Supporting Information Statement

Heritage Homes Ltd

Erection of building containing 26 sheltered apartments with associated car parking and landscaping, former Princes Motors site, adjacent to MER line and A2 Ramsey Road, Laxey

Statement of Supporting Information

1. The site is located on the northern side of Laxey at the point where the A2 Ramsey Road and MER line bridge the valley. It is a previously developed flat area set at a similar level to the main highway, and contains some basic sheds which have in the past been used for the sale of motor vehicles. The site currently has no formal use although some car parking has been taking place on an informal basis. There are steep banks to either side of the site, one sloping westwards down towards Glen Mooar and the other, which contains extensive trees and vegetation, sloping eastwards up to woodland and the dwellings known as Highcliffe and Lhergy West.

1. The site is within an area which is designated for Predominantly Residential Use by the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan 2005. It is not within the Laxey Conservation Area, although the two meet at the western site boundary and the scheme has been designed to take account of this. Much of the land surrounding the site is identified as an Area of Ecological Interest but the site itself is not within that area. Planning approval in principle has previously been granted for the removal of the existing buildings and the construction of sheltered housing (PA 97/00287) or a nursing home (PA 97/00288) on the site.

1. It is proposed to redevelop the site for residential use in the form of sheltered apartments, which is in accordance with the land use zoning of the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan. DoLGE's Housing Policy Progress Reports indicate that housing demand will continue to outstrip supply and house prices will continue to rise unless private developers increase the number of dwellings constructed per annum, and in this respect completion numbers continue to fall short of the target set by the Department. This scheme will provide housing for persons over the age of 50, including units which are suitable for use as affordable sheltered housing, and as well as 26 apartments it will incorporate a residents lounge, a warden's office and individual stores. The

building has been designed so as to reflect forms, materials and details found within the adjacent Conservation Area, using for example gables of a form and proportion that might be found on an historic industrial building and incorporating elements of Manx stone.

1. Access to the scheme will be directly from the A2 highway, at a point which provides emerging vehicles with adequate visibility in both directions. A separate emergency access gate and MER crossing point will also be provided so as to allow vehicles such as fire engines to access the site without having to pass under the building. The Modified Draft of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan proposes that car parking for sheltered housing be provided at a standard of 1 space for every 3 units, and neither the Department of Transport nor the Strategic Plan Inquiry Inspector took issue with such a standard. In this instance a total of 15 spaces will be provided within the site, which is in excess of 1 space for every 2 units and therefore represents a significantly greater level of provision than that suggested by the Strategic Plan.

1. A new ornamental garden with a path to the nearby stream will be created at the northern end of the site, and large public gardens exist immediately to the south of the site. The Department of Transport Drainage Division has advised that connection to the existing public foul sewer will be acceptable, and the surface water drain which currently crosses the site will be redirected around the building before discharging into the nearby stream. Pre-application consultation has also taken place with Laxey Village Commissioners, the Department of Transport Highways Division, the Isle of Man Water Authority, the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service, the MHK for Garff and the Manx Electric Railway.

1. The scheme represents an appropriate and efficient use of a previously developed site and is in accordance with the land use zoning of the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan. The scheme can be satisfactorily accessed and drained and parking will be provided to a higher standard than required by the emerging Isle of Man Strategic Plan. The development will provide sheltered housing in an attractive location and the sensitively designed building will offer a significant visual improvement on the edge of the Laxey Conservation Area.