DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 22/00765/B Applicant: Department Of Education, Sport & Culture Proposal: Installation of automatic vehicle barrier to school car park Site Address: Laxey School Quarry Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7DU Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 25.07.2022

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the documents and drawing no. 01, 02, 03 dates stamped as having been received on 15th June 2022. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the following properties should be given Interested Person Status as they are considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 4(2):

Owners/Occupiers of Bwaane Beg, 5 - 6 Quarry Road, Laxey as they satisfy all of the requirements of paragraph 2 of the Department's Operational Policy on Interested Person Status. _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is Laxey Primary School, Quarry Road, Laxey, a primary school located on the south of Quarry Road. There is a narrow driveway leading to the school from Quarry Road.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the installation of an automatic barrier with a card reader on the driveway.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There is no previous application considered materially relevant to this application.

4.0 Planning Policy Site Specific - 4.1 The site is within an area designated as Buildings or Land for Civic, Cultural or Other Use (Primary School) in the Area Plan for the East. - 4.2 No planning restraint overlaps with this site. Strategic Policy - 4.3 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: Principle of Developments - 4.4 General Policy 2, which provides an overall requirement for all development, states: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

• (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape;

• (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
• (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
• (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;
• (j) can be provided with all necessary services;
• (k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan; (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them."

4.5 Community Policy 5 states: "Permission will generally be given for proposals to improve or extend existing schools and institutions of higher education and to build new schools, subject to their being sited and designed in accordance with other policies of this plan, having particular regard to the potential for community use of the buildings and the associated Open Space."

• Environment
• 4.6 Strategic Policy 5 states: "New development, including individual buildings, should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment of the Island." Safety and Security
• 4.7 Community Policy 7, 10 and 11 state that the design of new development must, as far as is reasonable and practicable, pay due regard to existing best practise such as to prevent criminal and anti-social behaviour and outbreak and spread of fire. In addition, development should also provide proper access for fire-fighting vehicles and adequate supplies of water for fire-fighting purposes."
• 4.8 Infrastructure Policy 5 particularly states that "Development proposals should incorporate methods for water conservation and management measures to conserve the Island's water resources." PPS and NPD
• 4.9 There is no relevant Planning Policy Statement or National Policy Directive that applies to this application.

5.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS Strategy and Guidance - 5.1 There is no relevant strategy or guidance that directly applies to this application.

6.0 REPRESENTATION - 6.1 The Clerk Garff Commissioner has not commented at the time of the report (25.07.2022) - 6.2 DoI Highway Services does not oppose this application (01.07.2022). The comment states that there is no significant negative impact on highway safety, network functionality and/or parking. - 6.3 Owners/Occupiers of Bwanne Beg, 5-6 Quarry Road, Laxey wrote in objection to the application (12.07.2022). The comment raises concern about visitors' access after the barrier is installed. It also points out that the noise generated by the barrier will cause disturbance to nearby properties.

7.0 ASSESSMENT Elements of Assessment - 7.1 The key considerations in the determination of the application are its impact on the character and streetscene of the area, on traffic and on the amenities of the neighbours. - 7.2 The barrier would not stand out from its surroundings and therefore has no negative impact on the character and streetscene of the area. - 7.3 As there is no objection from Highway Services, there is no concern for highway issues from this proposal. - 7.4 While the noise is generated from the barrier when it's operating, the sound is within the typical noise level for a road and therefore not a sufficient reason for recommending refusal.

8.0 CONCLUSION - 8.1 The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.

9.0 INTEREST PERSON STATUS - 9.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land which the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

9.2 The decision-maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 28.07.2022 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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