Loading document...
Application No.: 21/01086/B Applicant: Manx Telecom Ltd Proposal: Erection of 12 cooling units and level access to North Elevation Site Address: Douglas North Telecommunications Centre Greenfield Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 6ED Head of Development Management: Mr S Butler Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 24.11.2021 _________________________________________________________________
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 will benefit the operation and resilience of an existing telecommunications facility and so support wider aspirations to improve such infrastructure. No material considerations have been identified that would justify refusal.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following drawings/information -
Additional Persons
None _____________________________________________________________________________
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE AS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED A DEPARTURE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN BUT IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The existing Manx Telecom communications facility and the site is enclosed by security fencing. To the South is Crematorium and cemetery, to the West/North West are residential properties and to the North/North East is college facility. Various cooling equipment is present on the site (either on the main building, adjacent - including a compound and remote in plant/equipment building).
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Additional equipment is proposed to be installed to provide additional capacity and resilience. This would be located on the upper level of the North West elevation. To allow safe working, a metal stair/structure is also proposed. The agent suggests the vegetation along the border of the site will provide a visual and noise barrier, and the equipment will have low noise levels. They also argue that the additional units will not add to the noise level as they are further from the boundary and screened by the existing plant area. They note the college facility, adjacent, is for vehicle technicians and so generates own noise.
5.0 PLANNING HISTORY 02/01887/B Erection of a telecommunications centre, adjacent to water filtration works (Permitted on Review) - 6.0 REPRESENTATIONS
6.1 Douglas Borough Council (05.10.21) - No objection. - 6.2 DOI Highways (30.09.21) - No Highway interest.
7.1 The key issues are:
7.2 Principle of Development - There is general policy support for improvements for the telecommunications infrastructure network. The proposal is within an existing site which is used for telecommunications and would assist with operations/resilience. Therefore, despite the allocation for Predominantly Residential, the principle is considered acceptable. - 7.3 Visual Impact - The proposed units are not attractive and do not enhance the visual appearance of the building. However, given the location within the site, the boundary treatment and the surrounding uses they are unlikely to be visually prominent such to warrant refusal. - 7.4 Noise Impact - The applicants comments are noted, although it is also noted that no information is provided of specific existing noise levels, proposed noise levels from the units and what the resulting noise levels would be at the site boundary. However, given the position within the site, existing units, nature of neighbouring use to the North-East and distance to the nearest house to the North-East it is not considered that concerns about potential noise impact are sufficient to warrant refusal.
8.1 The proposal will benefit the operation and resilience of an existing telecommunications facility and so support wider aspirations to improve such infrastructure. No material considerations have been identified that would justify refusal. - 9.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
9.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.
Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 13.12.2021
Signed : L KINRADE Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below
Customer note
This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal
