Carrera Digital Billboard Planning Statement

Billboard Specification

7-17 Wellington Street, Douglas.

Static frameless billboard constructed from 5mm Foamex, dimensions 3000 x 2000 (made up from 3 boards 2000 x 1000). Landscape orientation as per drawing 02. Supplied and fitted by Signrite Limited.

Lighting:

Elongated LED strip light SLL258 – 3000mm in length Supplied and fitted by Brew and Corkill Ltd. Further information available from Saturn Lighting at www.saturnlighting.co.uk

10 August 2016

Planning and Building Control Directorate, Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture, Murray House, Mount Havelock, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2SF

1600950

Dear Sirs,

Please find enclosed an Application for Express Consent relevant to the above property together with all the required supporting documentation as to four copies of:

• Application Form
• Supporting plans and attachments
• Product information
• Location Plan
• Site Plan
• Scaled as required
• Fee enclosed
• Certificate of Land Ownership

As will be seen from the specification and enclosures this application is for a permanent static Billboard to be placed upon the gable end of the above property in Wellington Street.

Our understanding is that in terms of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan General Policy 2(1) and General Policy 6 it is a well-established principle that every planning application should be assessed upon its individual merits. The TCP (C of A) Regulations 2013 gives the power for determination; Clause 5 of these Regulations makes clear the grounds upon which these may be exercised.

We believe that this application passes the tests set out in Clause 5 in all respects. It meets or will meet the standard conditions of Schedule 1. We believe this application for Express Consent, if determined favourably, will enhance amenity and not adversely alter public safety.

GP6 and GP7 within the IOM Strategic Plan are relevant to this application. In these respects we would make the following observations for consideration;

1. These billboards utilise the most modern technology in terms of their manufacture and display media and are thus much more presentable, permanently, than previous more rudimentary installations which, when constructed of lesser quality materials, can often succumb to time and weathering.

1. This installation will not detrimentally impact upon traffic or the use of the highway.

1. We note that GP7 is not written in absolute terms and that each application will be considered upon its individual merits for the specific location as was the case recently with our application at Falcon House (PA 15/01046/D).

1. This application, in terms of the proposed billboard, its construction and materials used, and permanency in nature, mirrors that of our recent application made for Falcon House, PA 15/0146/D which was approved upon appeal as at 8 June 2016.

1. This application is not being made on a building that sits within a Conservation Area.

1. This application is not being made on a building that abuts the highway.

1. Gable ends of buildings can often sink into a poor state of repair as they are not deemed to have commercial value in comparison with, say, the main frontage of a property. The installation of commercially viable advertising solutions, such as billboards, create commercial value and, being modern, bright, clean and attractive, enhance overall streetscape and the building as well as adding value to the building owner and advertising partner.

There is existing evidence within Douglas town centre now of how our billboards (and digital billboards) operate, how attractive they are to advertisers and how they do not in any way impinge upon public safety, lessen amenity values or create traffic hazard in the various locations where they have detailed planning consent to be sited.

Indeed they make a valuable contribution to the economics of both individual businesses, the properties within which they sit by brightening up often disused redundant elements of a town centre building, and to the island economy overall.

It is a condition of each location we have entered into contract with to install signage that the condition of the billboard is maintained to the highest of standards to maintain their commercial appeal and, therefore, value to the market.

In addition, we provide an undertaking to maintain the part of the gable wall where the boards are affixed, similar to a standard repairing obligation found within commercial property leases.

These are both pre-requisites of the contracts we enter into that should give the Department additional comfort as to visual amenity.

Yours faithfully,

Tim Groves BA (Hons) MRICS CPEA Director - for and on behalf of Carrera Digital Ltd t/a Billboards.im