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25/90016/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 25/90016/B Applicant : Isle Of Man Development Co Ltd Proposal : Refurbishment of existing industrial units Site Address : Units 15, 17, 19 And 21 Spring Valley Industrial Estate Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 2QT
Senior Planning Officer: Jason Singleton Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.02.2025 __
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. This planning application is recommended for approval as it would be in accordance with the land use designation and would comply with the Business Policy 5 and General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to drawings referenced;
01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07
received on 9th January 2025.
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Right to Appeal
It is recommended that the following should NOT be given the Right to Appeal:
Highways Services - No Objection __
Officer’s Report
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1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site comprises the curtilages of Units 15,17,19,21 Spring Valley Industrial estate, Douglas. Three of the units are a row of units are all connected at their sides and on similar size (15,17,19) with unit 21 sitting to the rear of the aforementioned three units. These units essentially sit to the rear of B&Q retail store.
1.2 The units sit within a large industrial estate with various commercial retail business that is accessed from Cooil Road to the south.
1.3 The existing industrial buildings are characterised with brick work cladded walls and the upper proportions to the gable and face being metal profiled vertical cladding with a pitched sheeted roof. General proportion windows and doors are configured at ground level with large roller shutters door at the front. Parking is aligned at the front of the units for approx. 3 cars per unit.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed are a series of internal and external refurbishment works of the existing industrial units to modernise their appearance and ensure they are meeting modern day standards.
2.2 The scope of works would see the external alterations covering: o Remove asbestos roofing and replace with insulated roof cladding o Remove wall cladding and replace with insulated wall cladding o All external brickwork faced walls to be rendered and painted. o Replace all existing windows & doors with new double-glazed aluminium. o Replace all rolled doors with new insulated sectional doors o Remove existing window and single door and replace with large door and side lights - Units 15,17 & 19. o Removal of oil tank enclosures o Reduce level of yard dividing walls from 2.4 to 1.2m - Units 15,17 & 19. o Rationalization & delineation of parking spaces - Units 15,17 & 19 o Alterations to parking spaces increasing provision from 4 spaces to 6 spaces, including 2 disabled parking spaces - not these spaces are accessed from private estate road.
2.3 Internally the applicants is also seeking to: o Alter / remove / replace mezzanine floors o Remove all internal partitions o Remove existing oil boilers and oil supply tanks & enclosures o Provide 1 new disabled person friendly WC o Provide new LED lighting system o Provide new fire detection system o Internal decoration.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The application site is located within an area designated as 'Industrial' and within the settlement boundary on the Area Plan for the East 2020 (Map 4 Douglas).
3.2 Within the written statement accompanying the plans Employment Proposal 1 (page 74) specifically refers to existing industrial land and cross references to Business Policy 5 and 7 for preferential uses for; manufacturing; warehousing and distribution; office accommodation
3.3 The site is not within a Conservation Area, there are no registered trees on site nor is it within an area of flood risk. It is appropriate to consider the following planning policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016;
Business Policy
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1 - Creation of employment opportunities 5 - Limitations on retail and only storage and distribution on industrial sites
General Policy 2 - (b,c,g) - General development considerations
4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 Whilst the application site has not been the subject of any materially relevant planning history since its first construction, of relevance, the following applications are deemed relevant and material to this application where similar works have been undertaken; 21/00108/B Units 42,44 & 46 - External alterations including replacing & upgrading cladding, replacement of windows and rendering of facades of three industrial Units. Approved.
23/00238/B Units 23 & 25 - External alterations including the replacement of existing wall cladding, roof cladding, windows and doors and new Render finish to external walls. Internal alterations including removal of the mezzanine floor. Approved.
22/01194/B Unit 36 - Removal of existing yard enclosure walls and erection of replacement oil tank enclosure. Rendering and painting of existing brickwork walls and existing cladding. Installation of replacement windows and doors and existing flat roof. Alterations to parking layout. Approved.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS (in brief - full reps can be read online) Statutory Consultations 5.1 Braddan Parish Commissioners - have not commented at the time of writing.
5.2 Highways Services - do not object (14/01/25) - "HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking as suitable access is maintained for cars and large vehicles in the proposed layout".
Public Representations 5.3 None.
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are;
(i) Principle of the development (BP1&5)
(ii) Impact of the development (GP2 b,c,g)
(iii) Highway safety (GP2h,i)
Principle 6.2 The proposal would see a series of external and some internal alterations to the properties to enhance their visual impact and improve the functionality of the buildings and improving their opportunity for future use, thus indirectly helping to facilitate more employment opportunities that would align with BP1.
6.3 Given the existing use of the premises is in accordance with the land use designation and the proposals are merely cosmetic, the external alterations would not be adding any additional uses or removing areas for storage or manoeuvrability on site. As such the principle of the proposals and its use would be in accordance with BP5, and the land use designation.
Impact of the proposals 6.4 Given the above, these proposals are considered to be acceptable from a visual 'design' perspective, with the added benefit of improved energy efficiency through installation of modern insulated wall and roof cladding, double glazed windows and doors. The widening of the existing doorway and encompassing the window to form a wider opening and a central doorway with two sidelights will give a more contemporary appearance and allow more light
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into this part of the building with improved legibility. The adjacent roller shutter doors will replaced with newer versions in the same aperture.
6.5 This proposed external works to modernise the external visual appearance is welcomed and would match those properties that benefit from previous approvals (as noted in the planning history). This which will help to give this part of the estate a more unified appearance and is equally not considered to have any detrimental impact upon any of the existing uses of the buildings or the neighbouring units. As such the proposals are therefore in compliance with General Policy 2 (b,c,g) of the Strategic Plan (2016).
Highway Safety 6.6 The proposals will have a negligible impact upon access and egress to the units or the parking areas and it is further noted that Highways Services do not raise any concerns regarding safe access and egress in relation to this application. As such, the highways issue in connection to this proposal are deemed to satisfy GP2(h&i).
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 For the above reasons, it is concluded that the planning application would be in accordance with the land use designation and not considered harm the use and enjoyment of neighbouring industrial units nor would it have a detrimental visual impact and would comply with aforementioned planning policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and is recommended for approval.
8.0 RIGHT TO APPEAL AND RIGHT TO GIVE EVIDENCE 8.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
8.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to: o applicant (in all cases); o a Local Authority; Government Department; Manx Utilities; and Manx National Heritage that submit a relevant objection; and o any other person who has made an objection that meets specified criteria.
8.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10.
8.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required): o any appellant or potential appellant (which includes the applicant); o the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the Department of Infrastructure and the local authority for the area; o any other person who has submitted written representations (this can include other Government Departments and Local Authorities); and o in the case of a petition, a single representative.
8.5 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 the Right to Appeal.
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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.
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Decision Made : Permitted
Date: 18.02.2025
Determining Officer
Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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