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                                      18/00271/D                                     Page  1  of  3

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 18/00271/D Applicant : Mr Robert Storey Proposal : Installation of signage on building (retrospective) Site Address : Depot South Quay Douglas Isle of Man IM1 5AL

Head of Development Management: Mr S Butler Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 10.07.2018 __

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

N 1. It is understood that the application does not seek any approval for the use of the site, nor to establish whether any existing or potential use would be lawful.

Plans/Drawings/Information:

This approval relates to the following plans/drawings/information: Drawing entitled, "Signage application" numbered "2100R P0010 0" and dated stamped as having been received 15th March 2018. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

THE SITE 1.1 The site is currently an existing unit accessed from Castletown Road. To the East of the site is a car park whilst to the West are residential apartments.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks retrospective approval for the installation of signage, predominantly painted signage onto the walls of the building.

PLANNING HISTORY

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                                      18/00271/D                                     Page  2  of  3

3.1 Advice was sought in September 2017 as to whether the use of the site as a brewery would require planning approval. The advice given by Mr. Balmer (Senior Planner) dated 23rd September 2017 is set out below.

"In terms of the unit on Leigh Terrace, Castletown Road, Douglas the last planning application was for: "Creation of delivery access door to existing industrial unit, former H.E. Richards premises, Leigh Terrace, Castletown Road, Douglas." - 96/00850/B which was approved.

The site is also designated as being light industry use on the Douglas Local Plan.

Accordingly from our records the last use of the building was as indicated above as an "existing industrial unit". Accordingly, unless the last uses within the building were not used in this manner for 10 years or more (i.e. industrial use), I am content that the unit could be again used for industrial purposes without the need for a change of use application being made for the brewery process.

As mention during our discussions, any changes to the external appearance (new window, signage etc) of the building will require planning permission, albeit I would hope these would not raise a concern".

3.2 An open enforcement case has been raised in relation to this site and as part of the investigation of this it appears that a different and intervening use may have taken place, for which a Certificate of Lawfulness has not been sought and has ceased. It may therefore be that there is no authorised use of the site.

PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site is zoned as light industrial within the Douglas Local Plan. It lies just outside an area of flooding as identified on the 2017 flood maps. It is not within a Conservation Area.

4.2 The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 makes 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 addition to The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 we may also consider General Policy 6 Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 that refers to the display of advertisements within our towns and villages and 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 DOI Highway Services responded on 12.04.18 to indicate that they did not oppose the application. They indicate that,

"The proposal is retrospective and seeks to formalise permission for the permanent signage already in place on the building frontage. The signage is not illuminated and although one of the painted images is large, it should not distract motorists on the adjacent highway. Highway Services does not oppose the application".

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5.2 Douglas Borough Council responded on 03.05.18 and inidcated they had no objection to the proposal.

ASSESSMENT 6.1 Given the nature and location of the site it is not considered that the signage detracts from the visual appearance of the building.

6.2 It is not considered that the signage will represent a threat to public safety, and the comments from DOI Highways are noted in this regard.

CONCLUSION 7.1 It is therefore considered that, irrespective of the use of the building, the proposal is acceptable on its own merits.

INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; o 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; o Persons to whom notice has been given under Regulation 10(3)(a)(i); o Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material; o The Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; o The Ports Division of the Department of Infrastructure; o The operator of the railway or tramway, and o 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 above who should be given Interested Person Status. __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Director of Planning and Building Control in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted

Date : 16.07.2018

Determining officer

Signed : J CHANCE

Jennifer Chance

Director of Planning and Building Control

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.