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Application No.: 25/91133/C Applicant: Ballakermeen High School - DESC Proposal: Temporary use as campsite for up to 150 bell tents during TT and Manx Grand Prix from 2026 onwards Site Address: Ballakermeen High School St Catherines Drive Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 4BE Senior Planning Officer: Jason Singleton Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 05.02.2026 Conditions and Notes for Approval 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 is for the use of the site for the upcoming four years of motorcycling events (TT & MGP) only and the assessment has been made on this temporary basis. While provision should be made for setting up and dismantling the camp site, the site should not be used for camping outside those times reasonably associated with these race periods.
Reason: for the avoidance of doubt and because the application is for the use of the site for the upcoming four years of TT motorcycling events only and the assessment has been made on this temporary basis of the site during the motorsport periods.
Reason: To ensure that sufficient provision is made for off-street parking and turning of vehicles in the interests of highway safety.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to comply with Strategic Policy 8, General Policy 2, Environment Policy 22, and Business Policy 11 of the Strategic Plan 2016.
This approval relates to the documents, location plan, photos, illustration and tent location plan as having been received on 3rd December 2025 Right to Appeal
It is recommended that the following organisations should NOT be given the Right to Appeal: Highways Services - No objection Douglas City Council - No Objection
THE APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNNIG COMMITTEE AS THE PROPOSALS COULD BE SEEN TO BE CONTRARY TO THE LAND USE DESIGNATION AND IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.
1.2 The school is situated in a built-up residential area, surrounded by housing on all sides. THE PROPOSAL
2.1 Temporary erection of up to 150 bell tents used as accommodation for visiting tourists to the island during both TT and MGP for 2026 and subsequent years. To use school facilities
inc: toilets and showers so no change to current infrastructure for the next 4 years on the following dates;
2.2 The area to be used would accommodate 126m x 75 and would be arranged with central 6m wide fire corridors across the centre points (vertical and horizontal) of the site with regular fire call points.
2.3 Each canvas bell tent would measure a circular footprint of 5m and would be regularly be spaced approx. 3m apart and follows the (included with the application) "Fire safety Guidance Note 7 for fire precautions for camp sites".
2.4 Toilet, security and shower facility will be located within the main building of the high school.
2.5 Vehicle parking for the visitors to the site is in the official car park.
2.6 The applicant notes in support of their application; "Ballakermeen High School have successfully gained planning permission for the past 10 years for the temporary erection of bell tents on its school field. In this time, to the best of our knowledge, we have received no complaints from our neighbours or any other parties. With the exception of adding MGP dates to this application, it is exactly the same as previous successful applications. BHS hope to support visitors to the island and contribute to the availability of tourist accommodation".
3.1 The site is within an area designated as Buildings or Land for Civic, Cultural or Other Use (Secondary School) in the Area Plan for the East.
3.2 The site is not within a conservation area or is identified as being at flood risk. There are no registered trees on site that are affected by the proposals.
3.3 Section 10.5 of the written statement of the Area Plan states one of the desired outcomes is: "To support camping in the East, but only where tented sites and seasonal accommodation would occupy suitable sites, ensuring that proper access, safety and sanitation can be achieved along with reasonable amenity for all."
3.4 Within the adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, the following policy are considered to be the pertinent relevant policy in the determination of this application:
Strategic Policy 8 Tourist development proposals
Spatial Policy
Environment Policy 22 - Statutory Nuisances
Business Policy
11 Tourism proposals in accordance with sustainable objectives
3.5 The Residential Design Guidance 2021, sets out a number of general development standards including assessing any impacts upon neighbouring amenity.
4.1 The application site has had three identical applications for Bell tents to the playing fields approved under PA;
21/01353/B - Temporary erection of 150 bell tents for camping during TT period, between the following dates: 27th May - 14th June 2022, 26th May - 13th June 2023, 31st May - 18th June 2024 & 30th May - 17th June 2025.
16/01200/C - Temporary change of use from school grounds to a campsite of a maximum of 150 bell tents for the periods 27th May to 15th June 2017, 26th May to 14th June 2018, 25th May to 12th June 2019 and 30th May to 17th June 2020.
15/01045/C - Temporary change of use from school grounds to a campsite of a maximum of 150 bell tents for the period 27th May to 17th June 2016 in connection with the TT Races.
REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 DoI Highway Services - No objection (20.01.26) "Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as there is a large amount of car parking available within the school site for visitors and welfare/bin facilities within the school that can be used to support this temporary development".
6.1 The key considerations in the determination of the application are;
6.2 The Strategic Plan contains no specific policies which relate to temporary camp sites or the use of any other land for camping uses but, given this site is situated in Douglas (SP1), the Island's principal settlement, and is located in an accessible and sustainable location, the use of the site for camping for a short period of time in association with the TT motorcycling events has been accepted on four previous occasions (minus the MGP).
