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20/00722/D Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 20/00722/D Applicant : Celton Manx Ltd Proposal : Installation of information sign Site Address : Land Between The Smithy And New Access Road Isle Of Man Business Park Douglas Isle Of Man
Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Photo Taken : Site Visit : 14.09.2020 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.10.2020 __
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. Overall, the design and style of the signage is relatively modest and would be an acceptable form of advertising as it will not have an undue impact on highway safety or result in detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the area; thus complying with the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to the Location Plan, Site Plan, Sign Details and Supporting Letters dated 22 June 2020.
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons None __
Officer’s Report THE SITE 1.1 The application site represents a section of the corner of the land that is between The Smithy and new access road to the Isle of Man Business Park. This position is within the
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20/00722/D Page 2 of 4
curtilage of the land housing the 4wd and Van Centre which has its frontage directly adjacent the Spring Valley Industrial Estate which is directly across the new access, on the south east position.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The current application proposes the installation of information sign.
2.2 The proposed sign would be a non-illuminated direction sign measuring 1.3m wide x 1.2m high fixed to a 75mm x 75mm aluminium powder coated white posts. The slats to be installed would be 1200 x 150 folded aluminium (painted white and black).
2.3 The applicants have provided additional information which states thus:
"Celton Manx and a number of other businesses on our section of the Isle of Man Business Park would like to erect a direction sign to prevent a significant number of lost visitors struggling to navigate their way around the park.
The sign would be located at a central T junction at the entrance of the Business Park. The planks would display company names and logos indicating the correct direction to take.
We have permission of the land owner to erect the sign at the location indicated in the attached plans".
PLANNING POLICY 3.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site lies within an area designated on the Braddan Local Plan 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". Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider the following policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 in the assessment of the current application:
3.2 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.
3.3 In addition to The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 we may also consider General Policy 6 and Environment Policy 37/38 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 which state:
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: 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.
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PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The most relevant application to the current application would be PA 05/00033/R which is a retrospective application for the erection of an advertising direction hoarding to serve vehicle sales and hire centre. Extract from Officer's report for the above application states thus:
"A sign has been erected in this position to alert the passing motorist to the presence of the business. The sign is intrusive and unnecessary as permission has been granted for signage for all of the businesses under 04/1415.
There are objections from the Commissioners and also from an independent party who finds the sign unacceptable. There is no need for the sign as the signage within the site is presently visible from the road. Also, those interested in such things will know where the premises are and they are unlikely to be seeking sales or business from passing trade".
REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.
5.1 The Department of Infrastructure Highway Services have made the following comments regarding the application in a letter dated 4 August 2020:
The proposal is acceptable in highway terms and unlikely to cause a distraction and adding driver way finding. It must be positioned as indicated outside of the public road limits.
Accordingly, the proposal is unlikely to cause highway safety or network efficiency issues, allowing Highway Services to raise no opposition subject to conditions for the sign and its installation according with the submitted drawings.
5.2 Braddan Commissioners have stated that they have no objection to the application in a letter dated 3 August 2020.
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The freestanding sign is to sit adjacent to the highway and set back from the edge of the road. This type of way signage can be common across industrial estates and business parks alike and in the case of this application; the sign is at a position on the estate verge and as such is not expected to result in any public harm or highway visibility issues. Its installation here could benefit highway safety as visitors would be able to easily read and recognise the signage due to its size and scale compared with the smaller text contained with the communal signs which would require drivers to slow down to read it; which could impact on those coming in and out of the estate at this access.
6.2 Whilst the proposal would not relate well to the site on which it is to be displayed, given that that the sign is not located on the site or building to which it relates contrary to General Policy 7, it is noted that the sign would not detract from the character of the area as its design is of good quality and its scale would not make it a particularly prominent feature within the street scene which has similar signs, although relating to the sites they are positioned on. Based on the foregoing, it is considered that the proposed would be acceptable; as it would meet the tests stipulated in the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 which 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.
6.3 However, there is the potential risk of cumulative proliferation of similar signs which could in turn have a detrimental visual impact on the streetscene and bring unacceptable harm to the wider visual amenities of the area. Therefore, approval of this sign should not be taken as an indication that similar proposals would be approved in the area.
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CONCLUSION 7.1 Whilst the proposed sign is not located on the site or building to which it relates and therefore fails to comply with General Policy 7, the siting of the sign coupled with its design, size and scale would not result in visual harm to the streetscene and the surrounding area, or result in adverse impacts on highway safety which would make it comply with the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013. As such, the application is therefore supported.
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.
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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 : 20.10.2020
Determining officer Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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