #### 3.01 Planning Statement The extant planning approval is for 20 apartments ( bed and bed) with a parking provision of 24 car parking spaces and 8 garages, including 3 disabled spaces, giving a parking provision of . From the time the development was completed the car park has been under utilised and the garages have had almost zero interest apart from 2 being used by the building owner for storage. This has been the case over the 17-year history of the development. The Elms is a gated development so, as can be seen from the historic Google Earth views on previous pages, there is no incidental or opportunist parking resulting in a car park which is hardly used. Further, the nature of the apartments is such that it does not lend itself to mature families with older children and is mostly occupied by a mix of younger and older couples or people living on their own. This results in a much smaller number of vehicles per household than would normally be expected and it is highly unlikely that this will change in any significant way. #### 3.02 Sustainability The site is well positioned to make best use of all the services that Ramsey, the second largest town in the Isle of Man, has to offer. The site has been considered in terms of its accessibility by non-car modes and the following conclusions can be drawn: - The site is well located to generate trips on foot and provides potential for a high degree of linked walk trips between the development, the surrounding area and the shops and facilities in Ramsey. - It can be demonstrated that the site is accessible by cycle, with several local cycle routes to be found online for both road bikes and mountain bikes. The north and west of the Island is particularly suited to cycling for all ages and abilities. ### Planning Statement and Sustainability ![A location map showing the application site circled in red near Lezayre Estate in Ramsey, displaying surrounding roads and the coastline.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109845.jpg) - The close proximity of bus stops on Lezayre Road, which serve the adjacent schools, and the bus station in Ramsey, which is a level 10-minute walk from The Elms, offers services to Peel, Douglas, and Laxey. This demonstrates that the proposed development can be accessed by bus. Further, the regular bus services run for much of the day and late into the evening making it an excellent and reliable alternative to using a car. - The site is also a 10-minute walk from the Manx Electric Railway Terminus, which runs from March to November, although this is less likely to be used for commuting. ## 4 Original Submission Drawings ![A site plan showing the layout of 8 proposed garage units, site entrance, and surrounding roads like Leaving Road.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109846.jpg) ### 8 no. garages #### Site Entrance #### Building ### Approved drawing for the site layout. ## 4 Original Submission Drawings ![Architectural drawings showing elevations and a floor plan of a long garage block.](https://images.planningportal.im/2021/06/109847.jpg) ### Approved drawing for the existing garages. ## 5 Conclusion The reason behind this application is that the garages are a wasted asset as part of the approved development. We feel it is quite clearly demonstrated that this is the case over the 17 years since the project was completed. Also, the residual parking ( 24 spaces) has never been used to capacity in all that time. It is felt that, by separating the garages from the extant approval, they can be sold or let independently and separately which is for the greater good as there is always a need for good quality garages from the wider community. This will not preclude current residents from owning or leasing the garages subject to availability. We made an initial enquiry to gain an indication as to whether this application was likely to be successful and one of the negative reasons was that more journeys would be generated if the garages were split from the overall development. We do not feel this is the case as we are not increasing the number of garages and parking so the number of journeys would be commensurate. Further, it is likely that the garages will be used for storage and/or leisure related activities such as sailing, motor bikes or older cars. The site, being a gated development, will not encourage additional overspill parking in the local area as only those with permitted access will be able to open the gates to reach the garages. We fully understand the need for parking provision and the formula that is in use for new developments. However, in this particular instance, it can be seen that the current parking provision is excessive, under utilised and unlikely to change at any time in the foreseeable future. --- *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/7689-lezayre-the-elms-garage-change-of-use/documents/934555*