Dept Decision and Inspector's Report

Cabinet Office

of Man Government CABINET OFFICE Government Office DOUGLAS Isle of Man IM1 3PN Direct Line (01624) 685280 Fax Number (01624) 685710 Email [email protected] CHIEF SECRETARY Will Greenhow ACMA

Our Reference : DF14/0009 Secretary to the Planning Committee Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas Dear Sir/Madam,

The Town And Country Planning Act 1999

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING DEVELOPMENT (PROCEDURE ORDER) (No 2) 2013

Planning Application: Applicant: Ramsey Town Commissioners Proposal: Installation of an illuminated sculpture Address: Public Footpath Adjacent To 3 \& 5 Market Hill Ramsey Isle Of Man I refer to the abovementioned planning application. In accordance with the Article 9 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, I herewith give notice of the decision as follows.

The application has been approved subject to the following condition(s); 1 The development hereby approved shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

2 The development hereby approved shall not be carried out except in accordance with the location plans, drawings, photographs and technical lighting details all received on 6th March 2014. In accordance with article 10(c) of the Order, please be advised that the decision of the Council of Ministers is binding and final (subject to the possibility of judicial review by petition of doleance) The Planning Inspector's report, upon which the decision was determined, may be viewed by visiting http://www.gov.im/categories/planning-and-building-control/planning-developmentcontrol/department-applications/departmental-applications-decisions/ or by contacting the office of the Chief Secretary for a hardcopy (Tel 685204).

Yours faithfully,

A Johnstone Planning Appeals Administrator

Crown Division Government Offices Douglas Isle of Man 30 May 2014 To the Council of Ministers Case Reference DF14/0009 Planning Application 14/00248/B Application by Ramsey Town Commissioners for planning approval for the location of public art in the form of an illuminated life-size bronze sculpture of a child mounted on a freestanding granite block, on the public footpath adjacent to Nos 3 \& 5 Market Hill, Ramsey.

1. I have the honour to report that on 19 May 2014 I carried out a site visit at the above location. The case is being made by written representations.
2. The proposed sculpture would be in Market Hill, Ramsey, on a footpath owned by the Department of Infrastructure. The application is therefore one that has to be determined by the Council of Ministers, not the Planning Committee.

Site Description And The Proposal

1. No 3 Market Hill is in the Ramsey Conservation Area. It is near the junction of Market Hill and Parliament Street, within the part of the town centre where a regeneration scheme, including new paving, lighting and street furniture, is being implemented.
2. The footpath outside No 3 has an irregular shape and a maximum width of about 9 m . On the widest part of the footpath Ramsey Town Council proposes to erect a sculpture. It would be directly outside the Lifeboat Shop run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI).
3. The Chief Minister's Regeneration Committee, in consultation with the Isle of Man Arts Council, has invited local artists to produce proposals for public art. Darren Jackson, a sculptor based on the Isle of Man, submitted a design that Ramsey Town Council now wishes to commission. It would be a life-size bronze statue of a child wearing the over-sized uniform of an adult RNLI lifeboatman. The child would be mounted on a block of rough-hewn granite, and the overall height of the whole installation would be about 2.2 m . There would be four 10 W LED "walkover" lights recessed into the paving around its base.

Representations Received

1. The Planning Authority has received no representations.

Advice From The Department Of Infrastructure'S Planning And Building Control Division

1. In the past 3 years, planning approval has been granted for various environmental improvements that form part of the Regeneration Plan for Ramsey. They include new paving, signage, lighting, street furniture and landscaping in Parliament Street, East Street, Water Street, Peel Street, Bourne Place and Courthouse Gardens. Environment Policy 43 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan

(IoMSP) gives support to improvements, such as these, that seek to regenerate run-down areas.

1. Environment Policy 35 of the IoMSP relates to development in conservation areas and is therefore particularly relevant.
2. The site falls within the Sulby River flood zone which has a flood return period of 200 years.

Assessment

1. In my view, the main issue is whether the proposed sculpture would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Ramsey Conservation Area.
2. Ramsey town centre is being given a new lease of life. New paving, street furniture and landscaping have already enhanced the central part of the conservation area, and the regeneration work continues.
3. To my mind, the proposed sculpture would be a further enhancement. The poignant image of a child wearing an adult's lifeboatman's uniform would not only be attractive and eye-catching, but it would also have particular relevance to Ramsey's coastal location and its affiliation with the RNLI.
4. Environment Policy 35 of the IoMSP requires development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of conservation areas and, in my opinion, the proposed sculpture would achieve that objective. Its presence would enhance the character of the Ramsey Conservation Area.
5. So far as other matters are concerned, I am satisfied that the sculpture would not impede pedestrians. The 9 m width of the footpath would leave at least 2 m of unobstructed space around it. Furthermore, its size and solidity would help to make it visible for pedestrians with restricted sight. I am also satisfied that it would have a negligible impact on the Sulby River flood zone.

Recommendation

1. I recommend that planning approval be granted for the location of public art in the form of an illuminated life-size bronze sculpture of a child mounted on a freestanding granite block on the public footpath adjacent to Nos 3 \& 5 Market Hill, Ramsey, as shown on location plans, drawings, photographs and technical lighting details all received on 6 March 2014, subject to the following condition:

The development hereby approved shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

Ruth MacKenzie BA(Hons) MRTPI Independent Inspector