17 June 2014 · Delegated
Marine Biological Station, Breakwater Road, Port Erin, Isle Of Man, IM9 6ja
The application sought full planning approval to erect extensions and convert the existing Marine Biological Station at Breakwater Road, Port Erin into a Marine Interpretation Centre. The scheme included a retail unit, café, dive centre, and offices for marine-related businesses. The site falls within a designated development brief area (Site 22 in the Area Plan for the South). The application was refused on two grounds. First, the proposed alterations and vertical extension to the building at the eastern end of the site were judged to be overly dominant and intrusive, harming the architectural and historical interest of the original Marine Biological Station building and the character of the surrounding group of buildings and area. Second, the proposal failed to provide adequate car parking within the application site, raising concerns that additional on-street parking would result, to the detriment of highway safety and traffic flow.
The vertical extension to the eastern building was considered too dominant and intrusive, damaging the historic character of the Marine Biological Station and conflicting with the Development Brief for Site 22 and General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan. The scheme also lacked sufficient on-site parking, which would likely push vehicles onto the street and create highway safety risks, contrary to Transport Policy 7 and General Policy 2.
Refusal Reasons
