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To: Selective Properties Ltd Park House Isle of Man Business Park Cooil Road Braddan
In pursuance of powers granted under the above Acts and Order the Department of Local Government and the Environment does hereby REFUSE the application made by you
Approval in principle for residential development/layout, land between Groudle Road, Groudle Glen, Whitebridge Road, and Windermere Drive, Onchan.
which was considered at a meeting held on the 4 February 1998, for the reasons set out on the attached schedule, numbered 1 to 1.
Date of Issue: 6 February 1998
Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas, Isle of Man.
Secretary.
Note 1: The decision contained in this notice does not become final until -
a) the time for requesting an appeal in relation to any decision at review has expired; or b) any appeal has been completed.
Note 2: Rights of appeal against the decision of the Planning Committee are attached.
Note 3: An appeal may be requested within a period of 21 days.
The Committee has had regard to the comments of the Inspector reporting on PA 95/1353 who noted that the local plan would seem to require that the site should accommodate "some sort of low density residential development" (paragraph 82) and the Committee has also had regard to the requirement of the local plan which partly zones the site as residential in parkland.
The Committee is of the opinion that whilst the development at the eastern end of the site complies with a Low Density Housing in Parkland development as required by Planning Circular 8/89, with each dwelling being situated within its own acre of ground, for the rest of the site the application proposes six clusters of dwellings each of insufficiently low density (with the exception of that cluster closest to Whitebridge Road). Whilst each cluster of dwellings would not appear to exceed five dwellings per acre the general style and appearance of development as experienced by the residents of adjacent property (Lakeside and Howstrake Heights) is still little more than that of an ordinary housing estate (as noted by the Inspector reporting on the previous application, paragraph 93) and not the parkland setting which such residents may have come to expect from the zoning on the local plan. This is based principally on the proximity of the new dwellings to the boundary of the site with Lakeside and Groudle Road and the view of the development therefrom.
In short, the Committee feels that there are still too many houses and that the final number should be further reduced to afford more space between existing and proposed property to provide a parkland style and character of development which is not achieved in the layout as shown, even in the amended plans reference 01/1B and 910/4A.
Note 1: The Committee has noted that several views received have recommended that the application should be refused on the grounds that the "life" of the local plan as initially approved in 1989 has lapsed. However, the Committee has resolved that this "life" of five years was only a recommendation by the Department and in the absence of any other statutory document pertaining to the site, the provisions of the Onchan Local Plan as adopted by Tynwald on 18th October, 1989, should prevail in this case.
Note 2: The Committee is also aware that there is a view that the site should be developed in its entirety for Low Density Housing in Parkland and that the density should not exceed that of one dwelling per acre which would result in an overall number of dwellings on the site of around forty.
The Committee does not accept that the zoning on the Onchan Local Plan requires this insofar as the zoning falls into two distinct parts - one annotated Low Density Housing in Parkland and the other Residential in Parkland. The Committee therefore supports such a differentiation of these two parts of the site, and the
different approach which has been adopted on that part of the site which adjoins Lakeside - for two reasons: firstly, the approach which has been taken of gathering the houses together in clusters rather than spreading them out evenly throughout the site results in a layout which affords significant tracts of open space which provides a parkland setting whilst at the same time providing a considerable facility for the public. A significant area of open space is required by the Onchan Local Plan
(paragraph 5.6). Secondly, the grouping of dwellings together towards the western edge of the site presents an opportunity to soften the presently rather harsh straight line aspect of the existing housing in Lakeside.
NOTE: This review has been considered by the Planning Committee on written evidence. Any additional submissions not previously circulated to interested parties are available for inspection at this office.
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