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16/00604/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 16/00604/B Applicant : Pets At Home Ltd Proposal : Erection of a wind break screen to front elevation entrance door Site Address : Pets At Home Spring Valley Industrial Estate Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 2QR
Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of a large retail unit and associated parking located just off the Cooil Road on the edge of Spring Valley Industrial Estate. It is currently occupied by Pets At Home. There are five bollards set in front of the glazed entrance ways, which separate that entrance from parking bays.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the erection of what is described as a windbreak. This would be 2.3m in height and formed of glass panels set within a steel frame; the frame will be attached at right angles to the main body of the building by additional steel, tubular posts.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 Although the site and its sister building to the south have both been the subject of a significant number of controversial applications, none of these is considered material to the assessment of this proposal. Those applications have related to principle of new and additional retail space in this location: in none of them was concern raised by any decision-maker or officer regarding the design or appearance of the built development itself.
4.0 THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is located within a wider area of land that is designated as predominantly industrial under the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Braddan Parish District Local Plan) Order 1991. Planning Circular 6/91, the written statement that accompanies the local plan, contains no policies considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.
4.2 The Strategic Plan's General Policy 2 is considered the most appropriate to assess the proposal against: although technically the application site is in retail use and zoned for industrial use, the general development considerations set out in GP2 are judged the most relevant Development Plan policy in this instance.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services of the DoI indicated the application had no highways implications on 23.06.2016, while Braddan Parish Commissioners offered no objection on 01.07.2016.
6.0 ASSESSMENT
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16/00604/B
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6.1 No justification has been given for the proposed windbreak, but it seems reasonable to conclude that it is needed otherwise approval would not be sought. The site is not especially exposed on its boundaries but it is entirely conceivable that powerful gusts of wind could be generated here and disrupt the operations of the shop internally.
6.2 In any case, justification is not always required for a proposal to be acceptable, and in this case the main issue is the effect the windbreak would have on the character and appearance of the building and wider area in which it sits. In this, the screen proposed is of suitably contemporary design with clean finishes of both steel and glass. It would help break up the somewhat stark massing of the building's frontage, which at present is not especially strongly differentiated except for signage, doors and the aforementioned bollards. Moreover, the windbreak would be set centrally in front of those bollards and therefore would be set in an appropriate position relative to them.
7.0 RECOMMENDATION 7.1 In view of the above, it is concluded that the proposed windbreak complies with the relevant parts of General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan, and is accordingly recommended for approval.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 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 Highway Services of the Department of Infrastructure, and o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.07.2016
Conditions and Notes for Approval: C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.
Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
The development hereby approved relates to Drawings 868/001 and 868/002 and the photosheet, all date-stamped as having been received 24th May 2016.
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16/00604/B
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I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Permitted
Date: 07.07.2016
Determining officer
Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett
Senior Planning Officer
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