APL Planning Statement

PLANNING STATEMENT IN REGARD TO OCCASIONAL CAMPING FOR RACE WEEKENDS AT THE FORMER JURBY AIRSHIP HANGAR BASE.

HISTORY ISLE OF MAN KART RACING ASSOCIATION STARTED IN THE 1980’S AND USED PART OF THE MAIN AIRFIELD FOR ITS TRACK. WE USED TO SET IT UP EARLY IN THE MORNING, PUTTING OUT THE TEMPORARY KERBS, CONES AND BARRIERS ETC AND THEN PACKING IT ALL AWAY AGAIN AT THE END OF THE DAY. THIS WENT ON FOR A LONG TIME AND THE KARTING CLUB GREW AND RAISED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. IN AROUND 2006/7 THE CLUB APPROACHED GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO IDENTFY AN AREA WHERE A PERMENANT TRACK COULD BE POSITIONED. THIS WAS DULY AGREED AND THE KART TRACK OPENED IN JULY 2009. THE FIRST YEAR WENT REASONABLY WELL AND WITH THE CLUB AND GOVERNMENT PERMISSION A PIT BIKE CLUB ALSO STARTED USING THE TRACK. UNFORTUNATELY THE FINANCIAL CRISIS THEN STARTED TO BITE AND THE MEMBERSHIP DWINDLED AND SO DID THE ABILITY TO PAY THE OUTSTANDING MONIES THE CLUB STILL OWED FROM THE BUILDING OF THE TRACK. TODAY I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT THE CLUB HAS HAD A RESURRGENCE AND IS AGAIN DOING WELL ALTHOUGH STILL NOT OUT OF DEBT. WE HAVE SOME 70 PLUS RACING MEMBERS OF ALL AGES AND WE NOW OFFER DRIVER TRAINING DAYS AS WELL AS TRAINING FOR MARSHALS, PROTECTION OFFICERS AND OTHER OFFICIALS.

OUR MAIN RACING SEASON RUNS FROM MARCH UNTIL OCTOBER BUT WE ALSO RUN A WINTER SERIES WHICH USUALLY RUNS OCTOBER,NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER SO WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER CAMPING TO RUN FROM 1ST MARCH TO 2ND WEEKEND IN DECEMBER IF POSSIBLE AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO NOTIFY/AGREE THESE DATES IN ADVANCE EACH YEAR WITH PLANNING OR OUR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OR BOTH.

THE SITE IS GOVERNMENT OWNED

THE SITE WAS GIVEN PLANNING PERMISSION IN 1994 TO BUILD A HANGAR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AERONAUTICAL PRODUCTS AND VEHICLES. THIS COMPANY DID NOT LAST VERY LONG AND THE HANGAR ITSELF WAS DISMANTLED AND SOLD OFF LEAVING THE EXPOSED CONCRETE BASE. IN APPROXIMATELY LATE 2001 DUKE TRACK DAYS TOOK OVER THE SITE AND STARTED TO OPERATE A KART TRACK BUSINESS. THIS WAS EFFECTIVELY A TEMPORARY TRACK AS IT WAS MADE UP OF BARRIERS, TYRES ETC. FORMING THE TRACK EDGES. CUSTOMERS ALSO USED THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE CONCRETE TO PARK. I HAVE NOT FOUND ANY APPLICATION BY DUKE TRACK DAYS OR ANY OTHER ENTITY APPLYING FOR ANY CHANGE OF USE BUT AS IT IS GOVERNMENT LAND CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT IT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED AND AGREED WHAT THE SITE WAS TO BE USED FOR.

I PERSONALLY PURCHASED ( DEAN AYRES) DUKE TRACK DAYS IN AROUND 2011 FOR 2 REASONS; IT WAS DIRECT COMPETITION TO THE NEWLY BUILT (OPENED 2009 ) KART TRACK AND IT WAS THE PERFECT SPOT TO BE USED AS A PADDOCK FOR THE CLUBS THAT USED IT AS THE OLD PADDOCK AT THE NORTH END OF THE SITE WAS BASICALLY A MUD BATH WHEN WET.

SINCE THIS TIME CAMPING HAS OCCURRED ON AN OCCASIONAL BASIS AS IT HAS ON THE REST OF THE AIRFIELD UNTIL VERY RECENTLY WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE MAY BE AN INFRINGEMENT. WHEN WE WERE INFORMED OF THIS WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ANY FURTHER CAMPING AND WE HAVE KEPT TO THIS. HENCE THE REASON FOR THIS APPLICATION.

