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17/01253/D Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 17/01253/D Applicant : Mercedes-Benz Cars UK Limited Proposal : Installation of illuminated and non illuminated signage Site Address : Whitestone Garage Mercedes-Benz Of Mann Douglas Road Ballasalla Isle Of Man IM9 2LB
Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.01.2018 __
Conditions and Notes for Approval
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
C 1. The advertisement(s) hereby granted consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
Reason: To avoid the accumulation of unimplemented advertisement consents.
C 2. The signs hereby granted consent shall not be lit by an intermittent source.
Reason: In the interests of amenity and public safety.
C 3. The road side totem signs hereby granted consent (marked C, D and E on drawing page 5) shall not be illuminated between the hours of 2200hrs to 0600hrs daily.
Reason: In the interests of amenity and public safety.
C 4. The visibility splays identified on drawing Page 5 - Site Plan shall be kept permanently clear of any obstruction exceeding 1050mm in height above adjoining carriageway level.
Reason: In the interests of highway safety.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This approval relates to drawing page numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, 2 x additional site and location plans and 1x signage detail sheet all date stamped and received 29/11/2017. __
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
NONE __
Officer’s Report
THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of Whitestone Garage, a large plot occupied by Mercedes-Benz located on the northern side of the main road heading into Ballasalla. The existing site has a large 'L' shaped building wrapping the south west corner of the site while the remaining plot is utilised as a sales forecourt and customer parking area. The site connects directly with the road with level vehicle access either side of a small walled island. On the northern side there is an additional area of banked grassed verged where there are two existing trees.
1.2 The site has a number of existing areas of signage both on the existing buildings and within the bounds of the site. These include the name of the business 'Mercedes Benz of Mann' and 'Smart' on the main building, small way signing on the northern boundary verge, three existing flagpoles within the walled island and various smaller signs setting out customer parking bays.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Advertisement consent is sought for the installation of replacement and new illuminated and non-illuminated signs within the extent of the site and on the existing building.
2.2 Proposed is the replacement of the existing 'Mercedes-Benz of Mann' with new. The sign will read the same and will be constructed with individual white letters on a bottom runner bar, each internally illuminated. The sign will be 7.28m long and 0.5m high.
2.3 The existing 'Smart' sign will be replaced with a new internally illuminated sign 1.85m high and 1.37m wide incorporating the Smart logo and 'Smart' lettering.
2.4 Existing way signing on the grass verge is to be removed and replaced with a new free standing totem 3.1m high x 1.4m wide and now set back 2.4m from the main road. The sign will be mostly black and will include the lettering 'smart' above which will be the Smart logo. The sign will be internally illuminated.
2.5 A new free standing totem is proposed on the Ballasalla side of the central island. This is to be set back 2.4m into the side and is to display the new way signing information. The new sign is to be 2.6m high and 1.6m wide. The sign will be white with individual black way signing lettering. The sign will be internally illuminated.
2.6 Located along the boundary nearest Ballasalla a new free standing black totem is proposed set back 2.4m from the main road. The totem will be 4.1m high and 0.8m wide, the sign will be black and include only the logo for Mercedes-Benz at the top. The sign will be internally illuminated.
2.7 Within the site there are a number of individual non-illuminated parking bay signs, these fixed to the existing boundary fence on the northern side and also attached to the existing building. In addition another smaller way sign will be fixed to the existing building; this is to be non-illuminated.
2.8 All illuminated signs are to be controlled by a time clock and will be switched off at 10pm at night.
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PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 There has been a number of previous applications for the site including the installation of signage and various garage-related developments, the most recent of which being the installation of two advertising signs (PA 08/01747/D, a pennant sign (PA 06/01080/D) and other illuminated and non-illuminated signage (PA 06/0488/D) all were approved.
PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area designated as residential on the Area Plan for the South 2013.
4.2 The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 make it clear that the only considerations which can be applied to applications made under them are in the interests of amenity and public safety. In the case of amenity, such things as the general characteristics of the area need to be taken into account along with the presence of any features of historic, architectural, cultural or similar interest and the public safety should consider the safety of any person using a road, railway, tramway, harbour or aerodrome including the obscuration of any traffic sign or similar.
