DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/00178/D Applicant: David Quayle Proposal: Erection of illuminated signage Site Address: Athol Garage Balthane Industrial Estate Balthane Ballasalla Isle Of Man IM9 2AF Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 20.04.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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 sign(s) hereby granted consent shall not be lit by an intermittent source. Reason: In the interests of amenity and/or public safety.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The application accords with General Policy 2, General Policy 6 and General Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to Site Plan, Location Plan, 7 x A4 page document titled 'NISSAN Store Signage Components', 7 x A3 pages detailing existing and proposed signage and totem pole and including existing and proposed visuals of the site and a supporting covering letter all date stamped and received 14/02/2020.

_______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the curtilage of Athol Garage, a car sales and repair outlet situated on the north eastern side of Balthane Road towards the entrance of the industrial estate. The site is bounded on the southern side by a minor road serving relatively new industrial development. - 1.2 The access into the site is off the minor road. The site accommodates a main building which houses all of the repairs and servicing activities with car parking arranged to the north, west and south of this including vehicles being displayed for sale. - 1.3 Across the existing elevations are a number of illuminated signs displaying the vehicle brand and dealership name and including a large illuminated totem pole along the roadside verge of the main estate road. In addition there is a number of smaller non-illuminated direction signage through the site. - 1.4 To the immediate north of the site are two semi-detached houses - Eaylee and Thie Ain. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the removal of the directional signage, the dealership name and Nissan logo and the removal of the 'Nissan' sign from south east elevation, and the installation of a new box fascia sign 8000mm long x 1200mm tall on the south-east elevation comprising both the words 'NISSAN' in 600mm high red letters and 'Service' in 450mm letters and which is to be internally illuminated. On the same south east elevation a Nissan logo approx. 910mm x 800mm is to be fixed on the column between the large glazing units. - 2.2 The application also includes the replacement of the existing totem with a new illuminated totem measuring 6110mm tall x 1950mm wide. This totem is to be fitted with a Nissan logo within the upper section. - 2.3 All illumination at the site is proposed to be 200 cd/m2 and is to have static display.

PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 The site was recently approved under 20/00127/B for the erection of an industrial building to the rear of the main building to be used as a washing and cleaning area for vehicles in association with the site as a car sales business. The existing signage at the site and totem pole referred to in 1.3 were approved under 08/01126/D, there were no conditions restricting hours or illumination or levels of illumination. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site is designated as 'industrial' 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. In terms of Strategic Plan Policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016

• contains three policies that are also considered materially relevant in assessment of the visual and amenity impacts of the current proposal:
• 4.3 General Policy 2 states (in part): "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;
• h) Provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
• i) Does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways."

4.4 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."

4.5 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."

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

5.1 Malew Parish Commissioners - no objection (11/03/2020).

5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (10/03/2020). - 5.3 No comments received from neighbouring properties.

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The proposal seeks to remove the existing illuminated signage and replace it with new illuminated signage positioned only on the south east elevation and its position, design and material finish is considered to be in keeping with the overall industrial appearance of the existing building and not to result in any new impacts beyond the existing arrangement on the amenities of the neighbouring dwellings.

6.2 The replacement totem pole is to remain set back from the edge of the road and in the position of the existing totem. Its height and width is similar to the massing of the existing totem its installation is likely have an overall negligible impact on the streetscene, its set back position limits impact on local highways and the level of illumination is not considered to be so far beyond the existing totem as to result in any new amenity impacts on the neighbours. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposal is considered to be acceptable. Given the established industrial nature of the area and that the existing signage has not been conditions for hours of illumination it

would be unreasonable to now instigate such hours. In line with the proposed static display of illumination a condition will be added to this effect.

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 a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 20.04.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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