Process resulting in temporary closure of Castletown Square Ref. RCO48

Summary

A request was made for details regarding the approval process and documentation for the temporary closure of Castletown Square. The Department of Infrastructure disclosed submission dates and approval timelines but stated that specific communication plans and evidence of stakeholder consultation were not held due to staff turnover.

Key Facts

• The Castletown Town Commissioners submitted the road closure request on 30 September 2024.
• The requested start date for the closure was 1 October 2024.
• Approval in principle was communicated via email on 18 October 2024.
• No specific plan was submitted to address the loss of winter parking spaces.
• No public communication plan was submitted to the Department.

Data Disclosed

• 30 September 2024
• 1 October 2024
• 18 October 2024
• RCO478
• 4346565
• 7 January 2025
• 20 February 2025

Exemptions Cited

• Information not held
• Staff turnover preventing recovery of evidence

Original Request

* On what date did the Castletown Town Commissioners submit the request for the Temporary Road Closure of Market Square Castletown SN:RCO478. * On what date was the requested temporary road closure to start from. * What checks and approvals were completed by Highway Officials in respect of this application. * On what date was the approval in principle given by the Department to Castletown Town Commissioners and by what means was it communicated. * Was a specific plan submitted to ameliorate the loss of parking spaces historically available during the Winter months and on what date was this received by the Department. * On what date was the public communication plan submitted. * On what date did the applicant submit the public consultation document relating to affected persons. * What evidence was submitted by the applicant that convinced the Department all of those identified as consultees or stakeholders affected by the change had been adequately consulted.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Department of Infrastructure Sea Terminal Building, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2RF

Contact: FOI Response Team Telephone: (01624) 686785 Email: dpo-doi@gov.im

Our ref: 4346565 20 February 2025

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 7 January 2025, which states:

"On what date did the Castletown Town Commissioners submit the request for the Temporary Road Closure of Market Square Castletown SN:RCO478.

• On what date was the requested temporary road closure to start from.

• What checks and approvals were completed by Highway Officials in respect of this application.

• On what date was the approval in principle given by the Department to Castletown Town Commissioners and by what means was it communicated.

• Was a specific plan submitted to ameliorate the loss of parking spaces historically available during the Winter months and on what date was this received by the Department.

• On what date was the public communication plan submitted.

• On what date did the applicant submit the public consultation document relating to affected persons.

• What evidence was submitted by the applicant that convinced the Department all of those identified as consultees or stakeholders affected by the change had been adequately consulted."

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the public authority does not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find some of the information that you have requested.

1. The Castletown Town Commissioners submitted the request for Temporary Road Closure of Market Square Castletown SN:RCO478 on 30 September 2024.

2. The requested start date for the Temporary Road Closure was 1 October 2024.

3. The Department has an approval process to deal with applications for temporary traffic restrictions where consideration is given on whether to support the applicant with what is proposed. If the Department does not object to what is proposed, an approval in principle is issued to the applicant. The traffic order is then prepared, approved and subsequently issued to the applicant.

4. The approval in principle was communicated by email to the applicant on 18 October 2024.

5. No plan was submitted by the applicants. However, information was submitted to address concerns raised by the Department with regard to loss of amenity.

6. Information not held: No public communication plan was submitted to the Department.

7. / 8. The traffic management officer who undertook the review of the application is no longer at the Department. As a result of this, we have not been able to recover all evidence discussed that would have influenced the decision.

However, correspondence has made reference to the consultation that was carried out by Castletown Commissioners, quoting the results that suggest the public majority would agree with the proposal. Summary of this consultation can also be found online.

In addition to any evidence submitted, Castletown Market Square has been subject to multiple Temporary Traffic Regulation Notices (TTRN). These have been for prohibition of vehicular access seasonally or during events.

Throughout the seasonal and other closures, the Department considered that there was no significant negative impact on road safety or network efficiency.

Please quote the reference number 4346565 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on;

1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or
2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
   In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.