DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/00058/D Applicant: RL360 Management Services Proposal: Installation of illuminated information signage Site Address: Left Hand Side Of Entrance To International House Isle Of Man Business Park Braddan Isle Of Man Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 16.06.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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 advertisement hereby granted consent shall not be illuminated between 2200 hrs 0600 hrs each day. Reason: In the interests of amenity and public highway safety.
• C 3. The sign hereby granted consent shall not be lit by an intermittent source. Reason: In the interests of amenity and/or public safety.
• C 4. The illumination at the site must be installed in accordance with drawing number 2001-D4001 date stamped 20/01/2020, and the Bell Lighting Specification and Excel covering letter both dated 25/03/2020.

Reason: In the interest of visual amenity, and the application has been assessed based on this information only.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to lighting spec sheet and drawing number 2001-D-4001 date stamped and received 20/01/2020, and the Bell Lighting Specification and Excel covering letter both dated 25/03/2020.

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site sits within the grounds of RL360 House in the Isle of Man Business Park, Braddan, situated on corner junction adjacent to the roundabout with Cooil Road. The site specific to this application is the north-eastern side of the main site entrance and within a grass verge along the highway. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the installation of permanent advertising signage relating to the headquarters business use of the building.

2.2 The sign proposed is a 1500mm high x 1000mm wide. The sign will be 100mm above ground level and fixed to 80mm poles. The sign will stand on a concrete foundation and plinth 1400mm long x 800mm wide. - 2.3 The signage is to sit approx. 3m back from the edge of the highway; visibility is shown on plan 2.4m back x 36m in each direction. - 2.4 The signage is to be illuminated from each side by a single 10w Skyline Slim LED Floodlight. - 2.5 Additional information submitted by the agents indicates that there would be no illumination between approx. 10pm - 6am daily.

PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There have been a number of applications for signage in the area; most relevant in this case is 18/00318/D for similar freestanding signage adjacent to the highway approved on the neighbouring site Cycle360. The illumination approved was a back lit signboard and halo lighting. Hours of illumination were not controlled but a condition was added to prevent illumination by an intermittent source. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Braddan Local Plan of 1991 as "Master Plan to be prepared which will include areas of Industrial Use, Science Based Industries, High Density Residential Use, Landscaping and Secondary School of approximately 16 acres". This succeeded a planning application in principle for the development of a business park of 40 acres, which was approved on appeal under PA 89/04166. This required, inter alia that the business park comprise light industrial use, warehousing, development associated with new technology companies predominantly involved in scientific, commercial or industrial research and development or electronic systems, micro-engineering, biotechnology, office accommodation as the corporate headquarters of companies which utilise the new information technologies and service other park users but specifically excluding financial and professional services to visiting members of the public, including banks, building societies, estate agencies and betting offices. The approval also required that buildings should cover no more than 25% of the business park.

4.2 It is most relevant to consider The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 in the assessment of the proposed new signage in addition to which 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.

4.3 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. - 4.4 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.

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Braddan Parish Commissioners:

• o Objection (14/02/2020) - would prefer the sign to be down lit rather than up lit to limit light pollution.
• o No objection (14/05/2020) - following the additional information, the Commissioners were satisfied with the proposal so long as the lights were switched off between 10pm and 6am, and that a condition is added to ensure they are operated and installed in accordance with the details supplied in the application.

5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (05/02/2020).

5.3 No comments received from neighbouring properties. ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The freestanding sign is to sit adjacent to the highway and approx. 3m back from the edge of the road. The signage relates to the use of the building and the grounds in which it is to sit and the materials and size of the sign are considered to be in an acceptable form and not to result in any adverse impact on the visual quality of the site or the surrounding business park environment.

6.2 The freestanding sign is set back from the road and visibility of 36m can still be achieved in either direction. It is not expected that the highway safety of the area will be affected through the development and DOI Highway Services have indicated that they do not oppose.

6.3 Illumination for the sign has raised concerns from the Local Commissioners, in response to these concerns the agent sought to provide a lighting spec to demonstrate the intensity of illumination and the level of lighting expected from the proposed 10w floodlights.

6.4 The floodlights will be directed upwards and towards the signage, spill of light is expected but will be limited past a 2.5m mark surrounding the signage, while there are two visual representations on how the sign will appear on the signage board it is unclear what the extent of the upwards spill of light will truly be. The distance from the road will help to ensure limited impact on passing vehicles through glare, and the Commissioners are accepting so long as there are conditions restricting the hours of illumination and that the lights are installed in accordance with the details provided.

6.5 Compared with the back lit and halo light signage in the area include those areas of signage attached to adjacent Zurich building, the use of floodlights presents a second-rate and poor standard illumination and a lower quality appearance, however the installation here subject to the above necessary conditions is not considered to be so substantially harmful or significantly adverse as to warrant a refusal.

CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposed sign is considered to be acceptable, while the illumination is considered to be a low standard of design, its installation here subject to conditions restricting hours of illumination and by no intermittent source, is not considered to be so substantially or significantly harmful to the general character or amenity of the Business Park as to be refused. The application is considered to comply with The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• 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 local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
• o the Highways, Ports and Railways divisions of the Department of Infrastructure. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:
• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than those explicitly listed above) 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 Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 17.06.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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