Loading document...
HUGH LOGAN ARCHITECTS
RESERVED MATTERS PLANNING APPLICATION FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE FORMER MANX GAS SITE NEXT TO PORT ST MARY RAILWAY STATION, PORT ST MARY, ISLE OF MAN
DESIGN AND PLANNING STATEMENT v1
July 2015
Hugh Logan Architects Bridge Court 10 Bridge Street Castletown Isle of Man IM9 1AX
RESERVED MATTERS PLANNING APPLICATION FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE FORMER MANX GAS SITE NEXT TO PORT ST MARY RAILWAY STATION, PORT ST MARY, ISLE OF MAN
DESIGN AND PLANNING STATEMENT v1
1.0 Introduction 2.0 The Site, its Context and Suitability 3.0 The Proposal 4.0 Access and Car Parking 5.0 Drainage 6.0 Environmental Protection 7.0 Public Open Space 8.0 Planning Policy 9.0 Merits of the Proposal
1.1 This is an application for approval to matters reserved for subsequent consideration in an approval in principle for the erection of twenty three dwellings with associated road layout and public open space.
1.2 The approval in principle (PA 14/00357/A) was granted by the Council of Ministers who followed the recommendations of an independent Planning Inspector. His report is attached to a letter from the Planning Appeals Inspector of the Cabinet Office dated 13 October 2014 (see Appendix A).
1.3 The matters reserved for approval as set out in Condition 2 to the approval are access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale. The Inspector's Report made particular reference to the satisfactory nature of Indicative proposal for 23 dwellings provided with the application.
1.4 The approval in principle was granted on a site in two ownerships, the redundant gasworks and an adjacent plot, currently used as a builder's yard. This application concerns only the gasworks land, and the existing access road. The builder's yard will be the subject of a separate application.
2.1 This brownfield site, 0.498 hectares in area, is located next to Port St Mary Railway Station, lies within, and is c. 600m from the centre of, the village of Port St Mary. Photographs of the site are provided at Appendix B.
2.2 The site falls within two ownerships which are indicated on drawing No. 1274-060B. The boundary between the two is marked by a metal paling fence.
2.3 The site is served by a single access road (Photo P1) leading from the A29 highway between the Railway Station and the Railway Station Hotel behind which is an existing bungalow which is located at the eastern end of the builder's yard portion of the site.
2.4 The site is bounded on the southern and eastern sides by a concrete post and wire mesh fence and a low wall beyond which lies open farmland (Photos P2 and P3) and on the northern side by the railway line and platform. The railway station buildings lie on the north side of the access road.
2.5 Beyond the railway line on the north side lies a line of mature trees beyond which is an open field containing parking for the adjacent bowling club. An open drainage ditch runs parallel to the railway track within the adjacent land to the north of the site.
2.6 An open surface water drain runs along the southern boundary within the adjacent farmland. This has been discussed with DEFA (see para. 6.2).
2.7 Mature trees line the boundary between the gas works site and the railway station and stand on station land beyond a metal paling fence (Photo P4).
2.8 There are several existing structures on the site including a redundant manager's house, some other small buildings, two gasometers and a variety of other concrete bases, gas storage vessels and walls. All of these would be removed.
2.9 The site is very sustainable, being located next to a railway station, on a bus route, next to a pub/restaurant and a bowling club, and within walking distance of two primary schools, a doctor's surgery and numerous shops and other facilities in the village of Port St Mary.
2.10 Contamination of the site from previous industrial use can be successfully remediated for the proposed residential use (see para 6.1).
2.11 The suitability of the site for residential development was accepted by the Planning Inspector reporting on the application for approval 'in principle'.
2.12 Earlier consultation with Port St Mary Commissioners resulted in no objection to the proposal at the in principle stage.
3.1 This is an application for approval to matters reserved for subsequent consideration in an approval in principle to construct 20 dwellings on the gasworks portion of the site. These matters are identified in the In Principle Approval (Appendix A) as details of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale. The Independent Inspector reporting on the in principle application found the indicative layout and photomontage views provided to satisfy the matters of access, layout and scale. This application is based on those proposals, albeit only for the gasworks portion of the site.
3.2 It is intended that the requirement for 25% provision of affordable housing laid down by the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 will be met on this site, as required by the Department of Social Care. This amounts to 5 units on this site in the form of 3 No. 2-bedroomed houses and 2 No. 3-bedroomed houses (Plots 1 to 5 inclusive). The remaining 15 dwellings are 4-bedroomed houses for sale in the open market.
