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10 Ballaterson Road, Peel, Isle of Man IM5 1BJ Tel: 426277 email: [email protected]
Existing Site The site represents the curtilage of Ballasalla Primary School which lies in the heart of Ballasalla. The school is a large building encompassing modern elements with large, secure play yard and grassed area to the south of the main building. There are some detached, modular buildings within the school grounds, however these are not available to the primary school for daily use. A mobile unit is located to the west of the main school building which provides private nursery care for pre-school children and two modular buildings provide community space located to the south of the school building. The school site is contained and well screened from the main Douglas Road (A6).
The curtilage of the Ballasalla School is a sizeable area which fronts onto Douglas Road to the south and has residential development to the remaining three sides. The school has staff parking provision on-site located to the east of the school buildings which can be accessed via the Clagh Vane residential development. The school buildings have been extended previously to accommodate increasing pupil numbers and the Department has also provided a mobile classroom, approved under PA 24/00553/B, installed last year.
The application site is the enclosed area of the school yard used to house the Ballasalla community cabin units, located to the south of the main school buildings. The application site can be accessed via a gate from the secure play yard or a pedestrian gate in the metal fencing forming the boundary between the school grounds and public footpath to the gable of 1 Glashen Terrace (latter would be secured).
A planning application was made, and approved last year (ref: 24/00555/B) to remove the Community Cabins and replacement with a single mobile classroom. This planning application seeks to supersede the previously approved approval.
Photographs of the application site and the school’s boundary with Douglas Road have been included as part of this planning application for reference, see Appendix A.
Applicant Statement The mobile classroom is needed for September 2025 to provide additional accommodation at the school. The school roll has risen steadily over recent years with the re-construction of the Clagh Vane estate, and the large Reayrt Mie residential development, from 95 in 19/20, to 137 in 22/23, 143 in 23/24 to a roll of 167 in
September 2024. With the development continuing in Ballasalla it is anticipated that the school roll will continue to grow over the next few years.
The Department’s stated permanent capacity of the school is 131 (including adjustment down from 150 in 2023, to allow for additional educational needs (AEN) provision.
This application replaces the previously approved single mobile (which has not yet been placed). The double mobile will provide a useable space for pupils who require quiet, supportive spaces away from the classroom environment. Therefore, the school will utilise the double mobile classroom as a breakout area to support pupils needs. Given the rising number on roll and the specific needs within the school, a double mobile classroom is deemed necessary rather than a single one.
Proposals This application seeks full planning approval for the removal of the existing community cabins and replacement with a double mobile classroom building, containing two classrooms with toilet facilities to the south of the main school buildings. This application replaces the previously approved single mobile (ref:24/0005/B) which has not yet been placed.
The proposed mobile classroom building will be purchased from a specialist supplier, such as Springfield Portable Accommodation in the UK (or similar approved) for use within the Ballasalla school grounds. A similar classroom unit has been installed at Castle Rushen High School in the summer of 2023 and at Queen Elizabeth II High School towards the end of 2024. The new mobile classroom unit will be provided with a disabled access ramp and steps suitable for ambulant disabled in accordance with current regulations.
The application site proposed to accommodate the new mobile classroom has been chosen to make use of an existing site containing mobile units within the school grounds – the Ballasalla community cabins are located on land that is owned by the Department. As the pupil numbers have increased significantly since permission was granted for the locating of the community cabins and the numbers are likely to increase further, then this space has become valuable/essential for educational purposes.
The proposed mobile classrooms will be located on the footprint of the existing Community Cabins, with the corner of the new building (closest to the residential properties of Glashen Terrace and public footpath) located in a similar position to the existing. The new building will extend further into the school grounds than the existing Community Cabins and will involve the removal of one mature tree (refer to Proposed Site Plan ref: 2025/03/03 for location). It will also be necessary to remove the metal and timber fencing currently positioned between the Community Cabins and the Playground to allow unrestricted pupil access to the new mobile classrooms whilst remaining within the secure grounds of the school.
We believe there will be no adverse impact because of the installation of this mobile structure within the school grounds and minimal visual impact to members of the public when viewed from Douglas Road.
Appendix A – Photographs of Application Site Photographs of School Grounds viewed from Douglas Road (mobile buildings to be replaced) Application Site viewed from Clagh Vane & School Play Yard Application Site viewed from Clagh Vane & School Play Yard
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