Why Was This Refused?
- ✓Loss of trees and harm to biodiversity, including protected bird species
- ✓Proposed access causing unacceptable impacts on land to the east of the site
- ✓Inadequate pedestrian and public transport provision, particularly for school children
- ✓Open space and children's play area not demonstrated to be capable of being levelled and drained to a usable standard
- ✓Updated census and emerging plan evidence indicating no requirement for housing at this scale in Ramsey
- ✓trees
- ✓ecology
- ✓access
- ✓highways
- ✓drainage
The proposal was for 138 new homes on a greenfield site at Lower Milntown, with associated drainage, highway works, and public open space. The site is allocated for development in the 1982 Isle of Man Development Plan, but the Planning Committee concluded that more recent evidence — including updated census data and the emerging Area Plan for the North and West — indicated no requirement for housing at this scale in Ramsey. The committee identified several decisive concerns. The development would cause unacceptable loss of trees and harm to biodiversity, particularly affecting protected bird species. The proposed access point was considered to have unacceptable impacts on land to the east of the site. Pedestrian and public transport provision, especially for school children, was judged inadequate.
The Planning Committee refused the application because the scheme would cause unacceptable environmental harm — including loss of trees and harm to protected birds — and the access, pedestrian links, and open space provision were all found to fall short of required standards. Updated housing need evidence suggested the scale of development was not justified in Ramsey, and both local authorities objected. The committee concluded that these combined concerns outweighed the site's existing allocation for development.
Refusal Reasons
- ✕The development would result in unacceptable environmental impacts in relation to loss of trees and biodiversity (in particular in relation to identified protected birds), the location of the proposed access unacceptable impacts on the land to be preserved to the East of the site, the provisions for movements by pedestrians/public transport (especially school children) are considered to be inadequate and it has not been demonstrated that the area to be provided for formal open space and children's play area would be capable of being levelled and drained to be of sufficient quality for those purposes. It is therefore considered that the development is contrary to the following policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016) - Strategic Policy 10, General Policy 2, Environment Policy 3, Environment Policy 4, Recreation Policy 3, Transport Policy 2 and Transport Policy 6. It is acknowledged that the site is allocated for development in the Isle of Man Development Plan 1982 Order, but the more recent census information and emerging evidence base for the Area Plan for the North & West suggests that there is no requirement for additional housing within Ramsey at this scale, further it is noted that the site is greenfield and there are objections from both Local Authorities. On balance, when taken together, it is considered that the detailed concerns about the site and more recent information outweigh the site allocation and as such the development should be refused.