3.3 All of the dwellings are arranged around an area of public open space which itself abuts adjacent open space within the railway station property, through which views are possible to protected mature trees and open countryside beyond. The dwellings are arranged in the form of three terraces, two of which are three storeys in height. The third terrace, incorporating the affordable housing is two storeys in height. This is located at the eastern end of the site adjacent to the builder’s yard portion upon which it is anticipated that two storey buildings will be proposed adjacent to the existing bungalow. Interest is created in all three terraces by stepping of the buildings in both plan and elevation. The scale of the taller terraces echoes that of the railway station and the hotel.
3.4 To complement the station and hotel buildings it is proposed to roof the proposed dwellings with artificial slates. The external walls will be finished in white painted render with fibre cement weatherboard cladding to the expressed gables finished in colours drawn from the ‘Colours of Mann’ project.
3.5 External doors and windows will be finished in dark grey powder coated paint with roof fascias and trims in dark grey to match and black rainwater goods. External terraces and 'Juliette' balconies will be protected by painted metal and glass balustrades.
3.6 The drainage solution (invert level) requires that the site levels be raised by an average of 1.2m, as envisaged in the 'in principle' application and approval. This provides an opportunity for alternative treatment of the site contamination by capping rather than disposal. It is proposed to face the step above the surrounding land with local 'Manx' stone, topped by a timber boarded fence. New tree planting is proposed both within the development and along the southern and western boundaries to improve the amenity value of the internal space and to soften the external visual impact.
3.7 For comparison, the Indicative Layout Drawing, No. 1274-007D, upon which the 'in principle' approval was based and photomontage views contained within with a supplementary statement to that application are provided at Appendix C.
4.1 The location for a suitable, existing road access from the main A29 road with acceptable visibility splays has been agreed with the Department of Infrastructure, Highways Division. This is shown on Location Plan No. 1274-000A. The applicant has agreement in principle with The Treasury, Strategic Assets Unit, to purchase an area of land required to form a visibility splay to the north of the site access road (see Appendix D).
4.2 The Site Layout Plan, No. 1274-060B indicates 40 car parking spaces, including 15 garages which are integral to the properties. This complies with the requirements of Appendix 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan which requires 40 spaces for a development of 20 such dwellings. All of the spaces, whether internal or external, are sized to comply with the requirements of Manx Roads.
5.0 Drainage
5.1 A scheme for the Foul Water Drainage has been agreed, in principle, with the IOM Water and Sewerage Authority. This is dealt with in a Statement prepared by BB Consulting Engineers (see Appendix D).
5.2 A scheme for the Surface Water Drainage has been agreed, in principle, with the IOM Water and Sewerage Authority. This is dealt with in a Statement prepared by BB Consulting Engineers (see Appendix D).
6.0 Environmental Protection
6.1 Environment Policy 26 of the Strategic Plan requires that,
'Development will not be permitted on or close to contaminated land unless it can be demonstrated that there is no unacceptable risk to health, property or adjacent water courses.'
Due to the historic use of the site as a gas works and storage facility, land contamination is a material consideration. Following on from a Preliminary Land Quality Assessment, a Land Contamination Survey was commissioned. A report on this survey, undertaken by Construction Testing and Advisory Services (see Appendix E) concluded that contamination on this site can be remediated for the proposed use.
6.2 Environment Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan requires that,
'Development that would cause demonstrable harm to a watercourse, wetland, pond or dub, and which could not be overcome by mitigation measures will not be permitted. Where development is proposed which would affect a watercourse, planning applications must comply with the following criteria:
(a) All watercourses in the vicinity of the site must be identified on plans accompanying a planning application and include an adequate risk
assessment to demonstrate that works will not cause long term deterioration in water quality;
(b) details of pollution and alleviation measures must be submitted;
(c) all engineering works proposed must be phased in an appropriate manner in order to avoid a reduction in water quality in any adjacent watercourse; and
(d) development will not normally be allowed within 8 metres of any watercourse in order to protect the aquatic and bankside habitats and species.
A 9m consultation form was submitted in parallel with the in principle application. The response to this advised that 'there are no concerns on the proposed development, provided there is no impact on the watercourse alongside the property' (see Appendix F).
6.3 Environment Policy 4 of the Strategic Plan requires that, 'Development will not be permitted which would adversely affect; (a) species and habitats of international importance (as specified), (b) species and habitats of national importance (as specified), and (c) species and habitats of local importance (as specified).
Some areas to which this policy applies are identified as Areas of Ecological Importance or Interest on extant Local or Area Plans, but others, whose importance was not evident at the time of the adoption of the relevant Local or Area Plans are not, particularly where that plan has been in place for many years. In these circumstances, the Department will seek specific advice from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry [now Environment, Food and Agriculture – DEFA] if development proposals are brought forward.
In response to advice from Dr Richard Selman of DEFA a Wildlife Study was commissioned. A report on this survey (Appendix G) advises of minor bird and bat activity and deterrence measures to be adopted prior to demolition or construction.
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal
