**Document:** Officer Report
**Application:** 18/00817/C — Additional use of part of car park within school grounds for parking of up to 5 minibuses (retrospective)
**Decision:** Permitted
**Decision Date:** 2018-12-24
**Parish:** Lezayre
**Document Type:** report / officer_report
**Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/11919-lezayre-west-building-ramsey/documents/985968

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# Officer Report

**Application No.:** 18/00817/C
**Applicant:** Department Of Infrastructure
**Proposal:** Additional use of part of car park within school grounds for parking of up to 5 minibuses (retrospective)
**Site Address:** West Building Ramsey Grammar School Lezayre Road Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 2RG
**Planning Officer:** Mr Owen Gore
**Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation
**Recommended Decision:** Permitted
**Date of Recommendation:** 20.12.2018 _________________________________________________________________

## Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

C 1. The proposed use of the site for the parking of minibuses, hereby approved, shall be restricted to within the hatched area shown on the submitted Site Plan, date-stamped as having been received 02 August 2018. This area shall be restricted to a maximum of 5 minibuses parked on the site at any one time.

Reason: To ensure that there is no further loss of parking for the wider use of the site in accordance with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This planning permission relates to the following plans and documents: Covering Letter/Planning Statement dated 1 August 2018 Site Location Plan Parking Area Plan Existing Photographs Date-stamped as having been received 02 August 2018 _______________________________________________________________

### Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following Government Departments should be given Interested Person Status on the basis that they have made written submissions relating to planning considerations:

The Isle of Man Constabulary on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site forms the car park for the Ramsey Grammar School (west) on Lezayre Road, which is to the north west of the main school building and to the rear of the properties 'Cara Mieon', 'Chowrassie' and 'Kerrocoar' on Lezayre Road. The plan indicates a hardstanding area/parking area to be used for the minibus parking area. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal is for the additional use of part of the school car park for the parking of up to five minibuses; the application is retrospective. In reference to this site the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) have stated 'we have been operating from this site ever since we took over operations from DEC, and there have been as many as four vehicles parked overnight here without an issues. We enjoy an excellent relationship with the school…and drivers do not park their cars within the school grounds. Buses are parked only after 5pm and are gone before 7:30am'. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site is shown on the Ramsey Local Plan Order 1998 map No.2 as being within the local plan area and the site is designated within an 'Schools and Other Establishments in Large Grounds' with the additional confirmation of the use as a secondary school. The site is not within a Conservation Area.

3.2 As discussed later in this report, the minibuses are intended to serve a range of uses and are not specifically for use in connection with the wider use of the site. However the immediate use of this part of the site and the area proposed is for the parking of vehicles and therefore General Policy 2 is considered to apply in this instance; this policy states that proposals that are in accordance with the land-use zoning and states that development will normally be permitted where it: -

- (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
- (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape;

- (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
- (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
- (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;

## PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The previous planning applications on the site are not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application.

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division confirms that they have reviewed the proposal and do not oppose, in the letter dated 04 September

2018. The comments continued: -

'The minibuses would be parked on the site when not in use providing local bus services or contract operations. The application states that the vehicles would not be maintained, cleaned

or refuelled on the site. The proposal would not change the existing site access arrangements with access via the existing entrance to the site car park from the A3 Lezayre Road. There is also access to the site via Crossags Lane that would not be affected by the proposals.

There should be sufficient room on the site to accommodate 5 parked minibuses so the proposal should not create any new highway issues.

Highway Services does not oppose the application.'

5.2 Ramsey Town Commissioners have commented on this application and stated that they have no objection, in the letter dated 22 August 2018. - 5.3 The Isle of Man Constabulary, Architectural Liaison Officer have submitted comments on the application, initially in the letter dated 20 August 2018 and the follow up email dated 20 November 2018. The comments dated 20 August 2018 objected to the proposal; the comments were as follows: -

'Examination of the said application raises some concerns, I object to this application on the grounds stated and I respectfully request these be considered and made as part of the application:

1. The parking of these vehicles will be out of hours and left with no capable guardian during the hours of darkness by this very nature these expensive mini busses will be vulnerable to criminal damage. Theft of road fuel has increased over recent years on commercial vehicles parking in remote areas. I have visited the School and note some CCTV is present this mainly concentrates on the buildings rather than car park there is minimal lighting this will reduce the chances of offenders being caught. Larger towns already have provisions for bus parking bespoke CCTV and lighting and therefore in my professional opinion these are fit for purpose and should be used.'

5.4 The follow up email dated 20 November 2018 confirmed that additional consideration and discussions have been carried out; the comments were as follows: -

'Risks had been identified for example theft of fuel and general criminal damage and in many cases no CCTV is present at these locations. I have today met with Bus Vannin today and echoed these concerns however they have taken this into their business risk and explained their rational for these vehicles being sighted on these Government owned locations. During the conversation other security specification will be explored as the fleet is being replaced to reduce the concerns although this will be over a lengthy period of time although this satisfies my immediate concerns.

I therefore respectfully ask could this email be added to these applications that are under consideration.'

