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Application No.: 16/01200/C Applicant: Hotel Bell Tents Proposal: 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. Site Address: Ballakermeen High School St Catherines Drive Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 4BE Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS THE PROPOSED USE IS CONTRARY TO THE LAND-USE ZONING FOR THE SITE, AND DUE TO THE HISTORY OF THE SITE.
0.0 PREAMBLE - 0.1 This application is essentially identical to that previously submitted for a similar use (PA 15/01045/C) and which some members of the Planning Committee may recall determining on 2nd November 2016. - 0.2 The difference between the application now before the Committee and the scheme the Committee approved in 2015 is that the current scheme seeks approval for the use of the land as a camp site for four consecutive TT race periods, whereas until this point approval has been sought for the forthcoming year only. - 0.3 This current application seeking approval for the forthcoming four years has been submitted on officer advice in view of the trouble-free operation of the site for camping until the current time. (In fact, officer advice was to seek approval for five years but the dates for the year 2021 could not be forecasted by the applicant.) That said, should the Planning Committee choose to approve the application, Members do have the power to still choose to limit the use of the land as a campsite for fewer than the years for which approval is now sought.
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is part Ballakermeen High School which is located between St. Catherine's Drive and Westminster Drive in Douglas. The site comprises the access, the playing field, parking areas, and shower and toilet block. - 1.2 Ballakermeen School covers a large area; the main buildings cover the northern part of the site with the playing fields extending to the south. There is a one-way access system into and out of the school. Vehicular access is via the west end of Westminster Drive to the northwest corner of the school and off St. Catherine's Drive to the south west. The St. Catherine's Drive access is exit-only.
1.3 The school is situated in a built-up residential area, surrounded by housing on all sides.
2.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 2.1 Although the site has a varied planning history, only a few applications are considered to be material to the determination of the current application. PA 14/00921/C sought and gained planning approval for the temporary change of use of the school grounds in connection with the 2015 TT races; this followed an approval the previous year under PAs 13/00367/C and then 13/91219/C and - as noted - 15/01045/C for the same thing in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. Both sought specified periods for the change of use, and both were approved subject to a more or less identical set of conditions, with those attached to the 2015 approval set out below:
Reason: The application is for the use of the site for the 2016 TT motorcycling event 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: To ensure that sufficient provision is made for off-street parking and turning of vehicles in the interests of highway safety.
2.2 These conditions are identical to those attached to the 2014 planning approval, with the exception that the tent pitches controlled in Condition 2 increased in number from 122 to 150 between 2014 and 2015 respectively. The number was limited to 60 by a condition attached to the 2013 approval.
3.0 THE PROPOSAL - 3.1 The current application seeks planning approval for the temporary change of use of the site from school grounds to a campsite of a maximum of 150 bell tents for the following inclusive periods:
3.2 The site would have 150 bell tents with each accommodating between 1 and 4 people. The applicant contends that the site can accommodate 180 tents (he indicated on a previous application that the maximum would be 172) but he felt this would be too many and it would also result in the tents being erected right up to the boundary fence with St Catherine's Drive. The site plan shows the area within the camping is to take place. The camping area is more or less central to the playing field, and measures approximately 135m by 58m - a slight difference from the 100m by 60m approved on this site. - 3.3 Previous applications have outlined what the tents come equipped with, including tea light chandeliers (LED or candle), hand loomed Indian block colour rugs, Jute door mats, luxury inflatable beds, a mirror, bamboo centre pole, low level Indian tables, fire extinguisher and various samples to enhance the guest's experience. There would also be various bedding packages where customers can order Egyptian cotton linen with bath towels and 13.5 tog duvets with cosy mattress toppers. - 3.4 Similarly, previous applications have outlined that there will be manned security for the duration of the use and CCTV will be used throughout the day and night. The applicant's traffic officers will be responsible for enforcing the one way traffic system into and out of the site. Out of hours noise will be policed by the applicant. The school's car parking facilities would be used for parking and campers would also have use of the school canteen, toilet and shower block, swimming pool and gym.
3.6 Further to the above, it is noted that the Visit Report from Isle of Man Tourism states that the service offered has increased to a Two Star offer, relative to the One Star grading given previously. Although the Report does not provide specific support, it does outline the various services on offer to guests during their stay during 2015, indicating that those services are sufficient to enable the site to be recognised within the Isle of Man Campsite Scheme. - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY
4.1 The application site is within an area zoned as "Area of Building for Civic, Cultural and Other Special Use (Secondary School)" under the Douglas Local Plan. - 4.2 The Strategic Plan contains four policies considered relevant to the assessment of this current planning application. Both General Policies 2 and 3 should be addressed. While the latter refers only to land not zoned for any development, rather than for development that is contrary to the land use zoning, some of the general principles of General Policy 2 with respect to residential amenity are worth bearing in mind.