4.3 In terms of Strategic Plan Policy, the most relevant in the assessment of this particular application would be General Policy 6.
4.3 General Policy 6 states: "Within our towns and villages, the display of external advertisements will be permitted on the site or building to which they relate provided they: a) Are of a high standard of design and materials and relate well to the building and site on which they are to be displayed; b) Are in keeping with and do not detract from the surrounding area; and c) Are located so as not to cause a highway safety hazard."
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Malew Parish Commissioners have no objection to the application (03/01/2018).
5.2 The Department of Infrastructure Highway Services do not oppose the current planning application indicating all signage installed is to be a minimum of 2.4m from the edge of carriageway which will preserve the existing visibility splays. They have recommended that a suitably worded condition be added ensuring the signs are installed in their shown positions on the submitted site plan (page 5) and that the visibility splays remain unobstructed at a height of 1.05m thereafter. 21/12/2017
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The signage proposed would be associated with the application site and would reflect its use and occupants and therefore the proposal is acceptable in principle.
BUILDING SIGNAGE 6.2 The proposed signage on the main building is to replace the existing signage and as such is not to result in any unnecessary advertisement or signage clutter. The signs are considered to be of appropriate materials and would be of an acceptable scale and design for the building. Given the set back position of the existing building and level of illumination proposed for the signs, it is not judged that the illumination here would cause harm to the surrounding area by reason of appearing obtrusive or to have an unacceptable effect on highway safety or neighbouring properties.
ROADSIDE TOTEMS 6.3 The installation of totems is not uncommon at vehicle dealerships such as this. Each of the totems would be fairly prominent within the street scene given their locations directly adjacent to the main highway. While the signs will be seen by the passing public the details upon the sign are minimal they are not expected to result in a distraction to any highway users. Each of
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the totem signs are sited back from the road edge and outside of the visibility splays for the site. The proposal will not impact on highway safety. A condition ensuring the visibility splays are retained free from obstruction is considered necessary.
INTERNAL WAYSIGNING 6.5 The individual parking bay signs and internal way signing fixed to the existing building and boundary fence are expected to have limited impact on the area and are likely to improve internal movement of vehicles and customer insuring that parking bays are clearly marked. It is unlikely that these signs will be readily visible by any of the passing public or traffic and for sole purpose of those visiting the site only.
ILLUMINATION 6.6 With regards to the illumination aspects of the signs, the level of illumination on the main building is unlikely to cause harm upon the amenity of nearby residents or the road safety of highway users. Although the illumination level of each of the roadside totems is indicated to be 7500 kelvin LED's its unknown as to how bright the culmination of each would be and how this might impact the amenities of local residents especially at dark hours. The application states that the illuminated signs will be controlled by a timer which will turn the illumination off at 10pm. There is no indication as to when the illumination will be turned on although it is likely that this will either be at the time of those opening the garage or perhaps at dusk hours in the early evening.
6.7 Minded of the above it is considered that a condition restricting the illumination times of the totems only is necessary to limit impact on the neighbouring residents on the adjacent side of the road and adjoining the site.
6.8 Following discussions with the agent for the application it was recommended that a condition be added for no illumination between 10pm and 7am, the agent discussed with the applicant who requested if this could be amended to 6am. It was considered that 6am would be reasonable given that it's likely that local streetlights are turning on, or perhaps already on around this time and passing traffic (with headlights) likely increasing with early morning working hours and the opening of the airport at 6:15am.
CONCLUSION 7.1 The application and its proposals are considered to of a high standard of design, in keeping with the surrounding area and not to cause a highway safety hazard. They relate to the building on which they are to be displayed and do not detriment or affect public safety.
no obstruction of visibility splays in the interest of highway safety of the access and egress at the site.
INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons: a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
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e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
8.2 The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status __
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Permitted
Date: 29.01.2018
Determining officer
Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett
Senior Planning Officer
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