DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/01327/D Applicant: C J Ingham & Sons Limited Proposal: Installation of non-illuminated signage to building and entrance Site Address: Old Gas Works Mill Road Peel Isle Of Man IM5 1AX Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.12.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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.

The signs are considered to have an acceptable impact on road safety and the character of the area, in compliance with General Policies 2, 6 and 7 and Environment Policy 38 as well as the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following drawing numbers - P10-01, C12-01C, C10-02A and C1003 and the signage illustrations and information, all received on 10th November, 2020. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The whole site is one which has recently been re-developed from a gas works to industrial and office premises with associated parking, including a few spaces for newly built dwellings alongside the site. The site sits opposite the House of Manannan museum and its associated car park and alongside the site on the same side of the road is the food park and fishyard.

• Immediately adjacent to the site is a residential property which was approved as part of the redevelopment of the gasworks site - 14/00928/B. Beyond this are other residential properties either side of Station Road and East Quay marks the start of a number of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars with a few, older, industrial operations - car repairs and sales and depots.
• 1.2 The site accommodates two buildings - a large modern industrial building which is subdivided internally into four units and another, smaller building which is being re-built as an office (18/00137/B). The approval plans show a mezzanine level over half of each unit.
• 1.3 The overall building has been the subject of a successful application for its use as a launderette and laundry (19/00313/C) - unit 1. 19/00327/C proposed the use of the unit alongside as a personal training gym and was also approved. More recently, an application has been submitted for the use of the first unit as a pottery workshop including education (20/01301/C). THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The building was approved as one for storage and distribution (Class 6) (14/00930/B) and is nearing completion. Proposed is the erection of signage. - 2.2 The signage will take the form of a sign on the front of the fourth unit alongside the pedestrian entrance door: this sign will be 405mm by 255mm. - 2.3 A second sign is proposed on the office building alongside the road and the sign will be the same size and alongside the front door which faces into the site. - 2.4 Both signs are the same - acrylic with etch effect background and charcoal grey artwork announcing "G.J. Ingham & Sons", the building company who occupy the buildings.

2.4 A second sign type advising that the premises are covered by CCTV will be installed on four sites - on the inward face and one gable of the office, 270mm by 205mm Foamex. - 2.5 The third sign will be 915mm by 1220mm di-bond aluminium announcing "The Old Gas Works" and will be placed at the entrance within the stone entrance wall. This incorporates the names of the businesses in each of the units within the main building. PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Peel Local Plan as Predominantly Industrial. The planning approval for the building (14/00930/B) described the proposed development as the erection of a block of four storage/distribution units although the amount of parking exceeded the amount required for that use. The front of the site lies within an area of high tidal and river flood risk. This does not appear to extend as far into the site as the building. The site is adjacent to but not within the Conservation Area. - 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 Due to the designation of the site and the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider the following polices of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016:

3.4 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;

3.5 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'.

3.6 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'. - 3.7 Environment Policy 38 states: 'Advertisements close to Conservation Areas must respect and preserve the character and appearance of the area to ensure that views into and out of such areas are protected'. PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The most relevant previous applications are referred to above. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Highway Services have no objection to the application (04.12.20). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue in this case is whether the signage would have any adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area and/or highway safety.

6.2 The signage is unlit and not particularly prominent but the main entrance signage will be visible to those who may be looking for it. The other signs are small and will not be noticeable by anyone outside the site. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The signs are considered to have an acceptable impact on road safety and the character of the area, in compliance with General Policies 2, 6 and 7 and Environment Policy 38 as well as 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 a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 22.12.2020 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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.