16 August 2019 · Committee
Garage And Premises Stanley Road Peel Isle Of Man
This application sought permission to demolish existing garages and a warehouse building at Stanley Road, Peel, and replace them with a three-storey building containing a ground-floor commercial or retail unit and seven apartments above, with associated parking. The site sits at the lower end of Stanley Road near Shore Road and Marine Parade, bounded by Stanley Road and Gib Lane. The existing buildings include a two-storey warehouse and two single-storey garages arranged in an L-shape. The proposal was considered alongside a related application on the adjacent site, also owned by the applicant. The application was refused for four reasons: the building's scale and design would harm the character of Gib Lane and the Conservation Area; parking provision fell short of required standards; highway safety concerns were not resolved; and no affordable housing or public open space contribution was made, which was considered necessary given the combined scale of development across both sites.
The application was refused by the Committee on 16 August 2019. The proposed building's height, mass, and design were found to harm the character and appearance of Gib Lane and the wider Conservation Area. The development also failed to provide adequate car parking and could not demonstrate safe highway access, including acceptable visibility splays at junctions. Additionally, no provision was made for affordable housing or public open space, which was required given the cumulative scale of development proposed across the applicant's adjoining sites.
Refusal Reasons
General Policy 2
R 1
Environment Policy 35
R 1
Environment Policy 35: Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development. 7.30 Development adjacent to Conservation Areas 7.30.1 It is often the case that important views into and out of a Conservation Area can contribute significantly to its character. It is necessary to assess the impact any development adjacent to conservation areas may have on such views.
Transport Policy 7
R 2
Transport Policy 7: The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards. The current standards are set out in Appendix 7. 11.5.4 New development can have a significant impact in terms of the traffic generated by it and the impact on the various modes of travel. The Department considers that proposals which are likely to be significant traffic generators should be accompanied by a Transport Assessment(1) which should look at all modes of transport including access by public transport, cycling and on foot.
General Policy 2
R 2
Transport Policy 4
R 3
Transport Policy 4: The new and existing highways which serve any n ew 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. 11.3.2 Notwithstanding policies within this plan which encourage travel by means other than private car it is anticipated that the number of vehicles using the Island's roads will continue to increase. This increase in demand is likely to lead to a greater need for road impro vements in order that travel can take place in a safe, effective, and environmentally acceptable manner. The Department of Transport will continue to assess the need for such improvements to public highways and undertake works where appropriate, with much of the improvement within existing roads carried out under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order2005. The need for improvements to the Island's highway network must be balanced against the environmental objectives of this plan.
General Policy 2
R 3
Housing Policy 5
R 4
Housing Policy 5: In granting planning permission on land zoned for residential development or in predominantly residential areas the Department will normally require that 25% of provision should be made up of affordable housing. This policy will apply to developments of 8 dwellings or more. The term affordable housing is defined by the Department as housing which is either: directly provided by the Department; or directly provided by Local Authorities; or meets the criteria for the Department's House Purchase Assistance Scheme 2004 (and any successor schemes approved by Tynwald). 8.7 New Housing in Existing Settlements 8.7.1 Recent Local Plans and Area Plans have included development briefs guiding the design and layout of land which is zoned for residential use. Such briefs should not needlessly prescribe design, but should indicate site-specific constraints, the need for provision of public facilities or amenities (such as play areas, neighbourhood shops, or land for schooling, open space, or road improvements), and, if appropriate, the maximum or minimum density and the need for the inclusion of an element of affordable housing. Where these briefs state that an optimum density should be achieved this should not be used as an argument for higher density development which has an adverse effect on the residential amenity of adjoining properties or the character of the area.
Recreation Policies 3 and 4
R 4
