DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00052/D Applicant: Jacksons (Isle Of Man) 2015 Ltd Proposal: Installation of illuminated signage Site Address: Jacksons Ltd Eden Business Park Cooil Road Braddan Isle Of Man IM4 2AZ Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 25.02.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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. Plans/Drawings/Information; This permission relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 21st January 2018:

• o HART 203-003LOCATION PLAN
• o HART 203-004SITE PLAN
• o HART 203-006PROPOSED PLANS AND ELEVATIONS
• o Photographs and specifications of signage x3 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is Jacksons Car Showroom in Eden Business Park on the south side of the Cooil Road outside of Douglas. The site is a recently developed area featuring a two

• buildings associated with car sales and a large area of parking. The main showroom is sited alongside Cooil Road, set back approximately 25m form the road.
• 1.2 The showroom is constructed using a contemporary design on split level, with a large amount of glazing and stone façade on the elevations and the use of sharp edges - particularly around roof features. There is a small entrance porch at the rear (south west) of the building.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the installation of 3 illuminated signs on the south elevation of the main showroom building. There would be three 3.5x0.77m stainless steel signs (Sign A) with 'halo' lighting - one on a proposed front canopy fascia (19/00051/B), and one on the existing frontage towards the north east end of the building elevation. The third one of these would be on the east elevation. An additional 2.5x0.895m(Sign B) gun metal stainless steel sign with halo lighting is proposed on a painted render section of the south elevation. - 2.2 The halo lighting effect would involve the light being reflected from being the signage the lettering itself would not be illuminated.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The proposal site is within the Braddan Local Plan 1991 but is not zoned for development. Within the Draft Area Plan for the East, it is within a proposed industrial zone. - 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 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'.

3.5 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'.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 As alluded to, the site is also the subject of an application for an entrance canopy on the showroom, linked to this application (19/00051/B). It is currently pending consideration. - 4.2 An application for illuminated signage at the 'motormall' on the same complex was approved (18/00281/D). This application was for internally illuminated signage of various vehicle brands and logos.

4.3 Numerous other applications for signage in and around nearby industrial buildings have been approved in recent years. The showroom has such signage as existing on the north elevation (facing Cooil Road).

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Braddan Commissioners have no objection to the application (12.01.19).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The key consideration in the assessment of this planning application is the impact on the visual amenity of the area and the building. - 6.2 The three installations proposed for the south elevation would not be directly visible from the public thoroughfare of Cooil Road From the south, views would be largely restricted due to the aftercare and 'motormart' buildings south of the main showroom. The installation on the east elevation would be visible to traffic on Cooil Road northbound but would likely not be a stand out feature given the proportions and mass of the showroom building and the general character of the surrounding industrial area. - 6.3 It is considered that the addition of 4 illuminated signs on a showroom, in an industrial area, would not be unusual or visually unacceptable in principal. The use of illumination would be reduced to backlighting to create the 'halo' effect on the signs, which would be made of stainless steel and fit with the contemporary appearance of the showroom.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 In summary, the proposed signage installations comply with the aforementioned policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and the application is recommended for approval.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) 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;
• (c) Persons to whom notice has been given under regulation 10(3)(a)(i)
• (d) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material;
• (e) The Highways Division of the Department;
• (f) The Ports Division of the Department;
• (g) The operator of the railway or tramway; and
• (h) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. _____________________________________________________________________

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: 26.02.2019 Determining officer Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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