Loading document...
Application No.: 16/00952/B Applicant: Colas Holdings (IOM) Ltd Proposal: Erection of cabins to provide additional office accommodation Site Address: The Grounds Of Broom House Billown Quarry Foxdale Road Ballasalla Isle Of Man IM9 3DW Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 08.09.2016 Site Visit: 08.09.2016 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation
Officer’s Report THE SITE
1.1 The site is part of the curtilage of Billown Lime Quarry which is situated to the west of the A3 Foxdale Road and north of the A7 road towards Ballabeg from Cross Four Ways. The site as a whole accommodates a tarmacadam works, stone processing and quarry as well as the company's headquarters building which sits to the south of the above. The office building is a traditionally designed quarterland farmhouse type structure which is used for the administration of the company associated with the quarry. Car parking is provided in front (north east) for around 14 vehicles. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the location of four mobile units to the east of the office. These are all 4m by 14.4m and positioned close enough to each other to be able to move freely between the units from within. The units are 2.9m to the top and are to be finished in black plastisol cladding.
2.2 The units will provide around 213 sq m of floor space including a kitchen, two toilets, meeting room and offices. - 2.3 The site is to be remodelled to provide for 37 parking spaces. - 2.4 A number of trees will require to be removed to accommodate the units. The applicant has provided what seems to be a generic tree protection scheme for the site, helpfully providing a schedule of works to be undertaken with opportunities for the date of completion to be added and who is responsible for each action. The trees to be removed are four small and low trees in the middle of the lawn in front of the existing office and two more to the south east at the edge of an existing group of trees. - 2.5 The facilities are required in order that the staff resulting from a recent acquisition of a local construction and scaffolding company can be based at the same site, producing economies and operational synergies, particularly having the senior management team for all operations working out of one location. The units will be used for the building and civil engineering parts of the business which is currently in two different locations (Ballasalla and Douglas). There will be nine people transferred to the site (Director of Building, Director of Civil Engineering, Finance Director, Group's Quality Safety and Environmental Adviser, Commerical Director, two group administrators and two quantity surveyors.
2.6 The units will be serviced from the main building in terms of drainage, telephony and power.
3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the APS as not designated for a particular purpose: the quarry is identified as a mineral extraction site. Part of the site, including the site of the office and land around it is identified as an area of ecological interest.
3.2 There is, as such, a presumption against development other than that provided for in General Policy 3:
"General Policy 3: Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:
4.1 There have been a number of applications on the wider site for mineral extraction which are not relevant to the current application. Broom House was approved under 96/01445/B. This was proposed and approved as offices for the management and administration of companies involved in quarrying and stone-crushing at Billown Quarry and for associated companies".
4.2 Mobile units have previously been approved on the site to provide ancillary workshops and stores (99/01988/B).
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services request a deferral (14.09.16).
5.2 Malew Parish Commissioners indicate that they have no objection to the application (08.09.16). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The units are required for a period in the region of five years after which the company will have found alternative premises either in permanent accommodation on the site or elsewhere. At present, they have no information on how the company will evolve and where the staff will need to be located.
6.2 The proposed units are not particularly attractive but will not be publicly visible due to the significant vegetation between the site and the public highway. The site is also well screened from the quarry and has a separate entrance to it.
6.3 The loss of the trees is not considered to have any significant impact on the character of the area.
6.4 The existing use of the site includes office accommodation for those associated with the company operating the quarry and as such, the proposed use of the units is compatible with that. It is also relevant that the proposed use is short term and temporary. - 6.5 The proposal involves the creation of additional parking spaces to accommodate the new workers who will be on site in accordance with the Strategic Plan standards of parking provision. - 6.6 The proposal is considered to be acceptable subject to conditions relating to the use and life of the units on site and relating to the tree protection measures.
7.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
List any Depts who do not raise material considerations and who should not be afforded interested person status under the Order.
In addition to those above, article 6(3) of the Order requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.
In this instance, it is recommended that the following persons have sufficient interest and should be awarded the status of an Interested Person in accordance with Government Circular 0046/13:
In this instance, it is recommended that the following persons do not have sufficient interest to be awarded the status of an Interested person in accordance with Government Circular 0046/13: it may be useful to explain why.
With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.
Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.09.2016 Conditions and Notes for Approval: C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: the units are temporary by design and construction and should not be considered as a permanent solution for additional office space on this site.
This approval relates to drawings 1, 2, 3, 4 and 01 and the method statement for the protection of trees, all received on 12th August, 2016.
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 26.10.2016 Determining officer
Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal
