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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Application No.: Applicant: Proposal: Site Address: 14/00511/B Carter Moon Limited Installation of a replacement shop front 55 Victoria Street Douglas Isle Of Man IMl 2LA Case Officer: Photo Taken : Site Visit: Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Mr Edmond Riley Officer's Report 1.0 THE SITE The application site is the curtilage of a retail unit situated at the ground floor of a terraced building fronting onto Victoria Street in Douglas. The unit is currently vacant but has planning approval for the use of an estate agent; its frontage is in a state of notable disrepair and of a poor build and design quality; thin metal strips frame single-glazed fioor-to-ceiling window panels. The access door is slightly recessed at lies to the far right of the unit when viewed from the outside. No signage is currently in situ. 1.1 Surrounding the site is a mixture of town centre uses but also designs, with some units having retained almost all their traditional features while others, like the application site, have lost these completely. 1.2 2.0 THE PROPOSAL Full planning approval is sought for a new shopfront Proposed is the removal of the existing metal-framed glazing panels and their replacement with a fully-glazed frontage, secured with stainless steel cladding and pins. The proposed shopfront is siightly higher than the existing - 2.75m in height compared with 2.54m in height. It is stated on the application form that the front door, currently recessed, would be brought forward such that the entire frontage would be flush against the highway; this is backed up by a submitted Block Plan. 2.1 No signage is shown, either in terms of where it would suit or what it would look like. As this planning application seeks approval for development rather than advertisement consent, this is not in itself a concern but is raised here for information only. 2.2 2.3 A photo impression of the new shopfront has been provided, but this is of such poor quality that its use is almost null in assessing the merits of the application, not least since it appears to be an image taken from stock files rather than prepared for this planning application, While the drawings provided are also poor, a quotation from the assumed installers of the new shopfront Is useful in filling in the gaps. As such, the information submitted is considered sufficient on which to base a right and proper assessment of the proposal. 14/00511/B Page 1 of 4 11 July 2014

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3.0 PLANNING HISTORY Planning approval was granted for the change of use of the unit from retail to financial and professional services under PA 14/00330/C; approval was also granted for the change of use of the unit from retail to office accommodation under PA 08/02106/C. It is unknown if this latter approval was Implemented, but It is evident from the state of the current shopfront that the latter approval has yet to be Implemented. No other planning applications on this site are considered of material relevance to the determination of the current application. 3.1 4.0 PLANNING STATUS AND POLICY The site lies within an area of Predominantly Offices on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998. It is also within a Conservation Area. The use approved under PA 14/00330/C was considered compatible with this designation. 4.1 The Strategic Plan contains two policies of relevance to the determination of the application. General Policy 2 states (in part): "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development: 4.2 (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them, and (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape". 4.3 Environment Policy 35 also applies: "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". 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services do not oppose the planning application. 6.0 ASSESSMENT The unit is modest relative to the surrounding units and buildings, some of which are Registered. The proposed replacement shopfront design is considered to be an improvement over the existing offering that has been harshly treated in the past. A dean, fresh glazed design is simplistic but welcome for it. The historic loss of all the traditional features and materials, coupled with the inappropriateness of what has been installed in their place, is such as to mean that either a somewhat blank fascia (like that proposed) or a return of those traditional features (like the approval recently granted at 19 Victoria Street) would be the most appropriate paths to take. 6.1 On this basis, accordance with Environment Policy 35, which requires development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of a Conservation Area, is considered to exist as the proposed shopfront is evidently an improvement over the existing. For the same reason, no objection is raised in respect of General Policy 2 (b) and (c) of the Strategic Plan. 6,2 As noted, the information provided on the plans is sketchy. While reference to the quote provided is useful in "filling in the gaps", it is not considered that these details are sufficient to be referenced on the approval notice. For example, the quotation is based on 3.00m high window panels, whereas the shopfront proposed is only 2.75m in height. On this basis, some conditions are required to ensure that what appears to be being proposed in the application is, if approved, implemented as per the implicit suggestion of the application. 6.3 11 July 2014 14/00511/B Page 2 of 4

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6.4 The applicant should also be made aware that any signage displayed on the shop would require separate advertisement consent. An advisory note to this effect is recommended to be attached to any approval that may be forthcoming. 7.0 RECOMMENDATION 7.1 It is recommended that the planning application be approved subject to conditions. 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS In line with Article 6(4) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure)(No2) Order 2013, the following Persons are considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application: the applicant or, if there is one, the applicant's agent; the owner and occupier of the land the subject of the application; Highway Services, and the Local Authority in whose district the land the subject of the application sits. 8.1 Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 11.07.2014 Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal C ; Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : Notes attached to refusals C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. Reason: C 2. For the avoidance of doubt, no approval is hereby granted for the LED trough or for the signage, both shown on plan 1417-VS-lOO, as these elements of the proposal require separate assessment under the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2005. Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and because proposed advertisements need to be considered under different legislation to proposed development. 11 July 2014 14/00511/B Page 3 of 4

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N 1. The applicant is advised that no advertisement consent is conferred by this planning approval; a separate application for express consent to install advertising will be required should any advertisements be intended for such installation on the application site. This approval relates to the following plans, date-stamped as having been received 28th April 2014: the untitled site plan; the untitled location plan; the plan entitled "CURRENT GROUND FLOOR PLAN", and the plan entitled "NEW PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN", o o o o and the following plans, date-stamped as having been received 9th July 2014: 1417-VS-lOO, and the annotated plan entitled "NEW SHOP FRONT'. 0 0 I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control /Head of Development Management/ Senior Planning Officer. Decision Made: Permittei Date : ■ « Determining officer riate) ite as Signed ;... Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer Signed :... Sarah C^ SeniorTlanning Officer Signed :... Jennifer Charice-^ Dir^cCorof^anningand Baffling Control Head of.^De^lopxneiitManagement Signed MichaeLfi^g 11 July 2014 14/00511/B Page 4 of 4