Planning Inspector Proposes Revisions to Development Plan

An independent planning inspector has put forward a series of modifications to a document that designates future development land on the Isle of Man. This document, known as the Area Plan for the North and West, specifies areas within these two regions intended for residential or industrial development, as well as those designated for preservation as green spaces. Specific recommendations include the removal of the safeguarding zone around Jurby Airfield and the rejection of proposals to include land at Poyll Dooey in Ramsey for residential construction. The Cabinet Office is currently reviewing the report and has indicated its potential to approve the plan “with or without” the proposed alterations. The initial version of the plan was released in 2022, subsequently undergoing substantial revisions in March of the current year. The definitive document can only be put into effect following its adoption by the Cabinet Office and endorsement by Tynwald. The report’s overarching findings indicate that the present draft “does not achieve the requisite general conformity with current Isle of Man strategic planning policy”. Nevertheless, the inspector asserts that conformity would be achieved if the significant changes detailed in the report were to be enacted. Additional recommendations include that flood alleviation initiatives for Peel and Ramsey harbours receive “supported in principle” status, contingent upon a prior assessment of their impact on nature conservation sites and biosecurity. The report emphasizes that the protection of Jurby Airfield as a potential national contingency airport will be addressed within the Department of Infrastructure’s Masterplan for Ronaldsway Airport, instead of through the area plan. This report, accessible online, is the outcome of a consultation process and a two-week public inquiry concerning the draft area plan held in July. The inspector declined the development of the land at Poyll Dooey, citing that it was “not appropriate” based on the evidence presented during the inquiry. The report suggests incorporating a paragraph to recognize that the plan’s objective of constructing 5,100 new homes between 2011 and 2026 “comes towards the end of the plan period and is likely to last beyond 2026”. Furthermore, it points out that the draft plan “fails by a long margin” to satisfy the numerical requirements set by the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 for sports pitches and play space. The inspector additionally recommended altering the designation of the former Waterfall Hotel site in Glen Maye from mixed use to residential use, concurrently changing the car park’s designation to mixed use. A spokesperson for the government stated that an additional update regarding the subsequent actions would be released in late November. Reporting was supplemented by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.