Alterations and erection of an extension to office and alterations and extension to existing car parking hard standing

General Policy 2

relevant in the determination of this application

General Policy 2: Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development: (a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief; (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses; (e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea; (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; (j) can be provided with all necessary services; (k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan; (l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding; (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption. 6.3 Development outside of areas zoned for development

Business Policy 7

proposed development would not be contrary to Business Policy 7

Business Policy 7: New office floor space should be located within town and village centres on land which is zoned for the purpose on the appropriate area plan; exceptionally, permission may be given for new office space (a) on approved Business Parks for Corporate Headquarters which do not involve day to day callers; or (b) in buildings of acknowledged architectural or historic interest for which office use represents the only or most appropriate practicable and economic way of securing future use, renovation and maintenance.

Business Policy 8

proposal will not have a detrimental effect on the visual amenities

Business Policy 8: New office buildings should, in terms of height and mass, respect the scale and character of adjoining and nearby buildings and should accommodate parking space in accordance with the standards specified in Appendix 7 of the Plan. 9.4 Retailing 9.4.1 As with office accommodation, and for similar reasons, retailing is largely concentrated in our town and village centres. Of these, Douglas is the largest and includes branches of many of the shops which are familiarly found in high streets around the UK. However, locally based retailers add variety and interest to our shopping streets, and this is particularly noticeable in Ramsey, Peel, and Castletown. It is interesting to note that in Ramsey and Peel, locally based furniture shops operate successfully from within the town centres, whereas Douglas town centre has now largely lost its furniture shops to edge-of-town or out-of-town sites. 9.4.2 The reasons for directing retail development to town centre sites are essentially those set out in paragraph 9.3.3 in respect of offices, but to these must be added the nee d for there to be a sufficient range and choice of goods available in the one shopping trip, without the need to travel between sites. Experience in the UK illustrates the impact which out -of-town retail development has on the traditional town centre high street and on small village shops, and it is pertinent to note the reversal of policy by the UK Government. The Department therefore proposes to adhere to the established policy which was embodied in the Tynwald resolution of 1987 (see paragraph 9.2.5). 9.4.3 Exceptions to this general policy have been identified in paragraph 9.2.6. In addition, there are community benefits associated with neighbourhood shops (see paragraph 10.6.1). The following general policy is therefore appropriate:

Ramsey Local Plan Section 3.2

26 APPENDIX 3 SETTLEMENT PATTERN A New Settlement A.3.1 The Consultation Draft published in May 2000 mooted the idea of a new settlement as a means of accommodating future development. A.3.2 The Department has examined this idea, having regard in so doing to the following matters:- (a) the likelihood of there being a shortage in the provision of housing land without resort to a new settlement; (b) the size of a settlement which would be large enough to support a local school, shops, employment, and other services; (c) whether there are on the Island any "brownfield" sites of suitable size and location for such a proposal; (d) whether such a proposal could take advantage of existing or planned infrastructure such as the IRIS scheme or the public transport network; (e) the visual impact of a new settlement; (f) the historical pattern of development on the Island; and (g) comparison with the sustainability of alternative options. A.3.3 The Department has concluded that (a) within the Plan period, our existing towns and villages can accommodate additional development sufficient to meet the demand therefor; indeed, most of our towns would benefit from further development of redundant or under -used land, and most of our villages would benefit from additional housing to support local schools, shops, and other services; (b) there is not a "brownfield" site which could accommodate satisfactorily a settlement of the required scale; (c) there is not a suitable site which could take advantage of either the IRIS scheme or our railway or tramway routes; (d) in any case, the visual impact of a new settlement would be so massive as to have an inevitably greater adverse impact on our countryside than would alternative options; and (e) the pattern of development on the Island is characterized by slow evolution over many years, with the various characteristics and qualities of each individual settlement emerging from years of reaction to the people who have lived and worked there, and from the demands and changing circumstances which the settlements have faced; each settlement on the Island is unique, thanks to those who have influenced it; any new settlement would have no history, no family connections and no Manx tradition, and would thus be alien to the slow and deliberate pace at which the Isle of Man has developed. A.3.4 Accordingly, the Department has rejected the idea of a new settlement. Existing Settlements A.3.5 Those existing settlements which have the size and characteristics of a town or village, and which are served by mains drainage systems are identi fied in the schedule below, together with details of the relevant area plan. A.3.6 Settlement Area Plan Bride 1982 Development Plan Andreas 1982 Development Plan Jurby 1982 Development Plan Ballaugh 1982 Development Plan Sulby Sulby Local Plan 1999 Ramsey Ramsey Local Plan 1998 Glen Mona 1982 Development Plan Laxey Laxey Local Plan 1989; Laxey and Lonan Area Plan approved 2005 Baldrine 1982 Development Plan; Laxey and Lonan Area Plan approved 2005 Kirk Michael Kirk Michael Local Plan 1994 Peel Peel Local Plan 1989 St John's St John's Local Plan 1999 Crosby 1982 Development Plan Glen Vine 1982 Development Plan Union Mills Braddan Local Plan 1991; Draft Braddan Parish Plan abandoned 2006 The Strang Braddan Local Plan 1991; Draft Braddan Parish Plan abandoned 2006 Onchan Onchan Local Plan 2000 Douglas Douglas Local Plan 1998 Glen Maye 1982 Development Plan Dalby 1982 Development Plan Foxdale Foxdale Local Plan 1999 Newtown/Mount Murray 1982 Development Plan/Braddan Local Plan 1991 Ballasalla 1982 Development Plan Castletown Castletown Local Plan 1991 Ballabeg Arbory and East Rushen Local Plan 1999 Colby Arbory and East Rushen Local Plan 1999 Ballafesson Arbory and East Rushen Local Plan 1999 Port St Mary 1982 Development Plan Port Erin Port Erin Local Plan 1990 A.3.7 These are the towns and villages to which the Strategic Policy at paragraph 4.3.1 refers. Cregneash may also be judged to have the characteristics of a vil lage, but as the National Folk Museum it is subject to special consideration, seeking to preserve and protect the authenticity and integrity of the village and its setting. Maughold also has some of the characteristics of a village but consists of only a s mall number of houses within the Conservation Area and has a recognised special historic character. APPENDIX 4 GUIDANCE ON REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UNDERTAKING OF A FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT Introduction A.4.1 The following guidance relates only to the commissioning and undertaking of flood risk assessment studies on particular sites. Flood risk assessments will be required for both fluvial and tidal flooding. The Department of Transport is currently developing a Flood Risk Guidance Document and undertaking flood mapping, the results of which will be fed into the preparation of the Area Plans. Preparation A.4.2 Where it is judged that a flood risk assessment is required, the nature of the study undertaken

