**Document:** Officer Report **Application:** 18/00837/C — Change of use of second floor apartment to office accommodation (Class 4) **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2018-10-30 **Parish:** Lonan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/11938-lonan-pipe-factory-change-of-use/documents/986126 --- # Officer Report **Application No.:** 18/00837/C **Applicant:** Mr Craig Joynes **Proposal:** Change of use of second floor apartment to office accommodation (Class 4) **Site Address:** Apartment Former Pipe Factory Tent Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7DB Head of Development Management: Miss Jennifer Chance **Expected Decision Level:** Planning Committee **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 16.10.2018 _________________________________________________________________ ## 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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. Plans/Drawings/Information; This application relates to the office layout plans received on 7 August 2018 _______________________________________________________________ ## Interested Person Status Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ ### Officer’s Report THIS APPLICATION IS TO BE DETERMINED BY PLANNING COMMITTEE AS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED CONTRARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN ### 1.0 SITE and PROPOSAL 1.1 The Former Laxey Pipe Factory is a three storey, detached, stone building with a basement. It is currently in use as offices with some ancillary residential accommodation in the second floor. It is proposed to use the space dedicated to the apartment for office space. No external alterations are proposed. 2.0 PLANNING POLICY - 2.1 Laxey and Lonan Area Plan Order 2005. The site is defined as Predominately Residential. It is also in a Conservation Area. The building shown in the Plan as having potential for Registration. - 2.2 Policy L/CP/PR/1 suggests a flexible approach to car parking for buildings in a conservation area, but Policy L/CP/PR/3 states that notwithstanding this an adequate level of car parking should be provided in new commercial development to cater for the likely workforce to be employed and also for visitors who are likely to visit the premises. The availability of existing on-street parking will be taken into account when accessing the need for on-site parking. - 2.3 Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016: General Policy 2 seeks to ensure development is acceptable in general terms for example that it does not have an impact on amenity, the character of an area or highway safety. Environment Policy 35 seeks to ensure that any development in a conservation area preserves or enhances the character of that area. Transport Policy 7 and annexe 7 sets out the parking standards that development should adhere to. 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 06/01389/B. Refurbishment of the building to form office, including external alterations to building and the provision of ancillary accommodation to be used in association with office use. Permitted 30.10.06. 12/01335/B. Conversion of basement into additional office accommodation. Permitted 6.11.12. - 4.0 REPRESENTATIONS 4.1 Highway Services: The proposal is to provide additional office space for new employees. It would not change the existing site access arrangements. There is no site parking and no room to create such. According to 'The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016' the car parking standard for the existing dwelling is 2 spaces. The parking standard for town centre offices is 1 space per 50sqm. The application form states that the development floor area is 60sqm, however the proposed second floor plan shows that the area would be larger than this and cover the entire second floor, although it is noted that some of the floor space would be used for associated facilities including a gym and kitchen. Based on the dimensions shown on this plan (which is not to scale) the total floor area of the second floor is estimated to be roughly 180sqm. This would require 4 spaces for the proposed office use (180/50). The site parking demand would increase by 2 spaces for the development. However, there is public car parking available adjacent to the site on the Promenade, and elsewhere within the town centre, which should be able to accommodate the small increase in parking demand for office workers. (7 September 2018) Garff Commissioners: No objections (13 September 2018) - 5.0 ASSESSMENT 5.1 While the proposal is within an area designated as Predominately Residential the office use does not detract from this, in fact having an office use in this building and within the village is economically and socially advantageous. There would be little impact on the Conservation Area as there are no external alterations to the building. If the proposal does result in increased need for parking this can be accommodated in the surrounding car parks. ## - 6.0 CONCLUSION 6.1 The application is supported. - 7.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 7.1 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. _____________________________________________________________________ I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority. Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 29.10.2018 Signed : J CHANCE Presenting Officer Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report). Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below ## 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/11938-lonan-pipe-factory-change-of-use/documents/986126*