DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 18/01320/D Applicant: Co-operative Food Proposal: Installation of illuminated and non-illuminated signage Site Address: White House 11 New Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7BB Senior Planning Officer: Mr Thomas O'Connor Site Visit: 30.01.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 04.02.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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 decision relates to the site plan; proposed elevations; photographs of the store;; existing elevations;, location plans and photomontages all received on 12th December 2018. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site consists of the Co-Op food store located on the Junction of New Road with Church Hill leading to the Level crossing and Laxey Station to the East behind the application site. Across New Road the west is located a petrol Station. The Site is located within the Laxey Conservation Area. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 This application seeks; in conjunction with a companion planning application for alterations and renovations to the property including repositioning of entrance door (18/01319/B); to replace both externally illuminated and non-illuminated signage on the fascia of the building to comply with the companies new corporate design of logo based on a theme of blue acrylic lettering against a dark grey fascia background. New Signage would comprise the following:

• o Upper fascia's would be 600mm deep dark grey base colour with a single internally illuminated blue logo sign 500mm deep positioned on each main elevation facing onto New Road and Church Hill ancillary white lettering on the New Road elevation remaining non illuminated. All external illumination at upper fascia level associated with the signage to be replaced would be removed;
• o Small non-illuminated upper level Paypoint and National Lottery projecting signs with lower level non illuminated advisory signs in blue would be positioned on either side of the relocated main entrance;
• o Installation of a cash machine on the New Road elevation at Ground floor level would benefit from a surrounding non-illuminated blue informational signage with white lettering;
• o Relocation of the illuminated upper projecting logo sign 500mm x 585mm 117mm deep to be mounted on the fascia adjacent to the butchers shop
• o Installation of a double sided blue acrylic logo within a steel frame to be positioned within the new corner window space formerly occupied by the blocked up entrance to the building. This 800mm deep signage would be positioned 1430mm above street level and be internally illuminated

PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The application site is shown on the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan Order 2005 as being within an area designated as a mixed use area within the Laxey Conservation Area. In synopsis, General Policy 6 requires, within towns and villages, that advertisements would be of a high standard of design with materials relating well with the building and surroundings; are in keeping with and do not distract from the surrounding area and; and are not locates so as to cause a highway safety hazard. Policies 36 and 37 of the 2005 Plan Order also require, within Conservation Areas, that advertisements serve to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of the Area maintaining and protecting the special features that contribute and enhance the character and quality of the Area by use of appropriate signage.

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 37 states: 'As a general policy, advertisements within Conservation Areas will be permitted only if:

• i) the proposal preserves or enhances the Conservation Area;
• ii) the signage is in a style appropriate to the character of the area;
• iii) traditional materials and finishes are used and glossy and highly reflective materials are excluded from proposals; and
• iv) internally illuminated box fascia and projecting box signs are excluded from the proposals'.

3.8 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 (Most Recent Advertisements relating to existing signage on site)

• 4.1; 12/01198/B - Alterations to shop front and installation of replacement windows permitted 4.2; 08/02360/D - Installation of illuminated Signage permitted

REPRESENTATIONS Garth Commissioners: No objections raised (11/01/2019) but note that there are regulations that control the style and type of lighting that is permitted particularly in Conservation Areas. The commissioners therefore reserve further comment and defer to the expertise of the Planning Authority on this matter.

Neighbours and local residents: No observations have been received. Buildings Registration Officer: No Objection raised (31/01/2019) Highways: No observations received ASSESSMENT

6.1 The issues relevant to this application are Highway safety and appearance and, in this respect, of particular interest are whether the replacement signage is appropriate in terms of its appearance; illumination and materials for use in the Conservation Area in which it is located bearing in mind the need to preserve its character and appearance. - 6.2 The applicant is able to demonstrate an improvement in the signage to the building, within the context of alterations to provide a new more centrally positioned entrance to the building. This would provide for a corporate update to the appearance by the use of a grey fascia along the existing fascia line with two internally illuminated 500mm deep blue local signs at the upper level and internally illuminated 400mm deep blue logo centrally positioned within the former corner entrance. This would result in a significant improvement in terms of appearance from the existing and commensurate with the established character and layout of the shop. An overhanging sign would be located to the edge of the fascia adjacent to the neighbouring shop. Arguably, the proposal would not only generate a material improvement in the signage but also result in the removal of the external lights currently used to illuminate the

• fascia to the direct benefit of the character and appearance of the building, and, arguably also highway safety and all to the benefit of the appearance of the surrounding Conservation Area. The Buildings Regulations Officer has been verbally consulted on this matter and has raised no adverse comment
• 6.3 It is also worth bearing in mind the appearance of the garage directly across New Road which is brightly illuminated within the Conservation Area street scene and highly conspicuous within this part of the Area.
• 6.4 Highway has been consulted and no comments have been received. The physical layout of the signage to the road remains the same as before with no material changes in highway terms.

CONCLUSION 7.1. The application is therefore recommended for approval

INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

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 of Infrastructure;
• (f) The Ports Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (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 the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 04.02.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

Customer note

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