Creation of new vehicular access onto highway

new development (including individual buildings) should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment

The proposal is considered to comply with Strategic Policy 5

Strategic Policy 5: New development, including individual buildings, should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment of the Island. In appropriate cases the Department will require planning applications to be supported by a Design Statement which will be required to take account of the Strategic Aim and Policies. 4.4 Economy 4.4.1 The Spatial Strategy identifies the Major Employment Areas around the Island. While the majority of business and employment is focused around the Douglas Metropolitan Area, there are other major employment areas at Castletown, the Airport/Freeport, Peel, Ramsey and Jurby. The Department considers the distribution of employment areas provides a spread of employment opportunities around the Island. While recognising the opportunities for small scale local employment within existing centres it is considered new employment should, in the main, be concentrated within existing settlements or those major employment areas referred to in the Island Spatial Strategy and illustrated on the Key Diagram. Existing Local and new Area Plans will provide detailed boundar ies for these areas. From time to time Government may judge it appropriate to offer financial incentives to encourage economic activity or investment in particular parts of the Island.

general standards towards acceptable development including visual and amenity impacts and highway safety matters

requires development in existing settlements to be designed to take account of its particularly character and identity, both in terms of existing buildings and landscape features

pment. 8.13.2 The extent of formal open space with in settlement boundaries in the South is identified on the Proposals Map (Map 3) and Inset Maps (Maps 4-7). The Isle of Man Strategic Plan (Environment Policy 42) seeks to protect these open spaces and indicates that: 8.13.3 "Inappropriate backland development, and the removal of open or green spaces which contribute to the visual amenity and sense of place of a partic ular area will not be permitted.''

designing out crime

Relevant policies of Strategic Plan

Community Policy 7: The design of new development and the extension and refurbishment of existing buildings and development must, as far as is reasonably practical, pay due regard to existing best practice so as to help prevent criminal and anti-social behaviour. 10.12.2 The Isle of Man Constabulary has suggested that neighbourhood police stations, where the public can meet police officers, are needed to improve community safety. In the majority of cases these will need to be provided within existin g communities as opportunities arise. Consideration should be given to incorporating such facilities in larger new developments in association with other community facilities.

