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SODA Group Ltd, The Studio, Sovereign House, Turner Way, Trinity Business Park, Wakefield, WF2 8EF. T 01924 372654 [email protected] www.sodagroup.co.uk
Change of use of existing vacant retail unit from Class 1.1 to Class 1.3 Food and Drink and associated proposed alterations to the front elevation shopfront screen to provide new glazed sliding doors with fixed glazing above, and alterations to the existing office entrance and provide new glazed double doors and fixed side screens.
The proposed development site concerns a multipurpose building on Wellington Street, Douglas, which is adjacent to the main pedestrianised shopping street in the city centre. The site is owned by the applicant and previously the existing Ground Floor vacant unit operated as a Class 1.1 retail unit. This use of this vacant unit as proposed will be under Use Class 1.3 for the sale of food or drink for consumption on the premises including restaurants, public houses, wine bars or other such uses.
The application site is located at 7 - 17 Wellington Street, Douglas, located to the south side of Wellington Street and to the south of Marks and Spencer's.
The existing building comprises of a three storey block, with additional basement areas. The building frontage facing Wellington Street is finished with painted stone bands at Ground Floor Level up to First Floor, with painted render finishes at First and Second Floor Levels. Windows and doors to the Ground Floor units, and to the First and Second Floor windows are in powder coated aluminium. The building is finished with a slate covered pitched roof, with a central gable feature facing Wellington Street. The proposed change of use will be carried out to a current vacant retail unit at Ground Floor Level.
The site has previously and presently operates as several independent businesses, including a restaurant, retail stores & leisure facilities.
The proposed development consists of the following items of work:
The above proposed development is to areas of the site currently owned by the Applicants. The change of use of the retail unit to provide a new Public House facility will bring a currently disused part of the building back into full use and will provide a vital facility to this popular area. The change of use will consist of a full internal fit out of the vacant unit, with new flooring, wall decorations, lighting, toilet facilities, catering kitchen facilities, bar facilities, and new loose and fixed furniture. The proposed internal layout will include new Male and Female toilet facilities as well as new accessible toilet facilities. Sections of this building have previously undergone changes of use class, with public house and nightclub use already established in the building, either currently or previously, and therefore the principal for this change of use is in place, and it should not be considered that a public house and bar facility is incompatible with other town centre uses in this area, and especially not with those surrounding the site. The proposed external alterations to the building elevation facing Wellington Street are associated with the proposed change of use, and to the entrance to the part of the building under the Applicants ownership, and consist of removal of the existing retail unit shopfront screen, and installation of new aluminium framed and glazed sliding doors and fixed windows above, and alterations to the central entrance doors providing access to the Applicants basement unit, with new aluminium framed and glazed doors and fixed side screens. The new doors and screens will be formed in marine grade aluminium with double or triple glazed window units. The aluminium frames will have a pre-anodized or marine grade powder coated finish, with the finish in black. Use of marine grade aluminium and marine grades of powder coating will help to ensure the longevity and reliability of the new doors and windows.
The following applications have previously been submitted for the application site at 7 – 17 Wellington Street, Douglas: 99/02334/B Erection of building comprising two retail units café/bar and floors for leisure usage. 13 June 2000. Permitted. 00/01375/B Alterations to gable wall (amendments to PA
99/02334/B).
23 November 2000. Permitted. 00/02300/B Additional use for Basement to be used for Night Club/Public House. 24 May 2001. Permitted. 00/02299/B Additional use for Ground Floor Level to include shop, café/bar or restaurant. 24 May 2001. Permitted. 02/00134/B Alterations to shop front, installation of new window and artwork to gable elevation and erection of advertisement sign. 11 June 2002. Permitted. 02/00387/D Erection of advertising sign. 31 July 2002. Permitted.
| 99/02334/B | Erection of building comprising two retail units café/bar and floors for leisure usage. | 13 June 2000. | Permitted. |
| 00/01375/B | Alterations to gable wall (amendments to PA 99/02334/B). | 23 November 2000. | Permitted. |
| 00/02300/B | Additional use for Basement to be used for Night Club/Public House. | 24 May 2001. | Permitted. |
| 00/02299/B | Additional use for Ground Floor Level to include shop, café/bar or restaurant. | 24 May 2001. | Permitted. |
| 02/00134/B | Alterations to shop front, installation of new window and artwork to gable elevation and erection of advertisement sign. | 11 June 2002. | Permitted. |
| 02/00387/D | Erection of advertising sign. | 31 July 2002. | Permitted. |
07/00635/D Erection of Signage. 3 July 2007. Permitted. 14/00675/B Conversion of Ground Floor from Café/Bar to Disco/Nightclub. 28 July 2014. Permitted.
20th February 2017. Permitted.
gable.
19-00506-B Alterations and installation of pizza vending machine at Just Pizza & Pasta Limited. 25 June 2019. Permitted. 24-00612-C Change of use from Night Club to Offices (Class 1.2 Professional Services or 2.1 Offices) at Basement Level of 7 - 17 Wellington Street, Douglas. 22 July 2024. Permitted.
The building’s existing services and drainage infrastructure will be reused, with new above ground drainage connections provided and routed to connect unit the existing underground drainage system present within the building.
5.1 The change of use from retail use to public house use will retain the use of the existing bin storage facilities located to the rear areas of the site, and waster will be separated into recyclable or non-recyclable waste in accordance with the Local Authority guidelines.
This application will result in the repurposing of a currently vacant Ground Floor Level unit of the building, which will help to improve the overall appearance of this pedestrianised area.
There is no vehicle parking space provided on the site, nor has there ever been any on-site parking provision. However, the strategic plan states that “in general, the need to find a use for redundant buildings which are in sound condition will outweigh the drawback of any shortfall in parking provision”.
Public car parking is however available on the nearby promenade together with Chester Street and Shaws Brow car parks which are near-by and only a short walk away.
Employees will also have use of the public transport system or will walk or cycle in from outside Douglas city centre.
| 07/00635/D | Erection of Signage. | 3 July 2007. | Permitted. |
| 14/00675/B | Conversion of Ground Floor from Café/Bar to Disco/Nightclub. | 28 July 2014. | Permitted. |
| 16/00950/D | Erection of advertising board. | 7 February 2017. | Refused. |
| 17-00038-D | Installation of non-illuminated signage to gable. | 20th February 2017. | Permitted. |
| 19-00506-B | Alterations and installation of pizza vending machine at Just Pizza & Pasta Limited. | 25 June 2019. | Permitted. |
| 24-00612-C | Change of use from Night Club to Offices (Class 1.2 Professional Services or 2.1 Offices) at Basement Level of 7 - 17 Wellington Street, Douglas. | 22 July 2024. | Permitted. |
The scheme is intended to fully comply with the Isle of Man Building Regulations. As part of the relevant Licencing requirements associated with the change of use, they will fall under the Isle of Man Fire & Rescue Authority’s remit.
The provision of these proposals in this area will generate additional benefits for the city centre, by maximising the use of and repurposing buildings that are presently redundant and unoccupied. These proposals will additionally increase footfall in city centre which be of additional benefit to the local economy.
This statement has been prepared on behalf of the applicant, in support of a full planning application for change of use of the vacant Ground Floor Level retail unit, and other external alteration works associated with the change of use and other Applicant use of the building at 7-17 Wellington Street, Douglas.
The applicant seeks to maximise the use of the available, redundant unit to create a new public house and bar premises.
Overall, the proposals should be considered as being in accordance with current planning policy, and we therefore respectfully request that the Planning Committee grant permission for this application.
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