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THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS THE PREVIOUS APPLICATION FOR CONVERSION OF THE BUILDING TO A LEISURE FACILITY WAS CONSIDERED BY THE PLANNING COMMITTEE RATHER THAN UNDER DELEGATED POWERS.
The site represents the curtilage of an existing industrial building situated within the Ronaldsway Industrial estate which is situated on the western side of the A5 opposite Ronaldsway Airport.
The estate gains access from the A5 via a roundabout to the south west of the Airport and the industrial estate and the roads skirts the Sefton Express Hotel and between the Ronaldsway Aircraft Factory and Ronaldsway Football Club's grounds to the north and Forrest House, a vacant industrial plot with planning permission for the principle of development for light industry, storage, internet hosting, data storage and other computer services (PA 06/1554), past Domicilium's data hosting site and round to the south, between a developed site which has recently received planning permission for use as a marine engineering and commercial plant/vehicle agency, together with car and light commercial vehicles, including sales, servicing, repairs and parts, secure parking, vehicle collection and break down recovery to the general public and trade.
The application site lies on the south eastern side of the estate road, beside a site which had planning permission refused for use as a re-cycling facility (PA 09/0013).
Also within the estate are the Isle of Man Post Office depot, a site with planning permission for an industrial unit and also premises operated by the Isle of Man Children's Centre including a nursery.
The site lies within an area designated on the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Order 1982 as Existing Industry.
On the draft Southern Area Plan which was published on 23rd October, 2009 the site is identified as "5.7.5 Ronaldsway Industrial Estate is located opposite the airport and whilst this is a designated industrial estate it is also attracting other users such as the Sefton Express Airport Hotel. Part of the Ronaldsway site has for some time been used for playing fields. These are an important community facility and are well used. The playing fields are on land which is currently allocated for industrial uses on the 1982 Development Order. It is proposed that this designation is amended to reflect the lands current use. The land to the front of the Sefton Express is currently designated as Open Space on the 1982 Development Order and this designation will be carried forward into the Area Plan for the South as it provides a valuable landscape buffer between the road and the Ronaldsway Estate and adds to the overall sense of open space and landscaping within the area. 5.7.6 Both the Freeport and Ronaldsway occupy prominent sites within the South and as such are better suited for the location of business park uses rather then traditional industry which would be better suited within Balthane. Business park development can be defined as land for light industrial purposes, warehousing, new technology companies involved in scientific, commercial, or industrial research or development and office accommodation as the corporate headquarters of companies having multiple and diverse interests (but excluding financial/professional services to visiting members of the public); buildings should be substantially landscaped."
The draft Plan also states: "Business Proposal 2: It is proposed that the Ronaldsway Industrial Estate and the Freeport will be re classified as business parks and as such will be suitable locations for corporate headquarters which do not involve day to day callers." and "Business Policy 4: All industrial uses, other than small scale light industry capable of being located within the mixed use areas or small workshops to be located within the smaller settlements, will be located on the industrial estate of Balthane and where appropriate Ronaldsway and the Freeport."
Planning permission was granted on the application site for the change of use from a warehouse to a family leisure centre which included bowling, a café, small gym area, games area (pool, darts, table tennis, video games etc) and a children's play area. Permission was granted subject to the layout being as shown in the plans. Parking was shown around the building for 45 vehicles. The hours of operation were to be between 0800 hrs and midnight.
That permission has not yet been taken up and the approval expires on 10th May, 2011.
Now proposed is the conversion of the warehouse to provide leisure facilities including a ten pin bowling alley, cafe and amusements on the first floor with the retention with parking. The scheme is similar to that proposed and approved previously but occupying the first floor only - the ground floor is to be retained as warehousing.
The parking takes the form of 24 spaces at the rear of the building, a further 14 spaces to the side, including spaces for disabled persons and a taxi drop off at the front, off the road and a bin store at the rear. The leisure facilities will be on the first floor only, with warehousing retained on the ground floor. The leisure facilities will include a ten pin bowling alley with a small ( 10 m by 10 m ) cafe, toilets, preparation area and kitchen and an amusements area. Access to the upper floor is via an emergency escape access at the rear of the building, or from the front of the building, through the entrance doors and up two sets of stairs to the upper floor, without going through the ground floor warehousing.
A corner of the building at ground floor level is to be made into an entrance lobby, removing the outer walls and providing a canopy which projects some 2 m beyond the side and front of the building. An existing door on the front elevation is to be closed off and what appear to be panels for signage on the front elevation facing the estate road.
The applicant estimates that there will be between 6 and 10 staff at any time and between 60 and 120 customers between 11am and 11pm with an additional two hours into the early hours of the morning on Fridays and Saturdays, seven days per week.
The Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority do not object to the application provided that the provisions of the Sewerage Act 1999 are adhered to. This is not a material planning consideration and need not be referred to in the planning decision notice.
The Manx Electricity Authority recommend notes regarding existing and proposed electricity supplies Department of Infrastructure Highways and Traffic Division indicate that they do not oppose the application
Long and Humphrey on behalf of Arwen Limited to own the adjacent property express concern that the proposed use is inconsistent with the existing and proposed land use designation of the land and could devalue the area for investment from business park users. They also express concern that the use will generate significantly more traffic than the approved use(s), particularly as the ground floor warehouse use, which generates traffic itself - particularly large vehicles which find it difficult to unload without inconveniencing other estate users. Finally, the objectors are concerned that the site definition is incorrect and includes areas which are in their ownership. This party still objects, despite the amended submission, expressing concern about the potential conflict between the warehousing and the leisure use, argue that the estate is not declining and that all sites are either actively used or have permission for development or use and maintain their objection to the increased traffic.
Malew Parish Commissioners welcome the facility.
ASSESSMENT Planning permission has already been granted for the proposed leisure use within the estate and on this site. In that decision, the planning committee acknowledged that this was contrary to the authorised land use (industrial) but that the opportunities for such use within the south of the Island were extremely restricted - the alternative to approving that application being to re-direct the use to Douglas. It was considered that to have such a facility in the south of the Island would be welcome and that there would be no adverse impacts from the proposed use in this location as the level of use of the estate is relatively low (and still is) and that the users of the leisure facility would be likely to be visiting the estate at times when some of the other users were not using their buildings or coming to or going from the site.
Much of this argument still stands. The differences between the two applications is that there is a smaller area to be used for the leisure use - resulting in less traffic than if the whole building were to be used. There is to be less parking than previously shown, reflecting the smaller area to be used.
The applicant has amended the plans to show how the parking can be accommodated within the undisputed land on the site although they do not accept that the original plans define the site incorrectly. The applicant refers to the Ronaldsway Industrial Estate as "a declining business park" and the proposal as "a considerable investment" therein. They do not believe that the storage of electrical items as is the current use on the ground floor, represents a change of use from the storage of shoes which was the previous use and note that the traffic generated by the storage of electrical items is considerably less than that for the shoes.
The site lies within an estate which is still not fully utilised or occupied despite planning permission having been granted for the principle of new business park type uses to the east and a new hotel, which is busy, operating in the vicinity. The proposed use will introduce activity to the area and a longer period of occupation and activity than is the case at present, bringing life and investment to the estate which may as the applicant suggests, trigger further investment in the area. The reduced area will result in fewer visitors than was the case with the previous application and it is likely that there will be many times when the bowling alley is operational when the warehousing is not. The parking requirement for warehousing in the Strategic Plan is lower than that for general industrial use ( 1 space per 100 sq m compared with 1: 50 for industry and 1:30 for light industry, research and development) indicating a lower level of staff and visitors. The proposed works remove an existing large roller shutter door on the front elevation and the only accesses to the warehouse area are relatively small scale, suggesting that the type of traffic coming to and going from the site may not be as large scale as was the case previously.
There are limited opportunities for this type of use in the south of the Island, Ronaldsway Industrial estate is not thriving at the moment, there is support for the scheme from the local authority and no objection from the highway authority. As such it is considered that the application is worthy of support and is recommended for approval.
The local authority is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered an "interested person" and as such should be afforded party status.
The Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division is now part of the Department of Infrastructure of which the planning authority is part. As such, the Highways and Traffic Division cannot be afforded party status in this instance.
The Manx Electricity Authority and the Isle of Man Water and Sewerage Authority raise issues which are not material planning considerations and as such should not be afforded party status in this instance
Long and Humphrey represent a client who occupies land alongside the site and as such should be afforded party status in this instance.
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 26.05.2010
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This permission relates to the conversion of the first floor to a bowling alley with leisure area and associated facilities as shown in drawings 110 DP 01 Rev P3, 110 DP 02 Rev P3, 100 DP 03 Rev P1, 110 DP 04 Rev P4, 110 DP 05 P1 and 110 DP 06 all received on 29th April, 2010.
C 3. The car parking shown in drawing 0110 DP 01 Rev P3 received on 29th April, 2010 must be provided and available for use prior to the use of the first floor of the building as proposed and the parking retained thereafter for use in association with the use of the premises.
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Authority in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the Town and Country (Development Procedure) 2005
Decision Made : ...A
Presenting Officer Further to the decision of the Authority an additional report/condition reason is required. Signing Officer to delete as appropriate
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