31 January 2023 · Committee
Nurses Home, Westmoreland Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 4aj
The proposal involves converting and extending the former nurses' home on Westmoreland Road, Douglas, to create 37 apartments and a ground-floor café with takeaway, along with car, motorcycle, and bicycle parking and landscaping. The site is designated for mixed use and sits within a mile of Douglas town centre, with bus stops directly outside serving routes to Peel and the wider island network. Planning Committee weighed several concerns against the scheme: some rear apartments would lose clear and pleasant outlooks; there is no on-site affordable housing provision at this stage, though this is offset by a commuted sum or future development commitment secured through a Section 13 agreement; and on-site parking is limited. On the other side, the site's mixed-use designation supports both residential and café uses, Douglas is the Isle of Man's most sustainable settlement with good access to services and public transport, and the development contributes to brownfield regeneration. Ecology conditions were attached requiring bat surveys and wildlife enhancement features including bee, bat, and bird boxes. The committee judged the sustainability and regeneration benefits sufficient to outweigh the identified drawbacks.
Planning Committee approved the scheme on balance, finding that the proposal's compliance with the mixed-use designation, its location in Douglas as the island's most sustainable settlement, and its contribution to brownfield regeneration outweighed the concerns about reduced outlook for some rear apartments, limited on-site parking, and the absence of on-site affordable housing. Affordable housing was addressed through a Section 13 agreement securing a commuted sum or future provision.
Development should make the best use of resources
Strategic Policy 1: Development should make the best use of resources by: (a) optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and under -used land and buildings, and re - using scarce indigenous building materials; (b) ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs for access, landscaping, open space (1) and amenity standards; and (c) being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services. 4.2.2 In pursuance of (c) abo ve, the Department will, when formulating its programme for the preparation of new Area Plans, have particular regard to: (a) the availability of mains drainage connected to IRIS or other mains systems; (b) securing the future viability of rural primary schools; (c) the public investment in the Island's highway, bus, railway and tramway networks; (d) the provision and availability of water; and (e) community facilities. 4.3 Environment 4.3.1
Condition 1
The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.
Condition 2
The development hereby approved shall not be occupied or operated until the parking areas have been provided in accordance with the approved plans IOM- EWA- ZZZZ- GA- A- 17701 REV P1. Such areas shall not be used for any purpose other than the parking and turning of vehicles associated with the development and shall remain free of obstruction for such use at all times.
Condition 3
The development shall not be occupied or operated until the secure and/or covered bicycle stores and motorcycling parking bays have been provided in accordance with the approved plans IOM- EWA- ZZ- ZZ- GA- A- 17701 REV P1 . The secure and covered bicycle store and/or motorcycling parking bays shall be retained at all times thereafter.
Condition 4
The development shall not be occupied or operated until the secure and covered bin stores have been provided in accordance with the approved plans IOM- EWA- ZZ- ZZ- GA- A- 17701 REV P1 and 2781_LG(9-)01 REV P0. The secure and covered bin stores shall be retained at all times thereafter for this purpose.
Condition 5
Prior to the occupation of the apartments hereby approved details of the rear boundary (northeast) treatment shall be submitted and approved by the Department and these shall be completed prior to the occupation of any apartment and retained thereafter unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Department.
Condition 6
No external finishes may be applied to the building - including roofs, windows, new brickwork and movement joints - until details and samples of these have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The development shall not be carried out unless in accordance with the approved details unless otherwise agreed with the Department.
Condition 7
The development may not be occupied or operated until details of an alternative means of fall arrest system to the roof have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. The development shall not be carried out unless in accordance with the approved details unless otherwise agreed with the Department.
Condition 8
All planting, seeding or turfing comprised in the approved details of landscaping on drawing IOM-EWA-ZZ-ZZ-DR-L-79001 REV P0 must be carried out in the first planting and seeding seasons following the completion of the development or the occupation of the development, whichever is the sooner. Any trees or plants which die or become seriously damaged or diseased must be replaced in the next planting season with others of a similar size and species. The hard landscaping works (i.e. footpaths etc) shall be completed in full accordance with the approved details prior to the first operation/occupation of the development thereby permitted.
Condition 9
The area identified as "café" at ground floor level and as shown on drawing IOMEWA- ZZ- ZZ- GA- A- 17701 P1 is permitted to operate under Use Classes 1.3 & 1.4 only.
Condition 10
All recommendations listed within the approved "Protected Species Report" prepared by Manx Wildlife Trust dated January 2022 (Section 6.1) are to be fully adhered to.
Condition 11
The development shall not be occupied or operated until the bat, bird and bee boxes as shown on approved drawing IOM-EWA-ZA-ZZ-GA-A-70501 REV P1 (additional as per Ecosystem Policy Office comments are also approved) and shall be retained at all times thereafter.
