Loading document...
==== PAGE 1 ====
24/00958/CON Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 24/00958/CON Applicant : Leonard Curtis Limited Proposal : Registered Building consent for the installation of non- illuminated signage (in association with PA 24/00957/D) RB 186 Site Address : Douglas Chambers North Quay Douglas Isle Of Man
Technical Officer: Tom Sinden Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.09.2024 __
Conditions and Notes for Approval
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
C 1. The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent.
Reason: To comply with paragraph 2(2)(a) of schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented registered building consents.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The application is judged to meet the tests of Section 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the proposed sign is of a size, form and style that would preserve the building's special interest, and be such that the character of the Conservation Area would be preserved. The proposals are also judged to meet the tests of Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policies 32 and 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, as the proposed sign is in a form and style that would protect and preserve the registered building, its setting, and the character of the conservation area. The application is therefore considered to be acceptable.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to the drawing 1097.01, together with the other information all received on 14.8.2024. __ Interested Person Status
None __ Officer’s Report
==== PAGE 2 ====
24/00958/CON Page 2 of 4
1.0 THE SITE
1.1 The site is the former Douglas Hotel, now named Douglas Chambers. The property is entered on the Protected Buildings Register (RB 186). The building above ground has elements dating from 1759, while the vaulted cellars are believed to date from the late 1660s, making them one of the oldest surviving buildings in Douglas. The building also has historic special interest in relation to its links with the 'running trade' (smuggling), and as the dwelling house of both Peter John Heywood and the Duke of Athol at separate periods of the building's life. The property is also located within the North Quay Conservation Area.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL
2.1 The application seeks registered building consent to install a company name board on the left-hand column of the building's porch. The sign would be 360mm wide by 260mm high, and positioned directly below an identical-sized sign. There are three company signs on the porch's columns at the current time. The sign would be made of plastic vinyl, and generally be blue with writing in white. The application is concurrent with advertisements application 24/00957/D.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY
3.1 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions (3) In considering - (b) whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the relevant Department shall have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses.
S18 Designation of conservation areas (4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act.
3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016 Strategic Policy 4: Proposals for development must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings(1), Conservation Areas(2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest;
Environment Policy 32: Extensions or alterations to a Registered Building which would affect detrimentally its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest will not be permitted.
Environment Policy 34: In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred.
Environment Policy 35: Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development.
Environment Policy 37: 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;
==== PAGE 3 ====
24/00958/CON Page 3 of 4
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. 3.3 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man
POLICY RB/3 POLICY RB/5 ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS
4.0 PLANNING HISTORY
4.1 There are numerous applications on the Department's electronic database for the property. These applications relate to the building's former use as a public house, or to the building's conversion to offices. Given the scale and nature of this application (for a small, non- illuminated company name sign), these applications are not judged to be of importance.
4.2 Given the advertisement nature of this application for registered building consent, the two historic signage applications as listed below are of note:-
14/00973/D Installation of illuminated signage Permitted
15/00611/D Installation of both illuminated and non-illuminated signage to premises, canopies and barriers (retrospective) Permitted
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Douglas Borough Council have stated that they have no objections to the application (30.8.2024).
5.2 Manx National Heritage were consulted on 16.8.2024. No comments have been received.
6.0 ASSESSMENT
Statutory Test 6.1 Section 16 of the Act requires that when considering whether to grant registered building consent, the Department must "have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses." In this instance, this registered building consent application proposes to install a small business name sign on the left hand column of the building's porch, adjacent to other business name signs of the same size. This very modest proposal is of a scale and in a form that is judged to have no impact on the building's special interest, and therefore the application is considered to pass the statutory test.
6.2 As per the assessment within section 6.1 above, the very modest scale of this proposal, and the sympathetic positioning of the proposed sign, is judged to be such that the character of the North Quay Conservation Area would be preserved.
Policy Tests 6.3 The application seeks consent to erect a company name sign on the porch of this registered building. As outlined in section 2.1 and 6.1 of this report, the scale and form of the proposed company name sign is judged to be such that the special interest of the registered
==== PAGE 4 ====
24/00958/CON Page 4 of 4
building would be preserved, the character of the North Quay Conservation Area would be preserved, and there would be no adverse impact on the surrounding townscape.
7.0 CONCLUSION
7.1 The application is judged to meet the tests of Section 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the proposed sign is of a size, form and style that would preserve the building's special interest, and be such that the character of the Conservation Area would be preserved. The proposals are also judged to meet the tests of Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policies 32 and 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, as the proposed sign is in a form and style that would protect and preserve the registered building, its setting, and the character of the conservation area. The application is therefore recommended for approval.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following are automatically interested persons:
o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; o Manx National Heritage, and o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
8.2 The Decision maker must determine whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status.
8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status as per section 3.2.4 of the Operational Policy.
__
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 and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted
Date: 25.09.2024
Determining Officer Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
Customer note
This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the office copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online service/customers and archive record.
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal