Erection of a four storey building plus basement to accommodate 38 "Crash Pad" apartments and 15 car parking spaces

Why Was This Refused?

• ✓Proposed four-storey building with basement on a cleared corner site backing onto St George's churchyard
• ✓38 'Crash Pad' apartments with only 15 car parking spaces raised parking adequacy concerns
• ✓Visual impact of the building on the street scene and views from the churchyard
• ✓Mixed land use proposal including residential, restaurant/bar, and a commercial unit
• ✓Site slopes approximately 3 metres across its length with trees standing inside the adjacent churchyard
• ✓parking
• ✓Land use: not only the residential use, but also the restaurant/bar and the "commercial unit"
• ✓Parking provision
• ✓Visual impact; of the building itself, in the street scene, and from the churchyard
• ✓The quality and environment of the proposed flats
• ✓Affordable housing provision

This application sought permission to erect a four-storey building with a basement on land at the corner of Hope Street and St George's Street in Douglas, Isle of Man. The proposal included 38 'Crash Pad' apartments, 15 car parking spaces, and a mix of other uses including a restaurant/bar and a commercial unit. The site had been cleared of buildings and was being used as a surface-level car park at the time of the application. The site is a sloping corner plot, falling around 3 metres from its northern to southern corner, and backs directly onto St George's churchyard where trees stand just inside the boundary. These physical characteristics formed part of the planning context for assessing the proposal. The application was refused by the Committee on 31 July 2007, consistent with the officer's recommendation to refuse.

The application was refused by the Committee on 31 July 2007. The officer also recommended refusal. Key planning concerns identified in the officer report included the mix of land uses proposed, the adequacy of parking provision, and the visual impact of the building on the street scene and on the adjacent St George's churchyard.

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