DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 24/01041/CON Applicant: Simcocks Advocates Proposal: Registered building consent for installation of non-illuminated signage - RB226 (in association with application 24/01044/D) Site Address: Ridgeway House Ridgeway Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 1EL Technical Officer: Tom Sinden Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.10.2024 _________________________________________________________________

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 window frostings and signs are 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. Although it is generally preferable for signage associated with registered buildings to use traditional materials, the acrylic proposed in this instance is judged to be acceptable as the size, design and siting of both signs is judged to be such that the special interest of the registered building 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 signs and window frostings are 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 drawing 24-1839-01, 24-1839-02 and 24-1839-03, together with the other information all received on 13.9.2024.

Interested Person Status

None ___________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the former Ridgeway Hotel, now Ridgeway House - Registered Building 226. The property was designed by Frank Laidman Heslop, and the building was completed in 1895. The hotel closed in 1996 and has since been converted to use as an office. The property is also located within the Athol Street/Victoria Street Conservation Area.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks registered building consent to apply frostings to the lower portion of 7 ground floor windows, three on the west elevation and four on the north elevation. The application also seeks approval to install two acrylic sign boards 600mm long by 300mm high with the company logo in the centre. The signs would be placed either side of the principal entrance door on the west elevation, and each would be fixed with four metallic stand-off fixings, one in each corner. Finally, the application proposes to remove the existing swing sign on the west elevation. The application is concurrent with advertisements application 24/01044/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;
• 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 The Department's electronic database has the following applications for the property:- 11/01351/CON Registered Building consent for the installation of illuminated and non-illuminated signage. Permitted 11/01350/D Installation of illuminated and non-illuminated signage. Permitted 95/00765/B Change of use from hotel to office with associated car parking and extension to south east corner. Permitted

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only. - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council have stated that they have no objections to the application (27.9.2024). - 5.2 Manx National Heritage were consulted on 16.9.2024. No comments have been received at the time of writing this report (14.10.2024).

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 apply frostings to the ground floor windows, install two signs (one either side of the principal entrance door), and remove an existing swing sign on the west elevation. The frostings are proposed to be grey with the company name in black, and to be placed immediately above the horizontal glazing bar on the main pane of glass of each window. The size and form of these proposed frostings is judge to be appropriate to the building's style, and as such it is judged that the frostings would cause no harm to the building's special interest. The proposed signs either side of the principal entrance door would be 600mm wide by 300mm high in acrylic, offset from the wall by metallic fixings. Although it is generally preferable for signage associated with registered buildings to use traditional materials, the acrylic proposed in this instance is judged to be acceptable as the size, design and siting of both signs is judged to be such that the special interest of the registered building would be preserved. Finally, a metal bracketed hanging sign is proposed to be removed. Although the metalwork of this sign is in a historically appropriate style and form, it is not itself historic. The bracket was installed within registered

• building consent application 11/01351/CON. Given that the hanging sign is not historic, it is judged that its proposed removal would cause no harm to the building's special interest.
• 6.2 As per the assessment within section 6.1 above, the proposed frostings and signs are of a size and style that are judged to be appropriate for their location on a registered building. With this in mind, it is also judged that their installation would cause no harm to the character or appearance of the Athol Street/Victoria Street Conservation Area. Policy Tests
• 6.3 The application seeks consent to apply frostings to the lower portion of 7 ground floor windows, three on the west elevation and four on the north elevation. The position, size and style of these frostings is such that it is judged that the special interest of the registered building would be protected and preserved, the character and appearance of the conservation area would be preserved, and the character of the surrounding townscape would not be adversely affected.
• 6.4 The application also seeks approval to install two acrylic sign boards 600mm long by 300mm high with the company logo in the centre. The signs would be placed either side of the principal entrance door on the west elevation, and each would be fixed with four metallic stand-off fixings, one in each corner. The position, size and style of these signs is such that it is judged that the special interest of the registered building would be protected and preserved, the character and appearance of the conservation area would be preserved, and the character of the surrounding townscape would not be adversely affected.
• 6.5 Finally, the application proposes to remove the existing swing sign on the west elevation. This sign was installed under registered building consent application 11/01351/CON, and is therefore not historic and was not in place at the time of registration. With this in mind, the removal of this sign is judged to cause no harm to the registered building, conservation area or 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 window frostings and signs are 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. Although it is generally preferable for signage associated with registered buildings to use traditional materials, the acrylic proposed in this instance is judged to be acceptable as the size, design and siting of both signs is judged to be such that the special interest of the registered building 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 signs and window frostings are 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 the Acting Head of Development Management 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: 14.10.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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