Creation of a car park and amenity woodland

Why Was This Approved?

• ✓Site is identified in the St Johns Local Plan as a Landscape Improvement Area and not zoned for development
• ✓Proposal intended to provide parking for St Johns Mill Conference Centre (parking currently limited to two disabled spaces)
• ✓Applicant stated the car park would improve parking and reduce parking on the public highway
• ✓Traffic management scheme for the previous coach park noted as implemented, with no further traffic management planned
• ✓Site is a former DOT depot next to Poortown Road and is currently vacant/overgrown with access off Poortown Road
• ✓highways
• ✓parking
• ✓The St Johns Local Plan recognises the application site as a Landscape Improvement Area and is not zoned for development.
• ✓Letter from the Director of Highways dated 24th September 2004 in relation to the previous application has indicated that the traffic management scheme in respect of the coach park has been implemented for some time and no further traffic management is planned.
• ✓The applicant has stated the proposed car park is to be used for the benefit of the St Johns Mill Conference Centre which presently has parking provision limited to 2 disabled spaces to the front of the building.
• ✓The car parking facility will greatly improve the parking provision for the centre and reduce the level of parking on the public highway, thus removing any potential highway conflicts.
• ✓I acknowledge that the introduction of a car park into an area not zoned for development would be contrary to the adopted local plan. However, I consider the benefit of a car park for the Conference Centre will outweigh the policy conflict.

The application seeks creation of a car park and amenity woodland at the former Department of Transport depot next to Poortown Road, St Johns, on a currently vacant/overgrown site with access off Poortown Road. The St Johns Local Plan recognises the site as a Landscape Improvement Area and it is not zoned for development. The applicant stated the car park would serve the St Johns Mill Conference Centre, which currently has parking provision limited to two disabled spaces to the front of the building. The report also notes that a traffic management scheme for a previous coach park has been implemented for some time, with no further traffic management planned. Although introducing a car park into an area not zoned for development would be contrary to the local plan, the committee considered that the benefit of the car park for the conference centre outweighed the policy conflict, and approved the application.

The application was approved by the Planning Committee of the Department of Local Government and the Environment. While the St Johns Local Plan does not zone the site for development and the officer acknowledged a policy conflict, the committee concluded that the benefit of providing parking for the St Johns Mill Conference Centre outweighed that conflict. The decision also relied on the stated aim to improve parking provision for the centre and reduce parking on the public highway, alongside the background that no further traffic management was planned for the previous coach park arrangement. The formal decision record lists 7 conditions.

Policies Assessed (2)

Conditions (7)

1. 1

   Condition 1

   The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

2. 2

   Condition 2

   This permission relates to the creation of a car park, footbridge and amenity woodland as shown in drawing number 101 Rev B and 100 dated stamped 14th December 2005 and Tree survey from Manx Wildlife Trust.

3. 3

   Condition 3

   The car park hereby permitted shall not be used until the vehicular and pedestrian means of access have been constructed in accordance with the approved plans. Those means of access shall thereafter be kept available at all times for their respective purposes.

4. 4

   Condition 4

   The car park shall only be used by visitors, patrons and owners of the Mill House Project as shown on drawing number 101 Rev B.

5. 5

   Condition 5

   Before the erection of the gazebo, details of the gazebo shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority. The gazebo shall only be erected in full accordance with the approved details.

6. 6

   Condition 6

   No existing tree or shrub indicated as unbroken circles on the approved plans to be retained shall be cut down, grubbed out, topped, lopped or uprooted without the written consent of the planning authority. Any such tree or shrub removed without such consent or dying, becoming seriously damaged or diseased within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development shall be replaced in the next planting season with another of similar size and species, unless the planning authority gives written consent to any variation.

7. 7

   Condition 7

   The development shall not be commenced until adequate steps have been taken in accordance with the Trees Survey to safeguard against damage or injury during construction works all trees on the site and those whose root structure may extend within the site. In particular no excavations, site works, trenches or channels shall be cut or pipes or services or any other works carried out in such a way as to cause damage or injury to the trees by interference with their root structure and no soil or waste shall be deposited on the land in such a position as to be likely to cause damage or injury to the trees.

Planning History (2)

Documents (46)