OUR NEEDS AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, BRINGING YOUR EQUIPMENT TO JURBY FOR THE WEEKEND, SETTING UP AND THEN HAVING TO REMOVE IT ALL AND TAKE IT AWAY AND HAVING TO REPEAT THE PROCESS THE NEXT DAY IS SOME WHAT ARDUOUS ESPECIALLY AS PRIOR TO RECENTLY YOU HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO AND ALSO YOU MAY HAVE ONE OR MORE YOUNG CHILDERN PARTICIPATING IN THE RACING AND HAVING TO GET THEM UP VERY EARLY 2 DAYS ON THE TROT AT THE WEEKEND IS DEFINITELY NOT EASY. OUR IDEAL SCENARIO WOULD BE TO ALLOW CAMPING ON 34 WEEKENDS PER ANNUM. 19 WEEKENDS FOR THE KART CLUB AND 15 WEEKENDS FOR THE BIKE CLUB. COMPRISING OF A FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT CAMPING ON EACH WEEKEND. A MAXIMUM OF SIXTY PEOPLE CAMPING AT ANY WEEKEND.

FACILITIES THIS NUMBER IS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING WE HAVE A FLAT LEVEL CONCRETE AREA WHERE WE CAN COMFORTABLY ACCOMMODATE 27 SPACES WHICH ALLOW FOR A RACE TRUCK/ CAMPER VAN/ CARAVAN PLUS A MINIMUM OF 5 METRES FOR AN AWNING EACH. WE HAVE 2 TOILET/SHOWER BLOCKS EACH CONSISTING 2 HAND BASINS, 3 WC’S AND 1 SHOWER PLUS THE MENS SIDE HAS A FURTHER 18 FOOT LONG URINAL. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF ELECTRICAL HOOK UPS AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE CONCRETED AREA. WE THEREFORE REQUIRE NO PHYSICAL CHANGES TO THE SITE OTHER THAN POTENTIALLY YELLOW LINES TO MARK WHERE PARKING IS EXPECTED AND SPACED. CONDITIONS TO USE FIRST AND FOREMOST; AS THIS IS GOVERNMENT LAND AND WE HAVE A DUTY TO OUR GOVERNING DEPARTMENT, SHOULD WE BE ALLOWED THIS LIMITED CAMPING PERMISSION WE WOULD NOT COMMENCE THIS UNTIL THEY WERE IN FULL AGREEMENT BOTH WITH THE PERMISSION AND ALSO WITH ANY AND ALL CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE IMPOSED. WE WOULD ONLY ALLOW MEMBERS OF OUR CLUBS TO CAMP AND IT WOULD BE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS UP TO THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PEOPLE/ PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE GENERAL RULES OF THE SITE MUST BE ADHERED TO SUCH AS BUT NOT LIMITED TO ; NO ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR, NO FIRES. GENERATORS OFF AND NO NOISE FROM 11PM. ALCOHOL LIMITED TO A COUPLE OF BEERS WITH TEA.WE WOULD LIKE TO ALLOW THE USE OD BARBEQUES. WE FEEL THIS WOULD BE ALLOWABLE AS ALL RACE TRUCKS HAVE TO CARRY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AS PART OF THE RULES OF RACING. PARENTS/ GUARDIANS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR JUNIOR MEMBERS. A COMMITTEE MEMBER MUST BE IN ON SITE AT ALL TIMES TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CAMPERS ANY OTHER CONDITIONS IMPOSED BY PLANNING OR OUR GOVERNING DEPARTMENT TO BE IMPLEMENTED AND ADHERED TO IN FULL WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF CHARGING OUR MEMBERS FOR THIS FACILITY WE HAVE NOT ALLOWED FOR AND HAVE NO INTENTION OF ALLOWING TENTS

WE WOULD HOPE IN THE FUTURE TO UPGRADE OUR FACILITIES TO BE MORE USER FRIENDLY AND BETTER EQUIPPED FOR DISABLED USE

ALL VEHICLES, CARAVANS ETC USED FOR CAMPING WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BE REMOVED BY 7PM ON THE SUNDAY OF A RACE WEEKEND