Name of Meeting

PAPER C Purpose: For Decision Committee PLANNING COMMITTEE Date 22 JUNE 2010 Title ISLAND HARBOUR MARINA LTD, MILL LANE, BINFIELD, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT Report Author BILL MURPHY, HEAD OF PLANNING SERVICES Reference Number: P/00255/08 - TCP/21713/K Demolition of buildings/structures; outline for development comprising infrastructure improvements, additional units of holiday accommodation, marine industrial units, hotel/bar and restaurant, management and security facilities; associated boatyard and repair facilities Island Harbour Marina Ltd, Mill Lane, Binfield, Newport, Isle of Wight REASON FOR COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION This is a major planning application that has previously been considered by Planning Committee in August 2008. The Committee resolved to part refuse and part grant planning permission, subject to the completion of a s106 legal agreement. The current owners of the site, the banks, are in a position to complete the s106 to enable the Planning Authority to issue a decision notice. MAIN CONSIDERATIONS The main considerations relevant to the determination of this application are as follows: • Principle – Whether the original resolution to grant planning permission meets the tests against current planning considerations, given the passage of time since the original resolution. • Whether the proposed clauses of the s106 agreement are appropriate as a means of mitigating impact, ensuring effective management of the marina uses and secure proper highways improvements and what additional controls may be appropriate by way of Planning conditions. 1. Introduction 1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek members’ resolution, in line with recommendations, on the determination of this application following a previous resolution to part grant and 76 part refuse planning permission, taken in August 2008, and following further submission of information by the current owners of the site in order to agree the contents of the s106 legal agreement. If agreed by members, the s106 would be completed and issued with the decision notice. 1.2 Since the previous resolution made by Committee, the operators of Island Harbour have gone into liquidation and the site is effectively owned and managed by administrators. They are keen to complete the planning determination process in order to secure a planning permission. The Local Planning Authority had previously given a deadline to ‘owners’ of Island Harbour (30 November 2009) by which work needed to be submitted to complete the drafting of the s106. Failure to have met the deadline would have resulted in a refusal for the whole scheme based on the failure to secure appropriate environmental mitigation, improved highways works and a marina management plan. Prior to the 30 November deadline, the Authority received confirmation from administrators that they were pursuing the s106 agreement and had submitted a draft for consideration. 1.3 During the consideration of the application at the August 2008 Committee meeting, members raised the issue as to whether the effective management of the marina and its associated lock and launching arrangements could be undertaken in light of the proposed increased in boat storage use associated with the increased number of holiday units on the site. Officers requested additional information in respect of the marina use, which was provided. In order to assess this, specialist consultants have been commissioned in order to provide a technical assessment of the information and proposed manner in which water craft facilities were proposed to be operated. The new information, and subsequent report prepared by ……on behalf of the Council, is now a new material consideration in the determination of this application. Both sets of information have been placed on to the website and are referred to in this report. 2. Details of Application 2.1 This is an outline application with access, layout and scale only to be considered at this time. It comprises a masterplan for the continued and proposed completion of Island Harbour as a comprehensive development of holiday accommodation coupled with yachtsmen’s facilities including a chandlery, boat repairers, restaurant and further residential holiday units. 2.2 The proposal also seeks to remove the degraded hulk of The Ryde paddle steamer and to deal with likely contaminants. 2.3 The layout plan proposes 118 units of holiday accommodation in seven terraced blocks situated to the south of the existing marina and to the south west of the existing residential holiday units in Redshank Way, forming a square leading onto the south of the existing basin with a marine retail facility, marina parking, two marine industrial units for boat building and repair with external boat storage and a boat racking system situated at the southernmost extent of the development. 2.4 Situated to the south of the existing lock between the basin and the Medina it is proposed to build a new building to provide a bar, restaurant, office and yachtsmen’s facilities on the site of the former mill building demolished several decades ago. It is also proposed to include a terrace of key worker accommodation forming the south western wing of the new square to be occupied by persons employed at the Island Harbour and the facilities also proposed. 2.5 Accommodation proposed for holiday accommodation comprises 36 one bedroom units, 58 two bedroom units and a further 25 two and three bedroom units in separate blocks. 77 The key worker units are proposed to be two bedroom with 80m2 floor space and to number twelve in total. 2.6 The Access and Design Statement includes proposals for an environmental strategy including combined heat and power units, water harvesting, ground source heat pumps and other energy efficient practices in construction and insulation. Building heights are envisaged as 1, 1½, 2 and 2½ storeys dependent upon location and use but no details for determination have yet been submitted but 3D images indicate the form envisaged. 2.7 The justification for the additional holiday accommodation is that it is closely linked with the marina facilities and associated boat storage. This is dry storage, i.e. on shore rather than marina berths as the previous phases. The further information on boat storage submitted on request from officers has confirmed the following: • The new total number of boats that the marina development and lock would serve is 367, made up of the existing 270 floating berths and the proposed 106 onshore spaces. • The applicants state that it is highly unlikely all boats will be needed to launch at one time and that four launches/recovery systems would be available • A 50 ton travel lift hoist would be provided on site to manage the launching of larger vessels. • A reverse fork lift with a 10 ton capacity would be used for 5 – 10 m reach vessels • A boat launch trailer 20 ton capacity would be available for Manual launching down the existing slipway • Boat movement statistics for 2009 as supplied by the Marina Management are as follows:- Movements through the lock in an average week = 64 no. (no. of vessels 32) The following formula is based on 32 Boats per week throughout the year. Approximate total no. of vessels 1700/yr. The average is taken over 12 months from 31 March 2009 to April 2010 and is balanced out between Winter and Summer programmes. These calculations take into account, a) That free flow times allow vessels to navigate through the lock without stopping b) That the lock can take between 1 & 8 no. craft at each lock in/out c) Variation in boat sizes Peak movements during the high season in the busiest 24 hour period = 60 no. vessels (June IOW festival one way), a) in Friday, b) out Monday • It is possible to launch up to 100 boats in 48 hours and at current usage rates it is anticipated 10% would be in the water at any one time. Once in the water the dry stacking system has space for up to 120 boats. The intention is to provide 24 hour dock operation. 78 2.8 The draft s106 legal agreement proposes the following clauses : • Provision of a holiday occupation register for all occupiers and to be kept in perpetuity and available for inspection by the Local Authority • Not to allow occupation of holiday accommodation until boat storage facilities are in place • Boat storage facilities to be managed in a manner to be agreed with the Local Planning Authority • Not to implement development until a highways scheme has been submitted and approved • Not to occupy development until highways works have been carried • Provision and implementation of a ‘greenway’ route. Completion prior to occupation of the development. • Establishment of Nature Conservation monitoring protocol. 3. Location and Site Characteristics 3.1 Island Harbour is located on the eastern side of the Medina, on the north-western side of North Fairlee Road at Binfield. The site is accessed from North Fairlee Road via Mill Lane, the metalled road joining North Fairlee just before the start of the Racecourse. The site is also accessed from the Medina by boat via lock gates situated in the south-western corner of the basin. 3.2 The tract of land within the holding is substantial but the application essentially relates to the area immediately adjoining the south side of the yacht harbour and to the west of the junction of Mill Lane with Redshank Way, the road leading to the existing residential holiday accommodation. To the east, south and south-west of the site is predominantly agricultural land as is the land on the north side of the existing harbour. There is a general but gentle fall from the east to the west being part of the Medina Valley. 3.3 Currently the site contains several old buildings and a recently constructed bistro with temporary consent, a restaurant serving users of the harbour and which is sited just to the south of the main car parking area when entering the site from Mill Lane.

Load more