Officer Report

Application No.: 25/90590/B Applicant: Mr Stuart McIntyre Proposal: Installation of modular building in north-eastern car park to create fitness suite Site Address: Police Headquarters And Premises Dukes Avenue Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4RG Principal Planner: Chris Balmer Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 08.07.2025 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

• C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. The existing trees (adjacent to the site) shall be retained in accordance with the approved details. In the event that trees become damaged or otherwise defective during such period, the Department shall be notified as soon as reasonably practicable and remedial action agreed and implemented. In the event that a tree dies or is wilfully removed without prior consent it shall be replaced as is reasonably practicable and, in any case, by not later than the end of the first available planting season, with trees of such size, species and in such number and positions as may be agreed with the Department. Reason: To safeguard the appearance of the development and the surrounding area.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

Overall, the proposal is considered to be acceptable having no significant impacts upon public or private amenities and comply with General Policy 2 of the IOMSP and supporting Paragraph 11.5.3 of TAPE where it recognises the importance of Police in the community.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing all received on 10.06.2025 and

_________________________________________________________________ Right to Appeal It is recommended that the following organisations should NOT be given the Right to Appeal: DOI Highway Services - No Objection Local Authority - No Objection

_________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site forms the curtilage of the Police Headquarters, Dukes Avenue, Douglas which is a large two storey detached building located to the north-eastern side of Dukes Avenue and south of the Glenclutchery Road.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the installation of modular building in north-eastern car park to create fitness suite. The building has dimensions of 9.10m long x 6.0m wide x

• 3.0m high.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The following panning application are considered relevant in the determination of the current application: - 3.2 Location of a 20ft storage-shipping container for Police Workshop Garage - 24/90932/B

- APPROVED

3.3 Erection of a modular custody suite extension - 13/91097/B - APPROVED

- 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 Site Specific - 4.2 Designated as 'Buildings or Land for Civic, Cultural or Other Use' on the Area Plan for the East (TAPE). Is not recognised as being at any flood risk and is not within a Conservation Area. - 4.3 Relevant policies of TAPE o Para 11.5.3 recognition of importance of Police in community. - 4.4 Relevant policies of IOM Strategic Plan.

• o Strategic Policy 1(a) - make best use of existing or underused sites
• o Strategic Policy 5 - new development (including individual buildings) should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment (and in some cases a Design Statement will be required)
• o General Policy 2 - general standards towards acceptable development

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Douglas Borough Council - No objection (24.06.2025). - 5.2 DOI Highway Services comment (17.06.2025); "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as it will have a minimal impact on exiting parking supply on the site."

5.3 Forestry (DEFA) comment (16.06.2025); "Thank you for consulting with us and we have now had an opportunity to make a cursory review of the proposal, and have the following comments.

There are registered trees directly adjacent to the proposed development but it would appear that the likely construction would have little impact upon the retained trees.

As such we have no objection at this juncture to this proposal in its current form. If you were minded to approve this application we would ask for standard tree retention conditions to be applied."

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key considerations in the determination of the application are:

• o Principle of development
• o Visual impact
• o Impact on neighbouring amenity
• o Loss of parking provision

6.2 Principle

• 6.2.1 The site relates to the grounds of IOM central police headquarters and the proposed fitness suite sought is in association with that overall use of the site being the Police Headquarters. In principle the proposal is acceptable.

6.3 Visual Impact

• 6.3.1 The structure will not be prominent from any public views given its set below the large grass bank and below the ground level of the playing fields to the northwest. It is likely only the roof of the building would be apparent; albeit not a prominent feature. This type of modular building is not uncommon on the site with the much larger custody suite made up of a modular building/s.

6.4 Impact on neighbouring amenity

• 6.4.1 Given the siting within the rear yard and distance from any neighbouring properties the proposal is not expected to result in any increase in impact on any general amenity of neighbouring commercial buildings or to those residential properties in the nearby area.

6.5 Loss of parking provision

• 6.5.1 The building is located in the rear yard and off the public highway. Parking is provided within this yard as well as other areas surrounding the headquarters and so while the proposal would result in the loss of approximately six spaces, it is felt that sufficient parking is provided elsewhere to accommodate this and also minded that fleet vehicles are also likely to be out on duty with turnover of spaces throughout the day. It would also be in the Police's best interest to ensure that the proposed building was not sited so as to disrupt operations including the free flow of traffic within the site.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 Overall the proposal is considered to be acceptable having no significant impacts upon public or private amenities and comply with General Policy 2 of the IOMSP and supporting Paragraph 11.5.3 of TAPE where it recognises the importance of Police in the community. - 7.2 The application is recommend for an approval.

- 8.0 RIGHT TO APPEAL AND RIGHT TO GIVE EVIDENCE

8.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal

• (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
• 8.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to:

• o applicant (in all cases);
• o a Local Authority; Government Department; Manx Utilities; and Manx National Heritage that submit a relevant objection; and
• o any other person who has made an objection that meets specified criteria.

8.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10. - 8.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required):

• o any appellant or potential appellant (which includes the applicant);
• o the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the Department of Infrastructure and the local authority for the area;
• o any other person who has submitted written representations (this can include other Government Departments and Local Authorities); and
• o in the case of a petition, a single representative.

8.5 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make

comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given the Right to Appeal.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status and/or rights to appeal.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 09.07.2025 Determining Officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

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