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Application No.: 23/01203/B Applicant: Crosby Cricket Club Ltd Proposal: Erection of replacement cricket nets Site Address: Marown Memorial Playing Fields Old Church Road Crosby Isle Of Man IM4 2HA Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 06.12.2023
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
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.
Reason: the application has been assessed on the basis of the new nets being replacements as requested in the application, and the removal of associated hardstanding has not been specifically added to the condition as it is not considered unreasonable for that to remain in this case (minded of the wider recreational use of the site).
The application has acceptable visual and amenity impacts and does not result in any unacceptable loss of open space and accords with General Policy 2 (b, c, g, h and i) and with the principles of Recreation Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
This approval relates to drawing number CC 01 Rev A date received 12/10/2023. _______________________________________________________________
Additional Persons
It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the following properties should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 4(2):
Officer’s Report THE SITE
1.1 The site relates to Marown Memorial Playing Fields, Old Church Road, Crosby. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the replacement of existing cricket nets with new cricket nets alongside an existing implement/storage shed approved under 14/01215/B. The proposed nets are to be 40m long x 12m wide x 3.6m tall. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The wider site has been subject to a number of previous applications relating to community recreational facilities such as skate park, bike track, implement storage shed, works to the bowling green facilities and installation of cricket nets 09/01916/B. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area designated the Area Plan for the East 2020 the as Open Space for a particular purposes. The proposed use is consistent with that. As such, General Policy 2 provides general advice on the standards to be applied to new development. This requires that development is not unneighbourly and has an acceptable visual impact. In addition Recreation Policy 2 states that proposals which would result in the loss of recreational facilities without suitable alternative provision being made will not be permitted unless there is overall community gain or that the proposal would not have unacceptable effect on overall open space or recreational provision or on the character or amenity of the area.
REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.
5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (23/10/2023) - no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking, providing cricket balls can't escape onto the public right of way trail and parking area when hit.
5.2 Marown Parish Commissioners - no objection (17/11/23). - 5.3 The Owners of Cooilingel - concerns (06/11/2023) - they share concerns about the lack of safe pedestrian access and parking in the area and feel that needs to be addressed and that continued improvements to the playing fields fail to address the issue. ASSESSMENT
6.1 Policies and wider Government Strategies aim to promote and provide access and opportunities for the Island's community and visitors to participate in sport. In this case the land is designated as open space and has an established sport and recreation use. The proposal would replace an existing set of cricket nets with new more fit for purpose and full enclosed nets and would not result in any unacceptable loss to the open space area and would continue to provide sport and recreational facilities to the site.
6.2 After speaking with the applicant they clarified that the existing nets currently result in balls being hit back towards the field and close to the heritage trail, the relocated and more enclosed nets which will be fully enclosed at the end nearest the heritage trail would offer an improvement over the existing situation and overcoming those concerns raised by DOI Highway Services about the escape of balls onto the public right of way. - 6.3 The nets would be physically bigger and longer than the existing nets and visually prominent from public view passing the site, however given the sports and recreational character of the area, their appearance would not be at odds to the immediate surroundings. - 6.4 On review of the submitted information, details provided and the MannGIS mapping, given the siting and location on top of existing hardstanding (where the previous skate park was removed) the proposal is not considered to result in any harm to the registered tree area to the western side, and after speaking with the applicant they clarified that the siting of the nets would not impact on any access to the implement shed as this houses the existing site maintenance equipment such as grass cutting and tractors and these would travel over the fields and do not require any specific access route into and out of the shed from the main road. - 6.5 Comments have been raised by a neighbour that improvements to the playing fields fails to address parking and access issues along Old Church Road. These are matters outside the remit of this application which is for replacement nets only and not works affecting access or parking issues.
7.1 The proposal is considered acceptable and to comply with General Policy 2 (b, c, g, h and i) and with the principles of Recreation Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
7.2 For the avoidance of doubt conditions relating to the enclosing of the nets along the edge nearest the public right of way and requiring the existing nets to be removed and considered necessary. - 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:
I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management 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 : 13.12.2023 Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management
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