Planning Statement
SC1727
Proposed Works Depot for Castletown Commissioners, Land Adjacent School Hill Estate Castletown
STATEMENT OF NEED
Castletown Commissioners are the local authority tasked with providing a range of services to the town, including roads and street lighting, public housing provision and maintenance, accounts and rates. refuse collection and library and community services.
In order to service the above duties the Commissioners directly and indirectly employ a number of people to deliver maintenance and service tasks.
The Castletown Commissioners previously owned a depot located off Alexandra Road in Castletown, Isle of Man. It consisted of storage, plant growing (including a polytunnel), vehicle parking, and workshops and has recently been disposed of as it was a significant maintenance liability. The works depot is currently temporarily housed in the former Castletown fire station.
The Commissioners wish to keep this works maintenance depot within the town boundary as this is their constituency. The proposed site of this application is both within the town boundary and is located adjacent the School Hill public housing estate. This housing estate is currently being completely redeveloped by Castletown Commissioners to create 133 dwellings.
Whilst this site falls within the overall residential zoning for the area it has never been used for residential purposes. Its former use was for garaging, and its immediate neighbours are a former warehouse a scout hall and a disused warehouse.
The site is within the ownership of the Commissioners and its location is ideal for access to its housing stock and other sites within the town with the School Hill access being immediately onto the A5 main arterial road.
Other sites have been considered for the purpose however they do not meet the above criteria and they are within private ownership. The proposed site therefore represents the Commissioners preferred location to service their duties as the local authority for Castletown.
SAVAGE + CHADWICK ARCHITECTS September 2025
