Officer Report

Application No.: 18/00745/D Applicant: Bestcars Limited Proposal: Erection of signage Site Address: Garage Former Elite Showroom Peel Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 4LX Senior Planning Officer: Mr Jason Singleton Site Visit: 13.09.2018 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 27.09.2018 _________________________________________________________________

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 signage hereby approved, must be removed within one month from the cessation of use of the premises by "BEST CARS".

REASON; In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area in the event the building becomes empty.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the front elevation and computer generated images of the front elevation, and the location plan all date stamped received on 19th July 2018.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The site is the curtilage of the former Elite Car showroom and car sales building which lies between the former wool control building (a stone building which sits to the south east of the Brown Bobby fuel filling station) and a terrace of three storey Victorian buildings which mostly accommodate apartments. The site has hard surfaced parking areas around the single building on the site which is of one storey and a typical basic flat roof with large areas of glazing. PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the erection of non-illuminated signage affixed to the building on the front elevation (north). The scope of works would see printed graphics affixed to the front windows in a semi-transparent media, depicting the company telephone number and the company logo and name in red graphics to 12 windows.

2.2 Also is included is a main sign above the windows on the front elevation would be made up from 16 No. 2.4m long x 1.2m high and 5mm thick drybond boarding with white vinyl letting depicting the company name "BESTCARS" at a width of 9.7m across the front elevation above the glazed windows. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The application site has seen a number of different advertisement consent applications over the years to depict the respective company selling cars from the premises.

3.2 Re-development of site with residential scheme of seventy three (reduced by amendment) apartments - 13/91517/B APPROVED

3.3 Removal of walls and glazed screens to rear of building in order to create internal and external temporary car parking for a period of four years - 15/00302/B - APPROVED

3.4 Approval in principle to re-develop site for residential purposes - 11/00724/A APPROVED - 3.5 Approval in principle to re-develop site with office building and associated parking 11/00723/A - APPROVED - 3.6 Erection of signage - 09/01513/R - APPROVED - 3.7 Creation of a temporary car park - 09/00198/B - APPROVED - 3.8 Erection of signage - 05/01964/D - APPROVED - 3.9 Alteration and extension to motor vehicle showroom, 98/00942/B- APPROVED - 3.10 Redevelopment of existing garage showroom to include new showroom, forecourt and additional storey to building - 97/01480/B - APPROVED - 3.11 Approval in principle for building adjoining existing showroom to be used as a used car showroom, and existing showroom to be rebuilt as a new car showroom - 96/01909/A APPROVED

PLANNING POLICY

4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the site lies within an area of Light Industry and Private Woodland on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998. It should be noted that the majority, if not all of the built development on the site is within the area designated as Light Industry. The western

side of the site which is currently a wooded area is the section designated as Private Woodland. The site is not within a Conservation Area.

4.2 The Area Plan for East designates the area (including this site) as industrial but proposed to classify the wider area to be within the Douglas Town Centre boundary.

4.3 In the assessment it is most relevant to consider The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 which 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.

4.4 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains three policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application; 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;

4.5 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."

4.6 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."

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection (received on 17/08/18)

5.2 Highways Services have commented and do not object (received on 16/08/18) ASSESMENT 6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are the impact of the proposed signage on the character of the area, the existing building and the street scene.

6.2 It is considered that the proposed signage would be relevant to the site and its use. The window graphics would be semi-transparent to allow views of the cars on display inside. The proposed signage above the front windows is not considered to cause a detrimental impact on public or private amenity given it size and scale on the building. The main sign would feature the name of the company and either side would be coloured boarding, helping to lift the appearance of the building and would also see an empty building within Douglas being reused and revitalised.

6.3 For the reasons mentioned above, the proposed signage is considered to be of a high standard of design and materials and relate well to the building and site on which they are to be displayed and are in keeping with and do not detract from the surrounding area CONCLUSION - 7.1 Overall, it is concluded that the planning application is in accordance with General Policy 2, 6 and 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. 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 a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 02.10.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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