6.3 This application is proposing to allow the flexibility to provide the same level of service as per the TT but to allow the use of the site during MGP. The applicants have noted; "Nine Yards Bell Tents were successful in their tender to provide accommodation to visitors of the Isle of Man TT races at Ballakermeen High School starting in 2024. We have decided to apply for MGP additionally, so we have the flexibility to offer accommodation on a smaller scale if we felt the need arose".
6.4 The proposed dates and those dates that are currently unknown for the future TT/MGP for subsequent years can be assessed below and if an approval is forthcoming a "prior to" condition can be included to ensure the proposed dates of use correspond with the motorsport events and also includes the practicality of erecting the tents prior to the events and the removal of the tents / equipment and any remediation needed following the end of event.
6.5 As such ensuring the principle of use of the fields for camping during the motorsport events would be acceptable, the same level of assessment for both sporting events is subject to further assessment below. VISUAL IMPACT
6.6 The campsite is only for visitors around the TT / MGP race periods. This means erection of facilities are temporary and contained within the curtilage of the playing fields where any views would be of the tents as a camp site. Given the short periods of use (during either event) the overall visual impact during this tourist event on Island would be acceptable and any visual impact is limited by the duration of the proposed events and dates.
6.7 The siting of the camp site on the sports fields of a secondary school, helps utilise those existing facilities (which are generally outside of term time) which are readily adaptable for the use of the campsite. Alongside the accommodation which has been designed and laid out in accordance with the relevant fire regulations for camp sites, it is considered that the site and that of the school has sufficient provision of amenities to function as a campsite for a short period of time. TRAFFIC AND PARKING
6.8 In terms of the highway safety impact, the school will largely be closed while the camping takes place and so usual school traffic will be substituted to a degree by the traffic generated by the camp site, likely motorbikes. The previous vehicular access arrangements to the site should be maintained (i.e. two-way traffic at the south end of Westminster Drive and exit only onto Catherine's Drive). As with the previous schemes there should be no access onto the narrow lane off Westbourne Drive and again this should be controlled by condition. As such this aspect of highways safety and parking is unobjectionable and the lack of objection from the Highways Authority ensures the proposals are acceptable and in accordance with General Policy (h,i). NEIGHBOURING AMENITIES
6.9 This application proposes to retain the number of tents previously approved at 150, as well as for this approval to run for four years. It is important to acknowledge that being within a predominantly residential area, the campsite will still cause some disturbance to the nearby residents regardless of how well managed are the site and the traffic around the site. However the majority of the time the camp site will be empty and when compare to the level of use when operating as a school the proposals and acknowledging the previous approvals, the level of disturbance that would be considered a statutory nuisance (Ep22) would be acceptable. It is further noted the lack of any objectionable comments from the consultation period and support from the local authority. Therefore, it is concluded that this aspect is acceptable and in accordance with Gp2g. ECONOMIC BENEFIT
6.10 Whilst those attributes above for the campsite are considered acceptable, Business Policy 11 and Strategic policy 8 gives further support the use of existing fabric and sites, and in this case offers a low impact solution to providing a necessary facility that has been widely supported for a number of years and has benefited from a number of approvals for the same use. As such the proposals would contribute to the economic vitality of the motorsports events and would be considered to have an economic benefit to the Island in accordance with BP11 and SP8.
7.1 The proposal is considered to comply with Strategic Policy 8, General Policy 2, Environment Policy 22, and Business Policy 11 of the Strategic Plan 2016. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.
8.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
8.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to:
8.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10.
8.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required):
Decision Made: Permitted Date: 16.02.2026 Signed : Mr Jason Singleton Presenting Officer
Customer note This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the office copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online service/customers and archive record.
Application No. : 25/91133/C Applicant : Ballakermeen High School - DESC Proposal : Temporary use as campsite for up to 150 bell tents during TT
and Manx Grand Prix from 2026 onwards Site Address : Ballakermeen High School St Catherines Drive Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 4BE Presenting Officer : Jason Singleton Addendum to the Officer’s Report In clarification of the key issues the Members enquired as to the years of operation being applied for as the application was open ended.
Amendments were proposed to the reason for approval for five years of operation after 2026, and to Condition 4 to restrict operation to the years 2026 to 2031 inclusive.
C 4. The use of the site for camping hereby approved shall only be undertaken in years 2026 to 2031 (inclusive) in connection with;
Reason: The application is for the use of the site for a limited number of years for motorcycling events as listed and the assessment has been made on this temporary basis. While provision should be made for setting up and dismantling the camp site, the site should not be used for camping outside those times reasonably associated with these race periods. _____________________________________________________________________________
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