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The site lies to the west of Station Road in Port St. Mary and to the south of the steam railway line. To the immediate west of the site is the gas compound and works, characterised and dominated by two large gas cylinders although there is smaller, less obvious plant and buildings on the site. The application site is a car park which was associated with the Station Hotel and is owned by Heron and Brearley, the owners of the hotel. The site has a frontage to the lane to the north, of 30m and a depth of 38m to the fields to the south, associated with Ballacreggan Farm.
Works have recently been undertaken on the site, scraping off the top surface and material has been deposited at some stage although the applicant states that no material was deposited permanently. The site was used only very infrequently for car parking - aerial photographs indicate that few cars park there and some cars were left there for long periods of time. The lane between the hotel and the car park is unmade and unlit and not particularly inviting for patrons of the hotel who generally park alongside the public highway.
There are trees along each of the boundaries to the site.
The site lies within an area of Residential Use on the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Order 1982 and Car Park on the draft Southern Area Plan published on 23rd October, 2009. On
the draft plan the site is also within a hazard zone, centred upon the gas tanks. Within such areas the advice of the Health and Safety Inspectorate is recommended.
Planning permission was sought for use of this land and part of the field to the south, stretching to the hotel, as a camp site. This was permitted
Planning permission was also sought for the use of the site alongside - Ballaghreiney for the change of use of part of field to storage area, erection of shed and change of use of storage area over existing garage to office accommodation - PA 09/1841 which is presently pending a decision but has been recommended for approval.
Now proposed is the use of the car park for the storage of plant, materials and vehicles in association with the operation of the landscaping business run from Ballaghreiney, alongside. The applicants suggest that this use should be tied to their company for as long as they reside at Ballaghreiney and revoked if they vacate the premises.
The Environmental Protection Unit have been consulted regarding the hazard of the nearby gas tanks and have no objection to the application. These tanks may be removed in the near future, following large space plans by the energy suppliers, to provide mains natural gas on a wider spread basis, omitting the need for bulk storage in this and other locations.
Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division object to the loss of the car park in association with the public house.
Port St. Mary Commissioners raise no objection to the application.
The car park is not well used and does not lend itself for convenient or easy use in connection with the hotel - the lane is not completely made up and is not lit. There is not any other use to which the site could be readily put, particularly bearing in mind the present existence of the gas storage tanks and the use, whilst the applicant resides in the adjacent property, and operates a landscaping business, is considered a good use of a piece of land which is presently under-used in accordance with Strategic Policy 1 which states: "Development should make the best use of resources by: a) optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and under-used 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".
The site is only visible from some distance - 250 m - to the south from Plantation Road and Truggan Road from where the hotel, railway station, gas storage site and sheds associated with Ballaghreiney are all visible and amongst which the site forms only a small part. There is pile of material on the site at present which is visible but not intrusive from this location. The site is also visible from the railway line, albeit partly limited by the station building and as such, it is important that the height of stored material be limited to 3 m and that perimeter planting.
The applicant has been consulted on the proposed conditions and would accept conditions which restrict the height of stored material 2.7 m and would also be happy to introduce new planting to reinforce the existing perimeter trees and plants.
It is considered that this is a good use for this land, in an area where local employment opportunities are not in great supply due to the lack of employment land. This would utilise presently unused and
derelict land in a way which does not adversely affect nearby residents or cause a public nuisance or other adverse effect. As such the application is recommended for approval.
The licencee of the Station Hotel, Mr. Crouch, has been contacted and has confirmed that they have been at these premises for two years in which time the car park has never been used and before then, to the best of their knowledge, the car park has not been used in association with the hotel for a further twelve years at least. They have no objection to the change of use of the car park and indicated that even if they wished people to use it, it is doubtful if patrons could be persuaded to park there rather than on the public highway, as they have almost always done. As such, it is considered that the objection of the Department of Transport does not justify refusal of this application.
The Department of Transport and the local authority are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (c) and (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.
Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 27.01.2010 Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : Notes attached to refusals
This permission relates to the use of the car park as shown in drawing 0811A/01 received on 10th November, 2009, for the storage of landscaping related material, vehicles and plant, all associated with JD Landscapes for as long as the operators of this company reside in Ballaghreiney, alongside.
The use must be taken up within four years of the date of this notice in order for this approval to remain valid after that time.
No material may be stored to a height above 2.7m above the ground level on the site.
Prior to the commencement of the use as approved, the applicant must have approved by the Planning Authority a scheme of reinforcement of the perimeter trees and shrubs to help screen the stored material and plant from view from outside the site. Once approved, the scheme must be implemented in the first planting season available.
I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular No 44/05 (Delegation of Functions to Director of Planning and Building Control)
19 February 2010
09/02030/C
Decision Made : Permitted Date : Signed : M. I. McCauley
Director of Planning and Building Control
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