7

An 'Area' approach to Plan making

What is an Area Plan?

1.1 The Cabinet Office has a responsibility, afforded to it by Section 2 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, to prepare the Island Development Plan (IDP). The purpose of the IDP is to set out the general 'Policies' in respect of the development and other use of land on the Isle of Man, and also to identify the 'Proposals' which relate to specific places or issues, depending on the particular plan area. The two types of plan prepared and which make up the 'Island Development Plan' are:

• a strategic plan, and
• one or more area plans.

1.2 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 (the Strategic Plan) was approved by Tynwald on 15th March 2016, coming into operation on 1st April 2016. In hierarchical terms, the strategic plan sits above the area plans in the sense that the proposal in an area plan shall be in general conformity with the strategic plan.

The implementation of Policy set out in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan

1.3 This Area Plan for the East elaborates on the broad policies set out in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan relating them to precise areas of land. The Plan's final form has been shaped by the Report of the Public Inquiry published on 6th December 2019 and the representations received on the proposed Modifications published on 14th February 2020.

1.4 The Area Plan for the East is made up of a Written Statement (this document) and a series of Maps. The Written Statement contains 'Proposals' which are either site specific, relatable to a specific issue in the East or on occasion in the form of a policy statement for a specific area.

1.5 A number of 'Recommendations' are also included. These are statements of intent where the Cabinet Office has no direct control over implementation. They are intended to act as encouragement to other Departments or bodies to work together with the support of Cabinet Office to take action on or to deliver on particular matters or policy statements.

How many Area Plans will there be?

1.6 It is the intention to produce a limited number of Area Plans. There is already an Area Plan for the South which covers Castletown, Port Erin, Port St Mary, Rushen, Arbory, and Malew. The Area Plan for the East will be followed by an Area Plan for the North and West. Current legislation allows an area plan to relate to the whole of the Island or to such part as may be specified therein. It is the aim to produce, in time, a single 'All-Island Area Plan' alongside one Strategic Plan. These Plans would be capable of being reviewed or updated in tandem.

1.7 The geographical coverage of the area plans thought most likely at the time of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 was identified in the Island Spatial Strategy (Chapter 5) of that document which was subsequently carried forward to the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. The extent of the Plan boundaries set out in the first iteration of the Strategic Plan, is set out below:

Area Plan Coverage

Area Plan	Local Authority Area
Douglas and the East	Borough of Douglas, the district of Onchan and the Parishes of Braddan, Garff (Laxey and Lonan Wards only), Marown and Santon
The South	Parishes of Rushen, Arbory and Malew, Villages of Port Erin and Port St Mary and the town of Castletown
Peel and the West	Peel, and the Parishes of Patrick, German, and Michael
Ramsey and the North	Ramsey, and the Parishes of Andreas, Bride, Jurby, Lezayre, Maughold, Ballaugh, and Garff (Maughold Ward only)