DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 24/00476/B Applicant: Exceed Business Services Limited Proposal: Conversion of former bank (class 1.2) to office (class 2.1) Site Address: 11 - 12 St Pauls Square Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 1LE Planning Officer: Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 01.07.2024

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. The use hereby approved is for Class 2.1 Office as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 2019.

Reason: the application has been assessed on this basis as requested in the application content.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The proposed change of use from bank to office (Use Class 2.1) is considered acceptable. The site is designated as mixed use and is capable of accommodating the proposed office use in line with Strategic Policies 1, 2 and 9 and Spatial Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016. There are to be no visual or amenity impacts as a result of the proposal meeting with the tests of Strategic Policies 4 and 5, General Policy 2 (b, c, g) and Environment Policy 23, and given the highly sustainable location in the centre of Douglas the proposal poses no highway issues meeting with the tests of General Policy 2 (h and i), Strategic Policy 10 and Transport Policy 1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016). The application is therefore recommended for approval.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the following:

• - Flood risk Assessment
• - Flood Risk
• - Historic Applications
• - Location Plan
• - Planning Statement
• - Utility Searches all date received 25/04/2024. and
• - Plans and photo (existing and proposed) date received 21/06/2024
• - Elevations (existing and proposed) date received 21/06/2024 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following Government Departments should be given Interested Person Status on the basis that they have made written submissions relating to planning considerations: o DOI Flood Risk Management _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 SITE - 1.1 The site relates to 11 - 12 St Paul Square, Ramsey. The site used to be occupied by HSBC Bank until recently.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the conversion of the bank in to office space Use Class 2.1, including the removal of a previous advertising signage board.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 The site has been subject to a number of previous applications including for access alterations, installation of an ATM and signage. - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as "Town Centre" on the Ramsey Local Plan 1998, Map 2. The property is not within a Conservation Area but is within a High Risk Flood Zone (Tidal). In the assessment consideration shall be given to the following parts of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016:

4.2 The IOM Strategic Plan 2016: - 4.3 PRINCIPLE

• i. Strategic Policy 1: Development should make the best use of resources
• ii. Strategic Policy 2: Development located within existing towns and villages
• iii. Strategic Policy 4: no unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance.
• iv. Strategic Policy 5: New development to make a positive contribution to the environment
• v. Strategic Policy 9: All new office development located in town centres
• vi. Strategic Policy 10: promote a more integrated transport network
• vii. Spatial Policy 2: Development in Ramsey

- 4.4 IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT

• i. General Policy 2: general standards towards development
• ii. Environment Policy 23: consideration to potential adverse impact changes to existing neighbours.
• iii. Transport Policy 1: located close to existing public transport facilities
• iv. Transport Policy 4: highways designed to be capable of accommodating associated journeys.
• v. Transport Policy 7: parking in accordance with standards.
• vi. Appendix 7: parking standards

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Ramsey Town Commissioners - no objections (21/05/2024).

5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (03/05/2024) no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking, as the site is in a sustainable location in Ramsey Centre and the proposals would have a similar traffic generation as existing. - 5.3 DOI Flood Risk Management - do not oppose subject to condition (03/05/2024)Condition the FRA on email from applicant dated on 29/4/2024

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key matters to consider in the assessment of this application are the principle of development, whether there would be any unacceptable loss of the Use Class 1.2, whether there would be any physical changes resulting in any visual or amenity impacts to the area, any impacts on neighbours, whether there would be any highway safety issues and whether there would be any other matters.

6.2 Principle

• 6.2.1 The site falls within the centre of Ramsey and in particular within the defined Mixed Use area which is characterised by a mix of shops, financial services, offices, restaurants and supermarkets. The proposal would result in the re-use of an existing ground floor as an office which would not be out of keeping with other town centre uses and would not undermine those policies directing such office development to key centres such as Ramsey and is acceptable in this respect.

6.3 Visual and Amenity Impact

• 6.3.1 There are some glazing changes to the frontage including the removal of an advertising sign across the frontage. The windows works are to help facilitate the office use and whilst they will be tinted to provide privacy which might take away some degree of active frontage compared to the current situation but this is not expected to unbalance the overall characteristic or identity of the area and taking into consideration that the film could be removed should a future user occupy the building.

6.4 Highway Safety

• 6.4.1 The site is situated within a highly sustainable location and is well served by existing bus routes and with high levels of public car parking available within nearby town centre car parks. No concerns have been raised by Highway Services and in this respect the proposal is considered acceptable in terms of highway safety.

6.5 Neighbouring Amenity Impact

• 6.5.1 There are some residential units within the square however the proposed office use is not expected to generate any new or increased impacts beyond the former bank use as to raise any concerns in this respect.

6.6 Flood Risk

• 6.6.1 Similar to the neighbouring amenity impact, the proposal is not expected to make any worse the potential flood risk compared to the previous bank use and the applicant has indicated in an email that they will make efforts to plan for higher level electrical wiring and sockets and raising staff awareness in the event of any flooding. Whilst DOI FRA have require that the FRA information to be conditioned, it is felt unreasonable in this instance given the conclusions reached above and the previous office use. In any case it would be in the applicant's best interest to limit any flood risk on their own business operations.
• 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposed change of use from bank to office (Use Class 2.1) is considered acceptable. The site is designated as mixed use and is capable of accommodating the proposed office use in line with Strategic Policies 1, 2 and 9 and Spatial Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016. There are to be no visual or amenity impacts as a result of the proposal meeting with the tests of Strategic Policies 4 and 5, General Policy 2 (b, c, g) and Environment Policy 23, and given the highly sustainable location in the centre of Douglas the proposal poses no highway issues meeting with the tests of General Policy 2 (h and i), Strategic Policy 10 and Transport Policy 1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016). The application is therefore recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) 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: 03.07.2024 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

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