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Application No.: 20/00841/B Applicant: B.N.C Properties Proposal: Creation of ten industrial units from existing industrial building with associated roller shutter door and doorways Site Address: Industrial Unit West Of Park Way Balthane Industrial Estate Balthane Ballasalla Isle Of Man IM9 2AJ Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.10.2020 _________________________________________________________________
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.
The development complies with Employment Recommendation 1 and Employment Proposal 1 of the Area Plan for the South and with General Policy 2 and Transport Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan.
This decision relates to drawings 01, 03 and 04 received on 28th July, 2020 and 2A received on 18th September, 2020. _______________________________________________________________
None _____________________________________________________________________________
Officer’s Report THE SITE
1.1 The site is an existing building with space in front, situated on the western side of a side road to the south west of Balthane Road. The site is 54.5m long and 31.5m deep with the building having a footprint of 18m by 54.5m. The building is internally a single open space with one roller shutter door positioned at the north eastern part of the front elevation. It was most recently used for the fabrication of steel products. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the conversion of the building to ten units each with a roller shutter and pedestrian door at the front and a pedestrian door at the rear.
2.2 The front of units 2-8 will be altered to provide a level access with a retaining wall in front of unit 9 to adapt to the sloping nature of the site. The existing wall running along the frontage of the site will be removed providing direct access to the units from the road. Between the building and the road there is a space of 13.5m by 6m. - 2.3 Each unit will have a floor area of 18m by 5.8m (104 sq m). - 2.4 Both the existing and proposed uses are stated on the application form as industrial. - 2.5 The applicant has provided additional plans which demonstrate how the site will be laid out, including the provision of two parking spaces plus space in front of the roller shutter door and confirming the removal of the front wall providing direct access from the highway (drawing 2A received on 18.09.20).
3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South (2013) as Industry. General Policy 2 is therefore applicable which sets out general standards with which development should comply. Parking standards are referred to in Transport Policy 7 and Appendix Seven of the Strategic Plan.
3.2 The Area Plan Written Statement includes the following recommendation and proposal which relate specifically to Balthane:
Employment Recommendation 1: It is recommended that the Department of Infrastructure, the Department of Economic Development and Malew Parish Commissioners work collaboratively to produce a strategy for improvements at Balthane Industrial Estate. This will include general environmental improvements, and also improvements in respect 78 of access, lighting and infrastructure in an effort to ensure that the Estate is an attractive place for both users and customers.
Employment Proposal 1: All industrial uses, other than small scale light industrial uses considered to be acceptable within the Mixed Use areas, or those uses deemed appropriate by the Isle of Man Strategic Plan Business Policy 7, will be located on the Industrial Estate at Balthane and where appropriate Ronaldsway and the Freeport.
4.1 This general area has been the subject of a number of applications, including the following:
02/02000/B - industrial units conditioned for light industrial with no outside storage of materials 04/00684/B - industrial units with no restriction on use
REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Highway Services seek additional information relating to parking and access relating to the existing arrangements (14.08.20).
5.2 They submit further comments on 17.09.20 stating that:
The additional information and revisions indicate the amount of parking and the position of spaces for bicycles, cars and commercial vehicles. The proposal shows 20 car parking spaces at two per unit and 10 commercial vehicle spaces at one per unit. The amount of parking is compliant with the Strategic Plan Parking Standards for general industrial and storage and distribution where ratios of one space per 50 sqm and one space per 100sqm apply respectively. For a scenario of light industrial units it is less so. A ratio of one space per 30sqm applies, but would be achieved on combining car and commercial vehicle parking.
Bicycle parking is to be provided for each unit in close proximity to the proposed building entrances and is welcomed.
The proposal indicates reconstruction of the forecourt to create ramps to the loading docks, hardstanding for bicycle and car parking a series of new accesses onto the public road at Park Way on removal of the low wall which would form an acceptable layout. Surface water should be contained within the site. A separate s109(A) Highway Agreement is necessary to form the accesses post planning consent.
As drawn now, the proposal is acceptable in highway terms and unlikely to give rise to significant road safety or highway network efficiency issues. Accordingly, Highway Services raise no opposition subject to conditions to cover access, and the vehicle areas, including parking to accord with Drawing No: 2A with surface water to drain into the site. An advisory should apply for a s109(A) Highway Agreement.
5.3 Malew Parish Commissioners have no objection to the application (02.09.20).
6.1 The amount of floor space and the use of the building are not changing. As such, there should be no objection to the principle of the proposed change to the way that the use may be used. There should also be no material change to the requirement for parking although there are to be changes to the levels which may in turn change the amount of parking available so it is important that it is clear that there is sufficient space for the parking requirement resulting from the use of the site as proposed. The parking standard of one space per 50 sq m of gross floor space would result in a requirement for 2 spaces per unit which are provided as shown in drawing 2A. If the units were to be used for light industrial purposes, which are essentially industrial uses undertaken at such a scale or in a way that they could be undertaken in a residential area, then the parking requirement would be increased to one space per 30 sq m but even then, there is sufficient car parking available, using the space in front of the roller shutter doors. As there is Permitted Development to allow the change of use from industry to light industry (Class 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Change of Use) (Development) (No.
2) Order 2019) but the parking provision is considered adequate for both, it is not considered that there is a need to suspend this provision in this case.
7.1 It is considered that the development accords with the relevant Strategic Plan policies and is supported. 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.
Decision Made : Permitted Date : 07.10.2020 Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management
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