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                                      18/00163/D                                     Page  1  of  3

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 18/00163/D Applicant : Whitbread Group Proposal : Installation of illuminated signage (in association with approved Hotel PA 17/00823/B) Site Address : Temporary Carpark Site Of Former Print Works Opposite Marks And Spencer Store Market Street Douglas Isle Of Man

Case Officer : Mr Owen Gore Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 25.04.2018 __

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.

N 1. The applicant is advised that the standard conditions contained within Schedule 1 of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013, apply to this consent.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This Planning permission relates to the following plans and documents: -

Drawing pack, Revision C-AA Page 6 of 13 - Site Location Plan Page 7 of 13 - Sign Locations Page 8 of 13 - North Elevation Page 9 of 13 - East Elevation Page 10 of 13 - South Elevation Page 11 of 13 - West Elevation Page 12 of 13 - Sign Schedule Date Stamped as having been received 13 February 2018 __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None

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                                      18/00163/D                                     Page  2  of  3

Officer’s Report

THE SITE 1.1 The application site is located on the western side of Market Street in Douglas Town Centre. The site is directly opposite the Marks and Spencer store and the three levels of car parking above it. To north of the site is a commercial building of 17-21 Market Street, which is over two storeys in height. To the west and south west of the site are Victoria Hall and Victory House, which on their eastern side are three storeys and seven storeys high respectively as well as being set at a higher level than the site. To the north west is St Andrew's House, which on its eastern side has the equivalent of eight levels of accommodation.

1.2 The site is currently a temporary, private car park; however, as indicated in the description, planning permission was granted for an 85 bedroom hotel with ancillary facilities to include ground floor restaurant and bar (PA 17/00823/B).

1.3 The site is not located within a Conservation Area

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The proposal is for the installation of illuminated signage to the external elevations of the hotel.

PLANNING POLICY 3.1 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.

3.2 Due to the zoning of the site and the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider the following polices of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016:

3.3 General Policy 2 states: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development: (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;

3.4 General Policy 6: 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.

3.5 General Policy 7 states: "Within our towns and villages, the display of external advertisements on sites or buildings other than those to which they relate will not generally be permitted." PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The previous planning applications are not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division confirms that there is no highways interest in the letter dated 15 March 2018.

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5.2 Douglas Borough Council have commented on this application and stated that they do not object in the letter dated 05 March 2018.

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The signage is located on the north and east elevations, facing towards the Marks and Spencer's store and the car park. The illumination of the signs at any time is not expected to impact highways or the amenity of adjacent properties. No hours of illumination have been indicated in the application, it is not considered necessary in this instance to add a condition restricting the hours of illumination.

6.2 The site is located away from the sea front, down a narrow street and away from the adjacent Conservation Areas to the south and the east, and the Registered Buildings to the west (St Andrews House) and the north. The signage is for the proposed building approved under PA 17/00823/B and is typical of the hotel use and is not considered to have a harmful impact to the character of the surrounding area.

CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal would not unacceptably harm the characteristics of the existing building or the character of its surroundings. The proposed development would not result in a significant adverse impact upon the living conditions of neighbouring residents. The proposal therefore complies with General Policy 2, General Policy 6 and General Policy 7.

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 (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: 26.04.2018

Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett

Senior Planning Officer

Customer note

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