Chinahand Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Should 27 2-bedroom units be built right in the centre of Castletown with absolutely no parking provision? That's what a developer is trying to do with Callows Yard. He applied for planning permission to do this, but the planners would only approve the application if he provided 27 dedicated parking spaces. The developer doesn't agree and is trying to get the parking conditions in the planning approval overturned. It looks like Castletown commissioners also doesn't think parking is important and agree with the developer. Check out Manx Radio. I think its nuts ... the Commissioners admit that there is dire shortage of parking ... but seem not to want the development to have its own dedicated parking spaces. 27 parks for 27 high value 2 bedroom residences - that doesn't seem alot to me ... what percentage will have 2 cars, with one needing a space in the day, or what percentage will be retired and hence regularly not leave the town all day. Without dedicated parking they'll just block Castletown up. I say don't let the developer nick the already insufficient parking in the town ... he must provide his own. Without good parking, people just won't come to Castletown to shop, and without visiting trade the shops in the town will remain tatty and regularly bankrupt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Probably not a good idea for new residential builds to be allowed without adequate parking spaces. Parking is at a premium in parts of Castletown anyhow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 The 'regeneration' of town centres, i.e. persuading people to return to living there, seems to have become something of a political mantra in recent times. It's probably beneficial to small businesses to have people living nearby who don't need to take their cars to visit the shops and it may well be powered by the thought of helping to preserve such local and specialised shops. At the same time, we've already seen what's happened in Douglas which is being slowly strangled because of the proliferation of living accomodation without adequate parking facilities. (For examples, try the likes of Mona Drive/Empress Drive in the evenings when all the residents vehicles are parked up) Castletown Commissioners would be failing in their duty to the town and it's people if they don't insist that adequate parking must accompany any development - and the same applies to all other local authorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teapot Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Should 27 2-bedroom units be built right in the centre of Castletown with absolutely no parking provision? That's what a developer is trying to do with Callows Yard. He applied for planning permission to do this, but the planners would only approve the application if he provided 27 dedicated parking spaces. The developer doesn't agree and is trying to get the parking conditions in the planning approval overturned. It looks like Castletown commissioners also doesn't think parking is important and agree with the developer. Check out Manx Radio. I think its nuts ... the Commissioners admit that there is dire shortage of parking ... but seem not to want the development to have its own dedicated parking spaces. 27 parks for 27 high value 2 bedroom residences - that doesn't seem alot to me ... what percentage will have 2 cars, with one needing a space in the day, or what percentage will be retired and hence regularly not leave the town all day. Without dedicated parking they'll just block Castletown up. I say don't let the developer nick the already insufficient parking in the town ... he must provide his own. Without good parking, people just won't come to Castletown to shop, and without visiting trade the shops in the town will remain tatty and regularly bankrupt. According to the link the developer is saying that he has planning approval and is going ahead? So what can you do now........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Firstly i have absolutely nothing to do with this Development nor do I have any vested interest. From the postings above it appears that people would prefer to have a rundown town centre with empty properties and buisness premises for the sake of 27 parking spaces. This Development is not just residential but includes retail units, coffee shop etc. This type of Development should be encouraged. Castletown is in much need of investment and hats off to anybody that is willing to put up seven million pounds on what is after all a very high risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GD4ELI Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Probably not a good idea for new residential builds to be allowed without adequate parking spaces.Parking is at a premium in parts of Castletown anyhow. Agreed - another example of typically useless planning on the Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxman8180 Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 From the postings above it appears that people would prefer to have a rundown town centre with empty properties and buisness premises for the sake of 27 parking spaces. This Development is not just residential but includes retail units, coffee shop etc. Surely this is even more reason for the provision of additional parking spaces then? Both resedential and transient parking will be required for the new retail units? Of course regeneration should be welcomed where it is viable, but it shouldn't be without regard for the acutal pracitcality of living in the area, post development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Surely this approach will reduce the number of cars that people buying the houses will have. Inner city appartments across the water in majority of instances dont have parking spaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 According to the link the developer is saying that he has planning approval and is going ahead? So what can you do now........... The developers are being disengenous on their web site ... yep the planning permission was approved. But with a condition that 27 parks were provided. The developer doesn't like this and is appealling against it ... sounds nuts doesn't it ... a developer appealling against the approval given for their development ... but they are only appealling the parking ... nothing else, so it does make sense. To further complicate things ... the developer doesn't own the entire site ... and so an owner of one of the buildings included in the plans is also applealling the planning approval. In this case the entire thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted March 8, 2006 Author Share Posted March 8, 2006 Firstly i have absolutely nothing to do with this Development nor do I have any vested interest. From the postings above it appears that people would prefer to have a rundown town centre with empty properties and buisness premises for the sake of 27 parking spaces. This Development is not just residential but includes retail units, coffee shop etc. This type of Development should be encouraged. Castletown is in much need of investment and hats off to anybody that is willing to put up seven million pounds on what is after all a very high risk. Surely this approach will reduce the number of cars that people buying the houses will have. Inner city appartments across the water in majority of instances dont have parking spaces. Billy, I am absolutely in favour of a sympathetic redevelopment of the centre of Casltetown. I respect the developer for putting his money where his mouth is and taking the business risk ... BUT ... the development has to take in the realities of the town and environment it is being built in. Castletown is not an inner city with all the shops and ammenities on their door step. It is unrealistic to expect the occupants of these houses to be car-less. The Islands public transportation service is not sufficient to provide for their transportation needs. Given the reality that parking will be needed to cater for this development and the fact that Castletown is already lacking parking is it not reasonable for the developer to be expected to consider parking spaces in the planning application? The idea that this will make the development less viable doesn't make sense to me ... Houses with parking have a high premium in Castletown, by sacrificing a part of the development to provide parking the developer could enhance the value of the rest of it. Given how difficult it is to find a parking space in Castletown I definitely would prefer the development to include parking rather than not. Either scheme would regenerate the town, but one will help solve its parking difficulties and one will add to them ... for me its a no brainer which I'd prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Not quite what we were led to believe, perhaps. According to Manx Radio: The scheme has been approved and has the unanimous support of the board but planners have insisted the proposed 27 car parking spaces on the site are reserved for sole use of the residents. Members feel that’s unrealistic during the day at a time when there’s already a dire shortage of parking in the town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 but planners have insisted the proposed 27 car parking spaces on the site are reserved for sole use of the residents. That's quite reasonable for shared parking. If it's not exclusive it will just cause problems with people parking in a space intended for residents. Why the planners didn't insist on their usual rule of 1.6 spaces per residence to allow for visitors etc is a mystery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overdose Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 For a development of 27 Apartments they should at least provide 40 spaces to satisfy the 1.5 spaces per apartment requirement that we're meant to work to. That's always been the case on any development that I've worked on, both over here and across. If I was them I'd be grateful at getting away with 1 space per apartment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manxman8180 Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 Surely this approach will reduce the number of cars that people buying the houses will have. Ahhh I see. Reducing cars. Next you will be telling me that the developers are doing it this way to help the environment by reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from cars. Inner city appartments across the water in majority of instances dont have parking spaces. Ahhh, inner city developments. Of course, that's exactly the type of development that's required over here isn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 WHY NOT????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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