2010/0307 / Mr W Fenton
Eden Retreat Ltd
WARD/PARISH: / CASE OFFICER: / DATE RECEIVED:
Roosecote / Charles Wilton
01229 876553 / 02/03/2010
STATUTORY DATE:
26/04/2010
LOCATION:
Roa Island Guest House, Piel Street, Roa Island, Barrow-in-Furness
PROPOSAL:Change of use from guest house (C1) to a mixed use of guest house (C1) and restaurant (A3) - Resubmission of 2009/2048
SAVED POLICIES OF THE FORMER LOCAL PLAN:
POLICY C16
Outside established shopping centres applications for hot foot take-always and restaurants will be refused, other than where a special need case can be made to the Authority’s satisfaction and the site is on a busy through road, within a concentration of commercial property and with adequate parking space available nearby.
POLICY E9
All development should provide for its car parking requirements. However, within the Barrow town centre block (indicated in Proposals map 4 and where A13, B7, C5, C6 & C7 apply) private parking provision will not be required on-site for residential or commercial development. Parking within that area will only be available on-street or within publicly provided off-street areas. This may require the payment of commuted sums towards the cost of publicly provided parking in lieu of on-site parking provision. Development proposals in the Barrow town centre block will further be considered having regard to the level of public transport provision in the area and any improvements to that provision proposed by developers.
SUMMARY OF MAIN ISSUES:NON MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
REPRESENTATIONS:
Development Advertised on Site and in the Local Press
The Occupiers of 20 21, 23, 24, 37, 40, Pile Cottage, 41, Pile Street, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 Marine Terrace, The Bosons Locker, Flat, Roa Island Guest House, Villa Marina, Piel Street, 36 Roa Island, Tower House, 14 Tower Street, RNLI, Barrow Lifeboat Station, Piel Street, 26, 27, 30, 31, 33, 34 Trinity Terrace, 16, 17, 19 Tower Street, Roa Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Merrett & Co, Hazel Farm, Upper Littleton, Winford, all informed.
The Occupier, 24 Roa Island, Barrow in Furness
“What is a mixed use of a guest house C1 A late use as a karaoke music place is not needed by residents here”.
The Occupier. 6 Marine Terrace
“I have to raise an objection on account that this property does not cater for adequate off road parking for patrons of the establishment. Since this restaurant started trading last year there has been an increase in parking congestion at Roa Island. Roa Island is an insular community with barely enough parking spaces for the property owner residents of the Private Houses.”
The Occupier, 21 Piel Street, Barrow-in-Furness
“With Regard to the above planning application I have to raise an objection on account that this property does not cater for adequate off road parking for patrons of the establishment. Since this restaurant started trading Last year there has been an increase in parking congestion at Roa Island. Roa Island is an Insular Community with barely enough Parking spaces for the property owner residents of the Private Houses.
For the 43 Residential properties there are 68 Motor- Vehicles registered to Residents on Roa Island. Sixty five percent of the Residents are retired or do not work and require access to parking space a11 day as required, There are several disabled residents who need parking close to their properties, and the remaining residents have working patterns which vary so require parking as and when required through the day. There is very limited off road parking for Residents, so the Majority have to park on the Highway.
Unfortunately the Police cannot do anything about the parking and the Traffic Wardens haven't the Resources to attend daily.
The application states that if successful it would create more Jobs, which would mean the Staff would create additional Parking congestion.
In conclusion until the Parking problems are addressed it can only make matters
The Occupier, 30 Trinity Terrace, Roa Island
“With Regard to the above planning application I have to raise an objection on account that this property does not cater for adequate off road parking for patrons of the establishment. Since this restaurant started trading Last year there has been an increase in parking congestion at Roa Island. Roa Island is an Insular Community with barely enough Parking spaces for the property owner residents of the Private Houses.
For the 43 Residential properties there are 68 Motor Vehicles registered to Residents on Roa Island. Sixty five percent of the Residents are retired or do not work and require access to parking space all day as required, There are several disabled residents who need parking close to their properties, and the remaining residents have working patterns which vary so require parking as and when required through the day. There is very limited off road parking for Residents, so the Majority have to park on the Highway.
Since the development of the Lifeboat Visitors centre and the popularity of the Bosun's Locker Cafe, there is little Parking Space left for residents. I personally have been highlighting the Increase in Parking congestion regularly to the Town hall and Councillors since the year 2000 but to no avail.
Now with the Popularity of Piel Island, the Weekend and holiday period Overnight parking of Visitors to Piel Island has increased there is often occasions when residents have to park as far away as Foulney Island Car park to park in a Safe Manner.
Last year we had Patrons from the Guest house/Restaurant parking down the Back Street on Trinity Terrace blocking access to resident's garages and property, during daytime hours. There is no designated parking for the Disabled, which means they obstruct access to the Back of Trinity Terrace ( Piel Street) by parking on Double Yellow lines on Founley Street which were put down to prevent congestion that would deny Emergency Services access into Foulney Street and the rear of Trinity Terrace.
Recently the number of times the Buses have been obstructed by inconsiderate parking has increased; the Latest time was due to a Non Invalid registered Car whose owners were visiting the Guest House Cafe.
Unfortunately the Police cannot do anything about the parking and the Traffic Wardens haven't the Resources to attend daily.
The application states that if successful it would create more Jobs, which would mean the Staff would create additional Parking congestion.
In conclusion until the Parking problems are addressed it can only make matters worse by allowing this proposal to go ahead.”