ASSESSMENT Background

6.1 The proposal is for the additional use of part of the school car park for the parking of up to five minibuses; the application is retrospective.

6.2 Bus Vannin is understood to have two distinct sections; big buses for the local bus network and minibuses, which are separate operations. The main big local network buses are garaged at the three main depots in Ramsey, Douglas and Port Erin. - 6.3 The minibus section is understood to comprise of 67 minibuses between 9 and 16 seats, which are garaged overnight at 39 different locations. These vehicles are operated under a 'courtesy' licence held by the DoI, under which no commercial activity is permitted. Of these 67

- vehicles, 33 are directly operated by Bus Vannin staff, the remainder are used exclusively by schools or other agencies, and 14 of the vehicles are owned by the schools themselves.
- 6.4 The DoI is now understood to be moving 10 of the minibuses from the 'courtesy', licence to the 'big bus' licence to permit the use of the vehicles on private hire and demand responsive services. The current application includes a proportion of these buses that will be covered by the new licence. The remainder of the buses will stay on the existing licence and can be stored in 'Any suitable location owned or operated by an Isle of Man Government department, statutory board or agency.' It is also understood that the number of minibuses included in the description of the current application is a maximum that can be parked on the site and this is not the expected number of vehicles every night. Due to the nature of the use of these vehicles, some will park in one location on some nights and in others on other nights.
- 6.5 The DoI do not envisage any changes in the way vehicles operate in and out of operating centres. Whether used for commercial or courtesy services, the activity that the driver and vehicle undertakes at the operation centres identical; the driver arrives at the vehicle undertakes his daily checks and drives away from the location. At the end of the day, the vehicle is returned, parked and locked.
- 6.6 The locations are only used for overnight parking and there will be no maintenance undertaken (except in the case of a breakdown), no fuelling or washing, there are no driver changeovers taking place during the day, there is no supervision required and no cash being held on site or counted by drivers. There is no intention to use this location for any vehicle with more than 17 seats or more, as these will remain a separate operation. Although it is possible that there will be days that the vehicles are not required and will need to remain on site all day. Principle
- 6.7 The minibuses are intended to serve a range of uses and are not specifically for use in connection with the wider use of the site. However the list of intended users provided in the applicant's statement includes operations carried out on behalf of The Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC), which operates the Island's schools and the University College Isle of Man (UCM) and The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which includes healthcare as well as social services for adults and for children and families.
- 6.8 The operations on behalf of DESC include the transport of SEN (special educational needs) children, behaviourally and emotionally challenged children and 6th form students. The wider site is designated for educational purposes and the proposal includes use to support educational purposes albeit not specifically linked to this site.
- 6.9 On balance, the use is partially in accordance with the land use designation and although the new licence includes the use for 'commercial' uses, this mostly relates a diversification for uses associated with other government departments. The principle for the parking of these vehicles in this location is therefore acceptable, subject to the considerations below. Impact to Character
- 6.10 Parts (b) and (c) of General Policy 2 states that proposals should respects the site and surroundings and not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape. The immediate use of this part of the site and the area proposed is for the parking of vehicles. This proposal does not include any works to the site to accommodate these or the building or erection of any structures. The potential impact to character relates only to the parking of these large vehicles and their visual appearance on the site.
- 6.11 The site is located within a semi urban area, approx. 40m to the south of Lezayre Road, behind a row of four houses and is accessed from the school's main access. The area to be used for the parking of these vehicles is not considered to be specifically visible from any public

vantage point; and given the nature of the use of the immediate site as a car park and the wider site as an educational facility, it is unlikely that these will be particularly incongruous where they can be seen.

Impact to Neighbours

6.12 Part (g) of General Policy 2 states that proposals should not adversely affect the amenity of local residents. There are a few nearby neighbours to the north of the site; however these properties are unlikely to be directly impacted by the parking of vehicles any more so than by the existing use of the immediate site as a car park. Parking and Highways - 6.13 Parts (h) & (i) both highways, stating that the proposal should provide satisfactory amenity standards, including adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; and that they do not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways. The highways officer has reviewed this proposal and does not object on the basis that there should be sufficient room on the site to accommodate the parked minibuses. Security and Crime Prevention - 6.14 Architectural Liaison Officer had initially objected to the vehicles being parked on the site out of hours and left with no capable guardian during the hours of darkness, noting that 'Larger towns already have provisions for bus parking bespoke CCTV and lighting and therefore in my professional opinion these are fit for purpose and should be used'. However after discussions with the applicant where they explained their rational for these vehicles being sighted on these government owned locations, the Architectural Liaison Officer has indicated that this had satisfied their immediate concerns.

## CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposal would not unacceptably harm the characteristics of the existing site or the character of its surroundings and would not result in a significant adverse impact upon the living conditions of neighbouring residents. There is likely to be a loss of on-site parking spaces; however, the highways officer has not objected. 7.2 The proposal is therefore in accordance with General Policy 2 parts (b), (c), (g), (h) & (i). INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

- (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
- (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
- (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
- (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
- (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

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.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 24.12.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett 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.

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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/11919-lezayre-west-building-ramsey/documents/985968*