Highways

Planning Application Response

Email: [email protected] Officer: AD

Date of Response: 22/03/2021 Date of Application: 19/02/2021 Application Reference: 21/00222/C Location / Address: Unit 27/28 Gladstone Park Industrial Estate Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 2LA Description: Change of use from light industrial to fitness studio/gym Highways Comments: The application is acceptable in terms of highways. The site is well connected, being located in Ramsey town centre and only a short distance from Parliament Square and Street where the main arterial roads into Ramsey converge. For car parking assessment purposes, we compare the existing and proposed uses based on current parking standards set out in the Strategic Plan. In this instance, the existing use is a light industrial unit and the proposed use is for a fitness studio/gym. The Strategic Plan parking standard for light industrial use is one space per 30sqm net floor space, and for fitness studio/gym one space per 15sqm gross floor space. At approximately 150sqm, the previous parking standard required was for five spaces. The parking requirement now applied to the unit is for ten spaces. The site plans provided show indicative spaces for four vehicles to the front of the unit. Gladstone Park Industrial Estate has numerous parking areas throughout, with various ownership/restrictions, and the southern side of the estate, adjacent to Gladstone Way, is almost entirely parking. Some of units/buildings on the estate appear to be vacant, which has resulted in a lot of permanent vehicle parking on site. Despite this, spaces still remain for the use of the gym goers. Additionally, the southern side of Gladstone Way benefits from on-street parking, which would be an acceptable form of parking for short stay visits associated with this use type.

One concern with the proposal is the accessibility to the pedestrian entrance. If a vehicle was to park in the indicted space in front of the entrance, it would leave only 1m clearance between the vehicle and unit. It is assumed the spaces are indicative and not marked out, nevertheless, vehicles should refrain from parking directly in front of the pedestrian entrance to ensure a clear and straight access route for pedestrians.

Consideration should be given to the provision of bicycle parking for the units. The accessible location and well connected pedestrian/road links makes bicycle visits to the units more likely. Provision of bicycle parking would also reduce the strain on parking within Gladstone Park Industrial Estate, and present a more favourable proposal.

Recommendation: DNO

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF