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Application No.: 25/90996/B Applicant: Gourmet Foods Limited Proposal: Erection of cold storage room (part retrospective) Site Address: Unit 17 & 18 Isle Of Man Food Park Mill Road Peel Isle Of Man IM5 1TD : Richard Wilshaw Photo Taken: 09.01.2026 Site Visit: 09.01.2026 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 30.01.2026 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
C 1. The cold storage unit hereby permitted shall be for a limited period only, being for the time that Units 17 and 18 are occupied by Gourmet Food Limited. Upon the occupation of the premises by the applicant ceasing, the cold storage unit shall be removed from the site, and the land reinstated to its former condition within 28 days.
Reason: The permanent installation of the cold storage unit would not be supported due to its impact on customer parking, manoeuvring and servicing but it is considered acceptable on a temporary basis to support the specific needs of the applicant
N 1. The application site is within a high-risk area of tidal and fluvial flooding. The Applicant is therefore advised to adopt a business flood plan to make the cold storage unit safe when a flood alert is issued by the Met Office.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.
The proposed development would provide the existing catering business with cold storage space as they have currently outgrown their existing space within Units 17 and 18. The proposal is for a use that is appropriate within this area that is designated as industrial, surrounded by compatible uses. It is also judged that the proposed development is sited in a location that does not cause any harm to the significance of any heritage assets in the vicinity. The location of the cold storage unit does limit space for customer parking, servicing and manoeuvring but the current occupant is content with this arrangement. In order to satisfy DOI Highways Services they have requested that if planning is approved a planning condition is used that would require the cold storage unit is removed once the current occupant vacates the site. The DOI Flood Risk Management Division have also suggested a condition, requiring
the submission of a business flood plan. Subject to these conditions being included on any planning approval the proposed development is considered to comply with the relevant policies of the Peel Local Plan (1989) and the relevant policies of the Isle Of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore it is recommended that the application be approved.
Plans/Drawings/Information; The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans received 26.11.2025: FREEZER ELEVATIONS UNIT ELEVATION BLOCK PLAN Location Plan Site Plan _________________________________________________________________ Right to Appeal
It is recommended that the following organisations SHOULD be given the Right to Appeal: DOI Flood Risk Management Division - Recommended approval subject to a condition but the proposed condition has not been included within the recommendation.
It is recommended that the following organisations should NOT be given the Right to Appeal: DOI Highway Services - No objection Peel Town Commissioners - No response received Manx Utilities Authority Drainage - No response received
_________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report APPLICATION SITE
1.1 The application site comprises Units 17 and 18, and the area immediately to their front, within the Isle of Man Food Park, Peel. Units 17 and 18 are currently leased to Gourmet Foods Limited who are a catering business. The wider Isle of Man Food Park is an industrial estate accessed from Mill Road which has an emphasis on food storage and production, particularly to support Peel's fishing industry. The food park houses several one- and two-storey industrial units which have been subdivided into units of different sizes to suit occupier requirements. There are also various other structures situated around the units such as bin cages, shipping containers, truck trailers, etc as well as lots of vehicles. - 1.2 Units 17 and 18 are both operated by the Applicant. To the front of the units is an area of hardstanding which is used for parking, loading and to house a cold storage unit, which is the subject of this application. - 1.3 The application site is within a high risk area of tidal and fluvial flooding PROPOSAL
2.1 The application proposes the retrospective installation of a cold storage unit in front of Units 17 and 18 for the Applicant's use. The cold storage unit is currently in-situ. It measures 6m in depth, 3.6m in width and 2.9m in height. A set of double doors (1.8m in width) are located to the eastern elevation. Electricity is provided to the cold storage unit from Units 17 and 18 at high level, circa 2.9m from the ground. The cold storage unit is raised off the ground by approximately 100mm by concrete blocks and wooden supports. It has been placed in an area that ensures access to the roller shutter doors for Units 17 and 18 remain unobstructed.
4.2 The following Registered Buildings are within 60m of the application site:
4.3 Peel Conservation Area is also approximately 60m to the north of the application site. Accordingly the impact of the proposed development on the significance of the above identified heritage assets is an important material consideration, in accordance with Strategic Policy 4 of the Strategic Plan. The Policy states that development proposals must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings, Conservation Areas, buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest; - 4.4 General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is considered applicable, which 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:
4.5 Strategic Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan states that undeveloped land which is zoned in Local or Area Plans for industrial, office, or retail purposes will be retained and protected for such uses, except where those uses would be inappropriate or incompatible with adjoining uses. - 4.6 Business Policy 5 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan states that on land zoned for industrial use, permission will be given only for industrial development or for storage and distribution. - 4.7 Environment Policy 10 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan states that where development is proposed on any site where in the opinion of the Department of Local Government and the
Environment there is a potential risk of flooding, a flood risk assessment and details of proposed mitigation measures must accompany any application for planning permission.
REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.
5.1 DOI Highways - No objection, subject to condition (01.12.2025) - After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as there is hardstanding for staff parking and servicing of the proposals, the freezer container is relatively small, and the Applicant has stated they have had a similar freezer operation in the past. It is recommended that conditions on prohibiting visitors/customers arriving to the site and the cold freezer shall be removed once the Applicant vacates the site should be attached to permission (for parking and highway safety reasons).
5.2 DOI Highways - No objection, subject to condition (28.01.2026) - The freezer is only for the proposed operation and unique. A different operation on the site is likely to need the full yard again for loading and parking. Customers arriving to the site would operate more like a retail use or supermarket and therefore attract more parking demand which would negatively impact the site and surrounding businesses. They are only suggested conditions but due to the unique situation of the proposals, they are advised to attach to permission to mitigate and manage traffic and parking impact. - 5.3 DEFA Environmental Health - No objection (18.12.2025) - The unit appears to be essential to the operation of this type of business. - 5.4 DOI Flood Risk Management Division - No objection, subject to conditions (09.01.2026)
5.5 DOI Flood Risk Management Division - No objection, subject to conditions (29.01.2026)
5.6 The following were consulted but no response has been received at the time of writing the report:
6.1 The key issues relate to the potential impact on local character and neighbouring amenity, potential impact to the significance of heritage assets, potential highways and parking issues and flood risk. Potential impact on local character and neighbouring amenity
cold storage unit does not emit any discernible noise or odours. Accordingly, the proposed development complies with the General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan.
Potential impact to the significance of heritage assets
6.4 2 Registered Buildings and Peel Conservation Area are sited approximately 60m to the north and west of the application site. The proposed cold storage unit is located deep within the Isle of Man Food Park and cannot be viewed in the same context as the Registered Buildings or the Conservation Area. Several existing structures and buildings sever any visual link between the application site and the heritage assets. It is therefore judged that the proposed development will not result in any harm to the significance of the former premises of T Moore & Sons, Mill Road, Peel (The Kepperyard), the former Peel Railway Station and Water Tower or Peel Conservation Area and therefore the proposed development complies with Strategic Policy 4 of the Strategic Plan. Potential highways and parking issues - 6.5 The proposed cold storage unit is sited immediately in front of Units 17 and 18 and has therefore reduced the area available for vehicle parking, manoeuvring and loading/unloading activities. The existing operation can still operate successfully with the cold storage unit in place, but this may not be the case for future occupants. - 6.6 DOI Highways Services have therefore suggested that if planning permission is granted this should be subject to a condition which requires the removal of the cold storage unit once the Applicant vacates the site. The rational being that with future occupations there may be more visitors coming to/from the site and a higher demand on visitor parking. The current operator only attracts limited visitors and therefore no visitor parking is required. The loss of visitor parking in replacement for the cold storage unit does not present any issues for the current operator, however it could for future occupants. - 6.7 Therefore it is agreed that should the application be permitted it is reasonable to include a planning condition which requires the removal of the cold storage unit once the current occupant (the Applicant) vacates the site. Subject to the use of this condition it is considered that the proposed development will not result in adverse highways impact and appropriate parking and servicing provision has been maintained. Flood risk
6.6 The application site is within an area that is at risk of flooding, from both fluvial and tidal flood. The 1 in 200 tidal height is 4.05mD02 present day and the 1 in 200 plus climate change level is 4.74mD02. The application site sites approximately 4.2m - 4.3mD02. The cold storage unit is currently approximately raised 100mm from the ground level. Accordingly the cold storage unit should ideally be raised by approximately 340mm to 440mm to reduce the impact of a flood event. The DOI Flood Risk Management Division recommend a further 300mm above this to protect against a worst case scenario flooding event.
6.8 Raising the cold storage unit this high permanently would create issues with access and would make it difficult to get goods in and out easily. Accordingly the DOI Flood Risk Management Division have suggested the use of a planning condition that would require the submission of a business flood plan. The Met Office currently give 48 hours' notice of a tidal flood event and the business flood plan would set out what the Applicant would do if that alert is raised. This could include disconnecting the cold storage unit and moving it to higher ground. The Applicant has confirmed that in the event of a flood warning they would remove all items from their units and the cold storage units, make the units as safe as possible and disconnect utilities. The electricity supply to the cold storage unit is already 2.9m above ground and therefore out of the worst case scenario flooding depths. The Units within the Isle of Man Food Park are not subject to such a condition and they sit at a lower level to the cold storage unit. To therefore insist that the cold storage unit be subject to a business flood plan, when the units occupied by the Applicant are not, would be onerous on this occasion. - 6.9 Subject to the inclusion of an appropriately worded note reminding the Applicant of the potential flood risk associated with the site and proposal it is considered that the proposed
development will be adequately protected from flood risk and will comply with Environment Policy 10 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.
7.1 The proposed development would provide the existing catering business with cold storage space as they have currently outgrown their existing space within Units 17 and 18. The proposal is for a use that is appropriate within this area that is designated as industrial, surrounded by compatible uses. It is also judged that the proposed development is sited in a location that does not cause any harm to the significance of any heritage assets in the vicinity. The location of the cold storage unit does limit space for customer parking, servicing and manoeuvring but the current occupant is content with this arrangement. In order to satisfy DOI Highways Services they have requested that if planning is approved a planning condition is used that would require the cold storage unit is removed once the current occupant vacates the site. The DOI Flood Risk Management Division have also suggested a condition, requiring the submission of a business flood plan but this is considered onerous on this occasion. The proposed development is considered to comply with the relevant policies of the Peel Local Plan
(1989) and the relevant policies of the Isle Of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore it is recommended that the application be approved.
8.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted). - 8.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to:
that submit a relevant objection; and o any other person who has made an objection that meets specified criteria.
8.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10. - 8.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required):
8.5 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given the Right to Appeal.
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 and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted Date: 30.01.2026 Determining Officer
Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner
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