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| Application No.: | 14/01244/D |
| Applicant: | Dandara Commercial Limited |
| Proposal: | Installation of illuminated and non-illuminated signage and erection of a column sign |
| Site Address: | Office Building |
| Site Adjacent To Buchanan BMW & Dandara Head Office | |
| Vicarage Rise | |
| Isle Of Man Business Park | |
| Douglas | |
| Isle Of Man |
1.1 The site is a parcel of land which is currently being developed (see below) which abuts the estate road through the Isle of Man Business Park. To the north is Dandara/Heritage Homes' headquarters, to the north east is a car sales outlet (Caledonian Toyota and Lexus dealership). The land rises gently from south to north by around 1.2m over 52m.
1.2 The style of development in the area is mixed - modern stylish buildings to the north and south and smaller simpler forms to the east including the Horse and Plough public house, the garage, nursery and offices. The development to the south is in a Business Park character, reflecting the requirements of the original planning approval. The development to the north is less so with a higher density of development, significantly less landscaping and plainer smaller buildings.
1.3 The erection of a corporate headquarters building and associated access and car parking (109 spaces) was authorised and is being implemented, under PA 13/91058B. The building as approved is three storied and provide 1663 sq m of floor space (1150 sq m nett). The building as approved will be 13m tall and finished in stone cladding for the ground floor and white and grey render above, dark coloured windows and doors.
2.1 Proposed is the introduction of signage to the site. This takes the form of three white, wall mounted, powder coated aluminium signs to be installed at the top of the south west, north east and south eastern elevations and announcing, "Canada Life International" with their symbol. These signs are between 6.2m and 4.4m long and between 2.2m and 1.3m tall.
2.2 Three 6m high flagpoles are to be erected on the north eastern corner of the site alongside the main estate road and opposite the car dealership. These flags will display the Canadian national Flag, the Manx flag and the Canada Life emblem. Technically the Manx flag requires planning approval as the Isle of Man may not be considered a "nation" and the Canada Life emblem is an advertisement.
2.3 A totem sign is to be installed alongside the entrance into the site, off the side road opposite the car sales garage. This is to be white, 1.8m high and 900m wide.
| Case Officer : | Miss S E Corlett |
| Photo Taken : | |
| Site Visit : | |
| Expected Decision Level : | Officer Delegation |
3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Braddan Local Plan of 1991 as "Master Plan to be prepared which will include areas of Industrial Use, Science Based Industries, High Density Residential Use, Landscaping and Secondary School of approximately 16 acres". This succeeded a planning application in principle for the development of a business park of 40 acres, which was approved on appeal under PA 89/04166. This required, inter alia, that the business park comprise light industrial use, warehousing, development associated with new technology companies predominantly involved in scientific, commercial or industrial research and development or electronic systems, micro-engineering, biotechnology, office accommodation as the corporate headquarters of companies which utilise the new information technologies and service other park users but specifically excluding financial and professional services to visiting members of the public, including banks, building societies, estate agencies and betting offices. The approval also required that buildings should cover no more than 25% of the business park.
3.2 The Business Park has existing occupants including Royal London 360 mutual life insurance which sits on the corner of the business park and Cool Road, Manx Telecom who have a corporate headquarters and operating centre, the MEA who have similar accommodation. There are also training facilities, vehicle repair and servicing, parcel distribution facilities within the park.
3.3 Business Parks are defined in the Strategic Plan as "development encompassing land for light industrial purposes, warehousing, new-technology companies involved in scientific, commercial, or industrial research or development and office accommodation as the corporate headquarters of companies having multiple and diverse interests (but excluding financial/professional services to visiting members of the public); buildings should be set in parkland which should dominate the landscape."
3.4 Advertisements are guided in the Strategic Plan by General Policy 6, which states:
"Within our towns and villages, the display of external advertisements will be permitted on the site or building to which they relate provided they:
a) are of a high standard of design and material and relate well to the building and site on which they are to be displayed; b) are in keeping with and do not detract from the surrounding area; and c) are located so as to not cause a highway safety hazard"
3.5 Also, General Policy 7 states: "Within our towns and villages, the display of external advertisements on sites or buildings other than those to which they relate will not generally be permitted".
4.1 Planning permission was granted for the development of the business park as a whole under PAs 89/04166 and 90/04155. Subsequent to that, planning permission was granted for offices on the site under PA 99/02059 and 04/00790. The latter was approved subject to a condition which stated, "The proposed building may be used for office accommodation as the corporate headquarters of a single company which utilises the new information technologies and services other users of the Ballacottier Business Park (but specifically excluding users offering financial and professional services to visiting members of the public, such as banks, building societies, estate agencies, and betting offices)."
4.2 Also of relevance is an application relating to the site which is now occupied by Dandara's headquarters, alongside the application site. This was the subject of an appeal which sought to remove part of the condition of use which related to the corporate headquarters of a company which utilises the new information and technologies and serves other users of the
business park on the basis that this constrains the marketing and take up of the development opportunities. This was refused at appeal on the basis that the wording would prevent the loss of the vitality and viability of town centre commercial areas through the migration of offices to business park locations (PA 00/01996). As the owner of the remaining undeveloped part of the Business Park, it could be said that Dandara serves the Business Park and has indeed been responsible for the design and applications for the development of the Manx Telecom Headquarters and then now Royal London 360 headquarters buildings as well as other, smaller buildings to the east - Island House and Conister House.
4.3 The building was approved under PA 13/91058B. Alternations to this are being considered under PA 14/01223/B.
5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services and Braddan Parish Commissioners indicate that they do not oppose the application.
6.1 It is to be expected that the building should display some form of advertisement to allow those visiting the site to be able to ascertain where they are going. Other buildings within the Business Park contain signage of similar appearance and scale including totem signs, flags and wall mounted signs. As such, what is proposed will not be out of keeping with the area.
6.2 In terms of the impact on the building, the signage is relatively minimal considering the size of both the building and the site in which it sits. It relates to the site on which it is displayed and other than the flags, are generally not sited particularly close to the road and as such do not pose a highway hazard or distraction.
6.3 It is considered that the proposal complies with the Strategic Plan policies and is recommended for approval.
7.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 01.12.2014
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
This approval relates to drawings 100, 300-02 B1 and 500.01 all received on 31st October, 2014.
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 : Permitted Date : 2/12/14
Signed : ... Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer
Signed : ... Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control
Signed : ... Jennifer Chance Head of Development Management
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