Creation of a football pitch, erection of a club house to provide changing facilities and associated car parking

Why Was This Approved?

• ✓Car park and clubhouse judged harmful to the open character and appearance of the surrounding area
• ✓Conflict with Onchan Local Plan paragraph 10.2 and Isle of Man Strategic Plan Recreation Policy 2
• ✓Insufficient evidence that need for facilities outweighed landscape harm
• ✓Noise and disturbance to local residents assessed as not materially adverse
• ✓Application determined by Council of Ministers due to Department of Infrastructure land ownership
• ✓parking

The proposal involved creating a football pitch on fields at Blackberry Lane, Onchan, along with a new clubhouse for changing facilities and a car park. The fields are owned by the Department of Infrastructure, which meant the application could not be determined by the Planning Committee and instead had to go before the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers agreed with that assessment. There is a conflict between the portal's recorded outcome of 'Permitted' and the decision notice reasoning, which describes a refusal; the available evidence does not fully resolve this discrepancy.

Although highway impacts and noise effects on residents were judged acceptable, the applicant did not provide sufficient evidence that the need for the facilities outweighed the landscape harm. The formal reasoning in the decision notice points to refusal, though the portal records the application as permitted.

Conditions (6)

1. 1

   Condition 1

   1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

2. 2

   Condition 2

   2. This approval relates to a football pitch, changing facilities and car park as shown on the 1:1,500 location plan and Drwg Nos PL10 Rev A, PL11 Rev A and OFC-01 Rev 4, all date-stamped 6 January 2012.

3. 3

   Condition 3

   3. No development shall take place until a sample of roofing material to be used on the clubhouse has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. The clubhouse shall be roofed with the approved material.

4. 4

   Condition 4

   4. No development shall take place until a landscaping scheme, including a timetable for its implementation, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Authority. The scheme shall include a management plan for the grassed areas not covered by the pitch. The landscaping scheme and the management plan shall be implemented as approved. Any tree or shrub that within 5 years of being planted dies, is removed or becomes seriously damaged or diseased, shall be replaced in the next planting season with another of similar size and species.

5. 5

   Condition 5

   5. Neither the pitch nor the clubhouse shall be used until the car park has been provided in accordance with the approved plans. Thereafter the car park shall be kept permanently available for the parking of cars.

6. 6

   Condition 6

   6. Only junior players not exceeding 18 years of age shall use the pitch hereby approved. No senior matches shall be played on the pitch.

Documents (50)