prevention of outbreak and spread of fire

Relevant policies of Strategic Plan

Community Policy 11: The design and use of all new buildings and of extensions to existing buildings must, as far as is reasonable and practicable, pay due regard to best practice such as to prevent the outbreak and spread of fire. CHAPTER 11 TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES CONTENTS 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Public Transport 11.3 Highways and Traffic 11.4 Pedestrians 11.5 Car Parking 11.6 Airports and Airfields 11.7 Harbours 11.8 Drainage 11.9 Communications 11.10 Water Supply and Water Conservation CHAPTER 11 TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES 11.1 Introduction 11.1.1 Chapter 2 sets out the Government's Core Purpose and Aims and the Department's Strategic Aim. These policies include in particular the Core Purpose "To maintain and build on the high quality of life enjoyed by the Island's Community." and the aim "To protect and improve the quality of the environment." 11.1.2 The S trategic Objectives in Chapter 3 make reference to the need to develop a more integrated transport strategy which balances the growth in car usage with the promotion of more sustainable alternatives. 11.1.3 In land use planning terms this translates into a more sustainable pattern of development concentrating development in and around existing settlements. Modern society has become increasingly reliant on the private motor vehicle and derives benefits from it. But there is a price to be paid in terms of congestion, air pollution and noise and visual impact. At the same time the environment of the Island and our towns and settlements has evolved over many hundreds of years and in many cases is not capable of adapting to the further pressures of car access and usage without adverse impacts on the environment. 11.1.4 To balance these conflicting needs it is considered that a more integrated transport network needs to be developed to balance the growth in car usage with improvements to other more sustainable alternatives. Over time we need to move to a situation where those who need to travel can do so in a range of different ways wherever this is reasonable and practicable. To this end the Department of Tourism and Leisure considers that a significant cont ribution to maximize the utilization of existing Public Transport would be made if businesses and schools were encouraged to stagger the start and end of working days. The Department of Transport confirm that the staggering of school start times would also maximise the use of existing transport infrastructure both of highways and the bus fleet. The Department of Transport is jointly progressing, with the Department of Education, the concept of School Travel Plans, with the aim of reducing car journeys to and from schools. 11.1.5 Because of the critical link between the land use planning policies of the Development Plan and the transport policies of the Government it is considered essential to develop an Integrated Transport Strategy which will link these two activities which are so critical to developing more sustainable development. 11.1.6 The Government Plan has, within the Sound Infrastructure Aim, the objective "To promote an integrated transport strategy to meet the needs of the local community and visitors". 11.1.7 In 2006, the Department commissioned a Transport Study by consultants 'JMP' to study the effect of development on the highway system. This allowed the proposed Transport Policies to be assessed in the light of up to date surveys and analysis. A further transport assessment consisting of traffic surveys on the Strategic Links, has now been undertaken (2014) to ascertain the current traffic flows and the implications of traffic growth up to 2026. 11.1.8 The original JMP Report (published 2007) identified:  The main Strategic Links between the communities on the Island (the Centres referred to in the Spatial Strategy);  The status of those Links in terms of condition, capacity, congestion etc.; and  The expected impacts of the level of development proposed in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007. 11.1.9 The original Report (2007) identified the Strategic Links in the list below. The 2014 transport assessment which examined up to date traffic data made no change to this list:  A1 Douglas - Peel  A2 Douglas - Laxey  A2 Laxey - Ramsey  A3 Castletown - St Johns  A3/A4 Peel - Ramsey  A5 Douglas - Ballasalla  A5 Ballasalla - Castletown  A5 Castletown - Port St Mary - Port Erin  A18 Douglas - Ramsey 11.1.10 The original JMP Report (2007) identified that the following junctions experienc ed regular traffic congestion:  Quarterbridge  Mountain Road/Governors Road  Glencrutchery Road/Victoria Road 11.1.11 Taking into account the proposed level of new development identified in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, the JMP Report concluded that the following junctions would suffer more congestion:  Quarterbridge  Mountain Road/Governors Road  Glencrutchery Road/Victoria Road  A5/A7 junction Ballasalla  Parliament Square Ramsey 11.1.12 The 2014 transport assessment took into account the proposed level and location of new housing development up to 2026 and concluded that:  the Strategic Links are, and should, continue to operate within their 3,060 vehicles per hour capacity for the duration of the revised Isle of Man Strategic Plan ( up to 2026);  following sensitivity tests on the Ballacraine to Ramsey Strategic Link, there is no requirement to undertake further traffic congestion investigation work in rural village locations such as Kirk Michael;  following sensitivity tests, the Castletown to Ballasalla and Ballasalla to Douglas links highlight the requirement for traffic congestion investigation work in Ballasalla in 2026;  the Quarterbridge and Governors Hill junctions continue to operate at greater than 85% capacity and the increased traffic flows predicted in all the assessments will increase congestion at these locations; and  traffic flows at the Parliament Square junction in Ramsey, Ball acraine junction, and Main Road junction at Onchan are all set to increase by 2026 which will increase congestion at these locations. 11.1.13 An evaluation of this data indicates the increase in traffic flow at Parliament Street in Ramsey can be accommodated by the minor improvement works to increase capacity at this location in 2009. However, the Ballacraine and Onchan Main Road traffic signals will require further assessment during the development of the Area Plans for the West and East of the Island respectively to ensure these junctions do not become subject to a high level of congestion. 11.1.14 As the Isle of Man Strategic Plan is a document for the whole Island and does not include site specific proposals it is not considered either appropriate or necessary to include policies or proposals in respect of the specific traffic schemes. However, the Area Plans will need to consider both the implications of these schemes and the need for any localised improvements arising from any site specific proposals for new development. 11.1.15 Considering the outcome of the 2007 JMP Report, as well as the latest transport assessment 2014 which examined both the whole strategic route network as well as the local strategic route network, it is judged that the Policies in this Chapter remain appropriate. 11.2 Public Transport 11.2.1 It is considered that in order to support the environmental objectives of this plan the use of public transport as an alternative to the private car should be encouraged. Whilst many of the measures designed to improve public transport systems are not lik ely to involve the planning process, the enhancement of public transport infrastructure - for example

water conservation and management measures

Relevant policies of Strategic Plan