DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 23/01376/B Applicant: Manx Utilities Authority Proposal: Construction of portal frame materials shelter to cover existing gravel bays Site Address: Meary Veg Sewage Treatment Works Balnahowe Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1HL Planning Officer: Ms Jill Nixon Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.02.2024

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal complies with General Policy 3, and Environment Policies 22 and 24 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and is recommended for approval.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 17th November 2023;

• * Location Plan - 01
• * Proposed Floor Plan - 05
• * Existing and Proposed Elevations - 06
• * Planting Plan - 03 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None

_____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is located in the western part of the Meary Veg Sewerage Treatment Works, which is situated in Santon.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval for the installation of a three sided portal frame structure over four existing material/ gravel storage bays to protect the contents from the elements. The open side would be located to the front of the structure to allow vehicles to load and unload materials into the bays. - 2.2 The proposed shelter would be 17.75m. wide, 5.235m. deep and would have a sloping roof which would be 4.03m at the front and 3.5m. to the rear. - 2.3 The proposed structure would be constructed using juniper green cladding. It is proposed to thin out the existing planting (outside the bird nesting season) to the rear of the bays to allow construction and to supplement it with Holly.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The following past planning applications have been submitted for this Sewage Treatment Works:

• * 99/00845/B - Construction of a sewage treatment plant with associated buildings and works. Approved.
• * 07/00208/B - Installation of an additional cake silo. Approved
• * 07/00593/B - Construction of a concrete base as the foundation for the installation of an oil/water separation unit. Approved.
• * 07/01504/B - Increase nominal height of existing storage silo. Permitted Approved.
• * 13/91000/B - Erection of a sludge treatment facility, comprising treatment building, odour control plant, sludge cake storage silo and final product silo. Approved.
• * 12/01128/B - Erection of a sludge import, thickening and storage facility. Permitted.
• * /00578/B - Erection of a sludge treatment building facility. Approved.
• * 15/00200/B - Erection of a detached substation. Approved.
• * 18/01175/B refurbishment of redundant sludge processing buildings to provide storage, archive and workshop space - Approved
• * 21/01551/B - The installation of 3 tanks for the storage of chemical, Yara Nutriox - Approved

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as "not designated for development" and also within an "Area of Ecological Importance - Draft" on the Area Plan for the East. The site is not within a Conservation Area and whilst parts of Meary Veg are within a Flood Risk Zone, the application site is not. - 4.2 Within the written statement and attached documents of the Area Plan for the East it states that Meary Veg Sludge Treatment Facility is situated within a landscape character area of D13 and within a Key Asset area. - 4.3 The following policies set out in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 are considered relevant in the assessment of this proposal:

4.4 Strategic Policy 1: Development should make the best use of resources by:

• (a) optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and underused land and buildings, and re-using scarce indigenous building materials;
• (b) ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs for access, landscaping, open space and amenity standards; and
• (c) being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services.

4.5 General Policy 3: Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:

• (a) essential housing for agricultural workers who have to live close to their place of work; (Housing Policies 7, 8, 9 and 10);
• (b) conversion of redundant rural buildings which are of architectural, historic, or social value and interest; (Housing Policy 11);
• (c) previously developed land which contains a significant amount of building; where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environment; and where the development proposed would result in improvements to the landscape or wider environment;
• (d) the replacement of existing rural dwellings; (Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14);
• (e) location-dependent development in connection with the working of minerals or the provision of necessary services;
• (f) building and engineering operations which are essential for the conduct of agriculture or forestry;
• (g) development recognised to be of overriding national need in land use planning terms and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative; and
• (h) buildings or works required for interpretation of the countryside, its wildlife or heritage.

4.6 Environment Policy 22: Development will not be permitted where it would unacceptably harm the environment and/or the amenity of nearby properties in terms of:

• i) pollution of sea, surface water or groundwater;

4.7 Environment Policy 24: Pollution-sensitive development will only be allowed to be located close to sources of pollution where appropriate measures can be taken to safeguard amenity.

• ii) emissions of airborne pollutants; and
• iii) vibration, odour, noise or light pollution.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS The following representations can be found in full online, below is a short summery; - 5.1 Highway Services-"After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking". (24/11/23) - 5.2 Santon Commissioners- No comments received

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are: principle, design and the impact on an area of High Landscape Value... PRINCIPLE - 6.2 The site is not designated for development, however the application site is an existing sewage works which contains a large amount of building works which provide a necessary national service. The proposal is to provide a shelter around existing structure and areas of storage as such it is considered to comply with exemptions c and e of General Policy 3.

• DESIGN
• 6.3. The application site is occupied by four gravel bays which are defined externally and within by 1.8m. high brick walls typical in design to those found on an industrial site. The wider Treatment works accommodates buildings and structures of a utilitarian commercial design. The proposed design of the structure is typical to those found on agricultural and other commercial sites. The proposed green cladding and planting would reduce the visual impact of the structure. It is considered that the design of the structure is in keeping with the character and appearance of the site. IMPACT ON THE AREA OF HIGH LANDSCAPE VALUE
• 6.4 Whilst the area sits within an Area of High Landscape Value and Coastal Significance, it is considered that the scale of the proposal is relatively minor when considered within the context of the site. It is not therefore considered that the proposal would have a detrimental impact on this area of high landscape Value

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with the aforementioned policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and is therefore recommended for approval.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o Whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o Whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Acting Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 22.02.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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