DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/01415/D Applicant: Mrs Kate Maddrell Proposal: Installation of an entrance signage (retrospective) Site Address: Grenaby Studios Grenaby Road Ballabeg Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 4HD Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 06.04.2021 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The advertisement(s) hereby granted consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

Reason: To avoid the accumulation of unimplemented advertisement consents. This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed signage is considered to accord with the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 and General Policies 2 and 6 of the Strategic Plan. Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to drawings 1817B:01 received on 26th November, 2020 and 1817B:02B received on 22nd February, 2021. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the curtilage of Grenaby Studios, a complex of buildings, some new, some older which accommodate a range of craftspeople who make pottery, wood and metal art. The complex is historically associated with the house to the south west, Ballamaddrell, and is currently still in the same ownership.

• THE PROPOSAL
• 2.1 Proposed is retrospective approval for the erection of signage. The sign in question is positioned on the north eastern side of the main entrance into the site and is 1.6m tall and 600mm wide with ten horizontal boards on which the name, opening times and the names of the individual studios will be provided. The sign is no further forward than are the trunks of the trees to the north east of the site.

2.2 Following concerns raised by Highway Services of DoI, the applicant has provided additional information demonstrating the position of the roadside trees and the visibility available through them. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The application site is shown on the Area Plan for the South as being within an area designated as not for a particular purpose. On the draft Landscape Character Appraisal the site lies within an area of Incised Inland Slopes where the following advice is available;

Ballamodha, Earystane and St Marks (D14) The overall strategy is to conserve and enhance the character, quality and distinctiveness of the area, with its wooded valley bottoms, its strong geometric field pattern delineated by Manx hedges, its numerous traditional buildings and its network of small roads and lanes. The strategy should also include the restoration of landscapes disturbed by former mining activities. Key Views Distant views prevented at times by dense woodland in river valleys and by the cumulative screening effect of hedgerow trees, which tend to create wooded horizons. Open and panoramic views out to sea from the higher areas on the upper western parts of the area where there are few trees to interrupt views.

Implications are:

• i. To protect the tranquil, rural character of the area with its open views.
• ii. Sensitive location of new buildings and the use of screen planting.
• iii. Avoidance of physical or visual amalgamation of roadside housing.
• iv. Protection and enhancement of the identity of Ballabeg and Colby by the conservation of the rural character of the adjacent landscape.

3.2 The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 make it clear that the only considerations which can be applied to applications made under them are in the interests of amenity and public safety. In the case of amenity, such things as the general characteristics of the area need to be taken into account along with the presence of any features of historic, architectural, cultural or similar interest and the public safety should consider the safety of any person using a road, railway, tramway, harbour or aerodrome including the obscuration of any traffic sign or similar.

3.3 Due to the designation of the site and the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider the following polices of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016: - 3.4 General Policy 2 states: "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:

• (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;

3.5 General Policy 6 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 materials 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 not to cause a highway safety hazard'.

3.6 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'.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The use of the site for craft studios was approved under 04/01741/B, 05/92309/B and 07/00282/B and a completely new building approved for craft unit purposes under 10/00420/B. There were no conditions imposed which prevented public access to the buildings nor the sale of any products made on the premises. The application 07/00282/B contained a condition which read: "This permission relates to the use of the existing sheep shed for a printing workshop as shown in the plans reference 01, 02, 03, 04, 03B and 04B all received on 14th February, 2007. The printing press may be used only as a facility ancillary to the artists' facilities presently on and/or approved on the site under the provisions of PAs 04/0471 and 05/92309.

For clarification, this does not grant permission for the creation of a commercial printing facility available to the public."

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Service object to the position of the sign which they consider would impede visibility for drivers of emerging vehicles (17.12.20 and 10.02.21). They submit further comments following the submission of the additional information, indicating that the amended plan satisfies their concerns (25.02.21).

5.2 Arbory Parish Commissioners have no objection to the application (23.12.20 and 22.03.21). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issues in this case are whether the proposed sign would have any adverse impact on the character and appearance of the property or on highway safety.

6.2 The entrance is quite discreet within the streetscene and the signage will help approaching motorists and pedestrians identify the entrance and the site without the signage being intrusive or inappropriate in its rura location. Highway Services have now confirmed that there is no adverse impact on highway safety if the amended plan is implemented. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposed signage is considered to accord with the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 and General Policies 2 and 6 of the Strategic Plan. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• o Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material;
• o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
• o the Highways, Ports and Railways divisions of the Department of Infrastructure. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than those explicitly listed above) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the 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

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 08.04.2021 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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