7 October 2025 · Committee
The Flower Pot, Station Road, Port Erin, Isle Of Man, IM9 6ab
The proposal involves constructing a Co-op food retail store at ground floor level, with six tourist apartments on the first floor, together with associated car parking, a service yard, and bin storage. The site on Station Road, Port Erin has a longstanding history of commercial and retail use but has been vacant for over a decade. Although the site sits marginally outside Port Erin's designated mixed-use and retail area, it is within the established settlement and close to other retail uses, which the committee found consistent with Business Policies 9 and 10 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan. The scheme received formal support from the local authority, and the design was considered acceptable. The Planning Committee concluded that the proposal would deliver economic benefits, contribute to town centre vitality, and represent sustainable urban regeneration of a brownfield site.
The committee approved the application because the site's proximity to Port Erin's retail area and its long commercial history meant the development aligned with strategic policies on retail and mixed use, despite being marginally outside the designated zone. Bringing a brownfield site vacant for over a decade back into active use, combined with the scheme's expected economic benefits, local authority support, and acceptable design, collectively justified the grant of permission.
Condition 1
1. The development hereby approved shall commence within four years from the date of this decision notice.
Condition 2
2. The gross internal floor area of the retail unit hereby approved shall not exceed 476 sqm, excluding ancillary areas. No mezzanine floors shall be installed.
Condition 3
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 2019, the retail unit hereby approved shall only be used for Class 1.1 convenience retail purposes and not for any other use within that class or any other class].
Condition 4
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 2019 (as amended), the accommodation hereby approved shall only be used as a self-contained self-catering tourist unit within Class 3.6, and for no other purpose (including any other purpose within Class 3.6 or any other class of the Order), unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
Condition 5
5. The retail unit hereby approved shall operate only between 0800 and 2200 Monday to Sundays, and Bank Holidays.
Condition 6
6. Prior to first use of the development, the access arrangements including visibility splays, pedestrian routes, and vehicular entry/exit points shall be implemented in accordance with Drawing No. 0726/03 Rev. J and retained as such thereafter.
Condition 7
7. All car parking spaces, including those for disabled users and electric vehicle charging, shall be provided prior to first use of the development and retained as such thereafter. These spaces shall be used strictly for the parking of vehicles and for no other purpose, including storage, display, or commercial activity.
Condition 8
8. The development hereby approved shall not be brought into use until the adjacent bus stop on Station Road has been relocated eastward, in accordance with the principles and indicative location set out in the ADL Response to the DOI Highways Consultation dated April 2025.
Condition 9
9. Prior to the development hereby approved being brought into use, details of short-stay and long-stay cycle parking shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The facilities shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details and retained as such thereafter.
Condition 10
10. Prior to the development hereby approved being brought into use, a Delivery and Servicing Management Plan shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The plan shall include delivery hours, vehicle types, and noise mitigation measures. The development shall operate in accordance with the approved plan thereafter.
Condition 11
11. Development shall not commence until a programme of historic building recording of the existing buildings on the site has been undertaken and submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The programme must be undertaken in accordance with Level Two as set out in Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Recording Practice.
Condition 12
12. Prior to occupation of the tourist apartments hereby approved, details of privacy screening for the first-floor balcony on the southern elevation which shall have a minimum height of 1.8m shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The screening shall be installed in accordance with the approved details and retained as such thereafter.
Condition 13
13. Prior to commencement of development, an Energy Impact Assessment (EIA) shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The EIA shall demonstrate the measures incorporated into the design, construction, and operation of the development to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency.
Condition 14
14. Prior to commencement of development, a Biodiversity Mitigation Scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The scheme shall include details of bat and bird boxes, tree planting, and demolition timing to avoid nesting seasons. The approved scheme shall be implemented in full and retrained as such thereafter.
Condition 15
15. Prior to the installation of any external lighting, a detailed lighting scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The scheme shall demonstrate compliance with the recommendations of the Bat Conservation Trust and Institute of Lighting Professionals Guidance Note 8 (Bats and Artificial Lighting).
Condition 16
16. Notwithstanding any details already submitted, no development above slab level shall take place until a detailed hard and soft landscaping scheme, including planting plans, species, and boundary treatments, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department.
Condition 17
17. The development hereby approved shall not be brought into use unless off-site highway works including dropped kerbs at the adjacent junction and parking restriction measures on surrounding roads have been implemented in accordance with details which have first been approved in writing by the Department.
Condition 18
18. No guest or customer of the tourist units shall occupy any part of the accommodation for a period exceeding 28 consecutive days in any three-month period.
