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8 Ravens Wharf South Quay Douglas Isle of Man IM1 5BT
Project: Conversion of The Old Mortuary, Castletown into Restaurant and Takeaway
Project no: 1703-SP Date: March 2017
1.0 Site and Surroundings 2.0 Planning History and Policy 3.0 Drainage and Services 4.0 Consultations 5.0 Parking and Access 6.0 The Proposal
Appendix A - Parking Survey
1.1 The proposed site is the two small single storey buildings on the southeast side of the car park between Castletown Civic Centre and Castletown Square. The buildings are referred to on the town plan as The Old Mortuary. 1.2 The buildings are currently used by their owner, Castletown Commissioners, for storage. Castletown Commissioners are keen to see the buildings in question brought to life and would like to find a suitable public use for them as part of wider environmental improvements in the car park. 1.3 The buildings are built onto the boundary wall between the Civic Centre and the Isle of Man Bank staff car park. 1.4 The buildings are both constructed of solid limestone masonry with pitched slate roofs and black painted timber windows and doors.
2.1 According to the government's planning applications website, the buildings are included within the Civic Centre boundary. There are 8 planning applications listed for the site, but none concern the buildings in question. 2.2 The buildings are located within the Castletown Regeneration Area.
2.3 The buildings are located within the Castletown conservation area and are not registered. Environmental Policy 35 will therefore apply and the project will be expected to preserve or enhance the Conservation Area. 2.4 Map 5 of the Southern Area Plan shows the area zoned as Mixed Use. 2.5 As the building is located within a town centre location it will be subject to the provisions of General Policy 2 of the strategic plan. 2.6 Transport Policy 7 applies and, therefore, the parking standards of Appendix 7 of the Strategic Plan. 2.7 The Old Mortuary is a pre-1920 building and Environment Policy 34 will apply. This policy favours the use of traditional materials on older buildings. 2.8 The project will include a commercial kitchen and will therefore be subject to Environment Policy 22 .
3.1 The site is not located within the Silverburn flood risk area.
3.2 There have been both a water supply and foul drainage to the building in the past, but these services now appear to be redundant. It is proposed to connect the building to the combined sewer in the car park area and to provide a new water feed from the civic centre. Consultation has taken place with Ian Wade of Manx Utilities. He has requested that any storm water and foul water be kept separate until they join the combined sewer to allow for any future drainage development. 3.3 A new gas supply to the building will be installed by Manx Gas from the mains in Farrant's Way. Manx gas have consulted with the conservation officer who has advised that the meter box should be painted a dark colour. 3.4 The building is already served by electricity and there are telecom connections in the immediate vicinity.
4.1 Consultation has taken place with environmental health. They have no concerns regarding the project. The building is in a mixed-use area that contains other commercial kitchens (The George Hotel and Kowloon House) and there are no residential properties in the immediate vicinity.
4.2 The Police Architectural Liaison Officer has been consulted.
He has requested that CCTV be installed both inside and outside the building. The officer has also requested that some restriction on opening hours be considered. 4.3 The Fire and Rescue service was consulted and had no objections to the proposals. 4.4 Steven Stanley, the Town Regeneration Officer, has been consulted. He advised that he scheme would be eligible for grants if planning approval was received. 4.5 The scheme was presented to Castletown Commissioners, and Jason Moorhouse MHK, at their meeting on the 6th March. The scheme was well received by the majority of the commissioners and Mr Moorhouse. 4.6 Consultation has taken place with Edmond Riley of the Planning Office.
5.1 Castletown Commissioners own the car park within which the Old Mortuary is located. The car park presently has 16 public parking spaces with a further 4 spaces belonging to the building which currently houses Coffee Republic. These 4 spaces have a right of access over the commissioner's car park.
5.2 There are 6 car parking spaces immediately surrounding the Old Mortuary. One to the south, two to the north and three along the western elevation.
It would be impossible for the proposed regeneration of the Old Mortuary to take place without losing some of these car parking spaces as they block all three entrances to the building. 5.3 Consultation has taken place with Hazel Fletcher of the Department of Infrastructure's Highways Division.
She advised that as the location was in a town centre she wasn't concerned about parking provision for restaurant patrons, however, she was concerned about the management of takeaway delivery vehicles and requested a parking survey due to the potential loss of parking spaces. 5.4 A parking survey was carried out on Monday 27th February, Wednesday 1st March and Saturday 4th March.
The survey covered the civic centre car park, The Square, The Parade and the car park next to the fire station.
On the Saturday night there was a community cinema evening in the civic centre. The survey showed that there was plenty of parking available in the evenings within the immediate vicinity of the Old Mortuary. 5.5 The loss of parking spaces was debated by the commissioners at their meeting on the 6th March.
Some commissioners expressed concern about the loss of parking spaces, but it was decided that the benefits of the project for the regeneration of the space and its potential for environmental improvement outweighed the loss of parking.
5.6 According to A.7.4 of Appendix 7 of the Strategic Plan, the project is not expected to provide on-site parking due to its town centre location.
However, A.7.4 states that "it must be feasible for retail developments to be serviced" which was the main concern expressed by Hazel Fletcher of the Department of Infrastructure during our consultation.
The proposal has two parking spaces next to the civic centre opposite the takeaway entrance. These spaces would be available for delivery drivers to park when collecting.
5.7 A.7.1 and A.7.6 of Appendix 7 refer to the relaxation of parking standards.
A.7.1 states (although referring to residential situations) that "the need to find a use for redundant buildings which are in sound condition will outweigh the drawback of any shortfall in parking provision.
A.7.6 states that "standards may be relaxed where development is otherwise of benefit to the character of a Conservation Area".
5.8 The client intends to keep a single parking space in the area between the Old Mortuary and the back of Lloyds Bank for Paolo the Secret
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