Policy 3.3

those necessary for the functioning of an approved industrial development

terms of availabil ity, location, quality and demand. A full Review would acknowledge and take into account as appropriate all up to date strategy/policy documents from across Government. 13.3 This process of Monitoring and Review is particularly important given the p roposal to make provision for future housing needs on the basis of a process of 'Plan, Monitor and Manage' as outlined in Chapter 8 (Housing). Under this, the phasing of the release of sites proposed for housing in the Area Plans would be based on maintai ning an adequate supply of housing sites with the focus on securing development on brownfield sites, previously developed land and sites within existing settlements before releasing greenfield sites. Such phasing includes the identification of sites as 'Strategic Reserves' in Area Plans. This approach, which includes the preparation of appropriate development briefs, allows land to be allocated for residential as well as other uses such as employment, but held 'in reserve' until such time as they are required. Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2011 - 2026 Annual Monitoring Five Yearly Review APPENDICES CONTENTS 1. Definitions and Glossary of Terms 2. Relationship between Strategic Objectives and Strategic Policies 3. Settlement Pattern 4. Guidance on Requirements for the Undertaking of a Flood Risk Assessment 5. Environmental Impact Assessment 6. Open Space Requirements for New Residential Development 7. Parking Standards 8. Existing and Approved Dwellings by Local Authority Area 9. Employment Land Availability APPENDIX 1 DEFINITIONS AND GLOSSARY OF TERMS Areas of Ecological Importance or Interest Sites designated in Local and Area Plans which serve to protect areas known to house important species or those which act as habitat corridors between such areas. Area Plan See Development Plan. Backland development Development on land at the back of existing properties, usually on what were the back gardens, and often without a separate road frontage. Business Parks A development encompassing land for light industrial purposes, warehousing, new - technology companies involved in scientific, commercial, or industrial research or development and office accommodation as the corporate headquarters of companies having multiple and diverse interests (but excluding financial/professional services to visiting members of the public); buildings should be set in parkland which should dominate the landscape. Conservation area Has the meaning acc orded to it by Section 18 of the 1999 Town and Country Planning Act. Curtilage The area of land attached to and around a building, used with the building and within which the building is set (e.g. the garden and driveways of a house, the storage yard of a factory). Land used with a building but severed from it by, say, a highway or service lane is not part of the curtilage of that building. Development Plan The Development Plan consists of a Strategic Plan (this document) and one or more Area Plans , as defined in the Section 2 of the 1999 Town and Country Planning Act. It is the Department's intention to prepare four Area Plans for the South, East, North and West of the Island. Energy Impact Statement An assessment, prepared by the developer/appl icant, of the impacts of the development in terms of energy consumption, and proposals for reducing that consumption and improving the energy efficiency of the development. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) The means of assessing the impacts (good an d bad) of a proposed development on the environment, prepared by, or on behalf of, the developer/applicant. An EIA should aim to ensure that the planning decision is made in the knowledge of all the likely environmental effects of the development, and of t he proposals for mitigating adverse effects and enhancing positive effects. Flood Risk Assessment A document which assesses the likelihood of flooding in a particular area, so that judgements can be made about the feasibility of flood mitigation measure s and whether development should be allowed or not. Floor Space and Floor Area (see Housing Policy 13-15) Where there are references to "floor space" and "floor area", the space or area in question should be measured externally, and should not include att ics or outbuildings. Green gaps (see Spatial Policy 7) In the context of Spatial Policy 7, "green gap" means an open area which serves to maintain the distinction between settlements; prevents the coalescence or merging of settlements; and may provide recreational opportunities. Habitable status (see Housing Policy 12) In the context of Housing Policy 12, "habitable status" means whether or not a building which has previously been occupied as a dwelling may be re -occupied as such without the need for planning permission for that use. Infill development Building on a relatively small site in between two existing buildi