**Document:** DEC Officer Report **Application:** 22/00942/B — Erection of a site cabin. **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2022-10-21 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/9243-braddan-gas-bottling-plant-cabin/documents/954997 --- # DEC Officer Report ## PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION **Application No.:** 22/00942/B **Applicant:** Manx Gas Ltd **Proposal:** Erection of a site cabin. **Site Address:** Gas Bottling Plant Peel Road Industrial Estate Braddan Douglas Isle Of Man IM4 4LF **Planning Officer:** Mr Toby Cowell **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 14.10.2022 ## Conditions and Notes for Approval C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions - C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. - C 2. All new surface drains are to connect to existing surface drains. Reason: to ensure that surface water from the development doesn't enter the water course without any interception. This will allow any pollution caught by surface water drains to be diluted, reducing the possibility of injury or disturbance of fish within the river. This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed development is considered to be minor in nature, of an appropriate design, footprint and scale, and therefore acceptable from a visual impact perspective, in compliance with General Policy 2. Plans/Drawings/Information; Drawings; This approval relates to drawings referenced; 01, 02 & 04, received 27.07.22, and revised drawing referenced; 03, received 21.09.22. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None. _____________________________________________________________________________ ## Officer’s Report 1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site comprises the extent of the Manx Gas storage site in Union Mills, Braddan. The site sits on the north-eastern side of Peel Road and within a wider Industrial Estate. The site is set at higher ground than Peel Road and bounds on the north-eastern side the River Dhoo and the Dismantled Railway Line. Within the site are a number of tanks, loading areas, firefighting tanks and filling platforms. Along the north-western boundary is the existing pedestrian gated access into the site and a site office and storage building, east of this office building are 5 existing off road car parking spaces for staff. Primary access to the site is from the south. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Permission is sought for the erection of a prefabricated jack leg site cabin, measuring 8 x 3.6m extending to a height of 2.4m with a flat roof. The cabin would include a kitchen unit and seating area for staff members and visitors working at the site. The structure would be sited immediately adjacent to the existing site office, recessed approximately 8m from the existing emergency pedestrian access. ## - 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning applications that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application. - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as 'industrial' within the Area Plan for the East and forms part of the service village of Union Mills, is not within a Conservation Area or an area at risk of flooding. General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan 2016 requires development, amongst other things, to be of a suitable design so as to respect the site and its surroundings, whilst not adversely affecting the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape. - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Braddan Parish Commissioners - no objection (19.08.22) 5.2 DEFA Fisheries - no objection, subject to condition requiring surface drains to be connection to the existing surface drains (24.08.22) - 5.3 Highways Services - raised concern over siting of the proposed cabin as it could obstruct vehicular fire exit. Further explanation required over fire and rescue appliance access or a revised position should be shown (19.08.22). An amended plan was submitted and additional information provided noting that the fire access in question was for pedestrian use only during an emergency but having no right of vehicular access. The site benefits from its own water deluge system and the fire and rescue service would enter through the main gate to the south or position appliances on Peel Road which sits above the site. This explanation was considered to be acceptable by Highways Services. ## - 6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposed site cabin would be of a moderate scale and footprint, which would sit comfortably within the site and read in the context of existing buildings and structures, including the adjacent site office. The site is, in any case, fairly well self-contained with the resultant cabin unlikely to be overly visible from surrounding public viewpoints. No concerns are therefore raised from a visual perspective, in compliance with General Policy 2. 6.2 Following the submission of an amended site plan and further clarification from the agent, no concerns are raised over the location of the cabin with respect to the obstruction of fire and rescue vehicles. Surface and foul water drainage would be managed as per existing, which can be secured via condition at the request of DEFA Fisheries. - 7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed development is considered to be highly minor in nature, of an appropriate design, footprint and scale, and therefore acceptable from a visual impact perspective, in compliance with General Policy 2. The application is therefore recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: - (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); - (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; - (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; - (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and - (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material. 8.2 The decision maker must determine: - o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and - o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status. I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status. Decision Made : Permitted Date: 20.10.2022 Determining officer Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Principal Planner Customer note This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records. --- *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/9243-braddan-gas-bottling-plant-cabin/documents/954997*