4.3 General Policy 2 reads, in part: "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:
4.4 General Policy 3 states: "Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:
4.5 Business Policy 11 states: "Tourism development must be in accordance with the sustainable development objectives of this plan; policies and designations which seek to protect the countryside from development will be applied to tourist development with as much weight as they are to other types of development. Within the rural areas there may be situations where existing rural buildings would be used for tourist use and Environment Policy 16 sets out the circumstances where this may be permitted." - 4.6 Transport Policy 4 states: "The new and existing highways which serve any new development must be designed so as to be capable of accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys generated by that development in a safe and appropriate manner, and in accordance with the environmental objectives of this plan."
5.1 The Department of Infrastructure Highway Services offered no objection to the proposal on 17th November 2016, commenting:
"The proposal is to use part of the grounds of Ballakermeen High School as a camping facility during the 2 motorcycling events each year for a period of 4 years.
"This facility has operated successfully in previous years and highway services do not oppose the application subject to the conditions applied to previous approvals."
6.1 The Strategic Plan contains no specific policies which relate to camp sites or the use of any other land for camping uses but, as (a) the site is situated in Douglas, the Island's principal settlement, and is an accessible and sustainable location, and (b) 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, it would be inappropriate to object to the principle of this proposal.
6.2 This application proposes to retain the number of tents previously approved at 150, but for this approval to run for four years rather than the previously sought single year. Therefore, the issue for consideration is not whether or not any additional pitches would cause concern - no increase is proposed - but whether or not the additional years for which approval is sought would be harmful or not. - 6.3 Significant concern was raised with respect to the use of the site for camping on the first occasion it was proposed; this concern became less and less pronounced as years progressed until the most recent application when no letters of objection were received at all. This is the case on this occasion as well. It is therefore concluded that the site is clearly being properly managed and there is no reason to assume that this will not continue. It is clearly in the operator's interests to ensure the site offers a positive experience for users, and in so doing this will minimise the impact on nearby living conditions. - 6.4 What cannot be minimised by good management of the site, though, is the visual impact arising from the site's use for camping. Previously, officers have commented on this as below:
"…the tents to the southwest of the site would be very near St. Catherine's Drive, which is set down from the neighbouring land level. The effect of this, particularly from those tents nearest the highway at just over 10m, could be a little domineering, with the tents rising quite high above the adjacent highway and becoming quite prominent within it. However, the site is screened fairly well and the set-back from the site's boundary will reduce this impact somewhat. Moreover, it must be remembered that the proposal is temporary in nature and any tents approved for the site would only lawfully be present for a maximum of 3 weeks. As such, while the likely visual impact might be said to be slightly jarring, it is not considered that this could form a reason to recommend the application's refusal."
6.5 There is no reason to come to a different view on this occasion. Campsites are becoming more common and more popular and because a large majority of them are temporary to an extent their visual impact is limited to that period when the camping facilities are on the site. In this case, the site will be used for camping for roughly 20 days per year for four years and this is considered to be an insignificant period of time relative to the clear benefit to the Island's economy - via the support it will offer the TT races - that the proposal will bring. - 6.6 In view of this, and being mindful of the lack of objection on this occasion as well as the letters of specific support provided on previous occasions, it is concluded that the application is acceptable and should be approved for the four year period sought. It is to be noted that other temporary campsites are approved on a permanent basis, including one approved by the Planning Committee at their previous meeting (PA 16/01129/C). - 6.7 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. The previous vehicular access arrangements to the site should be maintained (i.e. twoway 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. This would also cover the previously expressed concern of
Highway Services with respect to the use of the lane between 1 Westminster Drive and 26 Westminster Terrace.
7.1 In view of all the above, and reflecting on the economic benefits arising from the scheme as well as the lack of objection from the Department of Infrastructure's Highway Services team, it is recommended that approval be granted. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.11.2016 Conditions and Notes for Approval: C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
Reason: 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. 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.
The vehicular access onto St. Catherine's Drive at the southwest corner of the site shall be used for vehicular exit only and shall not be used for vehicular entry. There shall be no means of vehicular access directly onto Westbourne Drive to the east.
Reason: In the interests of highway safety.
Reason: To ensure that sufficient provision is made for off-street parking and turning of vehicles in the interests of highway safety.
The development hereby approved relates to the Site Plan and associated information, all datestamped as having been received 24th October 2016.
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 28.11.2016
Signed : E RILEY Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below
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