The Occupier, Tower House, 14 Tower Street, Barrow-in-Furness
“We are concerned with the above application and would wish you take the following into consideration, especially with regard to parking:
1. Roa Island is a very small area, with. only a couple of public roads, but densely populated with houses mostly terraced. Many properties do not have off road parking, and if they do there is not a lot of off road parking for visitors.
2. The public roads have in certain areas yellow lines restricting parking.
3. There is no off -road parking for the general public.
4. There is no handicapped parking.
5. The island is promoted on the web through the following: Forces of Nature web site, bbc.co.uk, Roa island Boating Club, Roa Island -House and others including Barrow Council, who on their web site advertise Piel Island and how to get there from Roa by ferry. Giving no indication of any parking problems for the visitors or residents. In the past the Council have told us that people can use the Foulney car park, some do, who are going to walk to Foulney, but the majority of visitors use Roa Island.
6. It is listed in at least in 8 books on Cumbria or on Bird watching,
Why do people come to Roa and park their car?
1) To visit one of the 45 houses on the Island.
2) To visit the Life Boat Station for leisure
3) To visit the Life Boat station, for practice or call out.
4) To go to Pie! Island. This earl mean cars left for a day or if camping on Piel, weeks.
5) To visit Bosuns Locker.
6) To Visit the Roa island Boating Club.
7) To visit their boats and go sailing, often leaving TO cars paled on 0, road, even if a Roa Island Boat Club m embers.
8) To go fishing.
9) To have a walk to Foulney and around Roa island.
10) To use the Public Toilets, which have no pat-king facilities
11) To go wind surfing or sea canoeing, often using pavement as well as road. 12) View the Tall Ships when they visit the area.
13) View cruise ships when they visit
14) To Bird watch.
15) To collect mussels.
16) To dean the red phone box, a listed building.
17) To clean the public toilets.
18) To deliver to Bosuns Locker and Roa Island House.
19) To work at Bosuns Locker or Roa Island House.
20) Watch BAE vessels on sea trials.
Of the above 20 points only the Roa Island Boating Club has some parking, and that for members only.
The only time there is any policing is an a Trials Day for BAE, when a vessel {,N-ill be leaving port at Barrow, when the whole Island is restricted for any parking by the general public.
In the summer and weekend the area can be swamped, with cars of the general public often parked over the entrance to properties, private parking areas, and oil corners of roads and on both sides of the main street leaving only a single track access road through. It is towards Bosuns Locker, Roa Island House junction where the greatest congestion is and it is here that people are often trying to turn around or reverse back; there is no turning area to do so. I would direct you to the Dalton road end of Scott Street which presents a similar problem to the main road and the island, there a turning area has been provided and the area is policed. To add to the general pile up of traffic on the Island you also have buses which are trying to turn around in a very tight area behind the toilets. Some people do use this area to turn but generally like all hopeful parkers they carry further on in the hope of finding a parking space, ending at the congested cross roads of Piel Street, Foulney Street and Tower Street.( Please see attached map),
We did have a pub on the Island that had a licence and did food and hosted events, The Roa island Hotel. That building, (now a private property) is situated away from the main residential area, and had ample parking so that its activities did not effect the residents. In the past the Roa Island Guest House has acted as a small bed and breakfast. Now it is trying to became more commercial and attract the general public, for a large part of the day and early evening, and hoping to expand into functions etc. As a building it has very limited car parking, if you take into account, owners vehicles, staff vehicles, staying guests vehicles and then the larger market to which it is now trying to appeal, especially considering it is situated in the most congested part of the Island.
I have lived here for more than 20 years and the problems with parking have just increased. Meetings over this problem in the past with the Council have failed to produce any help at all. This being the case, that the Council have in the past felt there was nothing they could do to help the congested parking situation, I feel it reasonable to request that the Council now draw a line at this point and refuse the planning application for Roa Island House.”
RNLI – 20th March 2010
The Barrow Branch Committee of the RNLI discussed the matter and would like to make the following comments and observations.
The concerns regarding the original applications were detailed in the letter sent to your office dated 16th January 2010.
The amended application has not addressed the main issues of parking which could impact on station operations.”
RNLI -16th January 2010
“Having received the letter in relation to the above planning application the Barrow Branch committee of the RNLI discussed the matter and would like to make the following comments and observations.
The existing planning approval allows for 6 off road parking spaces for guests and staff. The new proposal for guesthouse, restaurant & cafe does not afford any additional parking places. The current on street car parking arrangements on Roa Island are extremely limited and as such it is felt that the existing parking problem would be exacerbated.
The RNLI does have a designated emergency parking area for lifeboat crew and although not large enough to accommodate all personnel who attend an emergency it is often abused by indiscriminate parking during busy periods. On a number of occasions lifeboat crew responding to a rescue at sea have had great difficulty in parking close to the station, resulting in the loss of precious time and on occasion motorists being blocked in which caused a great deal of tension.
In light of the promotion of both Roa and Pie] Island as a visitor attraction it is felt that in the longer term it would be beneficial if the parking arrangements for residents and lifeboat crew were re evaluated. It is considered that this application without due regard to parking will make the matter worse.”
Bosuns Locker, Piel Street, Roa Island, Barrow in Furness
“We wish to object to the opening of a cafe at Roa Island House because of the already existing problems with parking. We have already mentioned to the Planning Committee [9.2.10] about people parking their cars and going over to Piel for the weekend leaving no parking for our customers.