54644

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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. 21/00455/C Applicant : Crossroads Proposal Change of use of site from light industrial to retail (class 1.1) Site Address St Helena, Millmount Garage Millmount Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 1HE

Case Officer :

Mr Peiran Shen Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level Planning Committee

Recommendation

Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation 01.07.2021

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.

C 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of the TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (USE CLASSES) ORDER 2019, the unit may only be used as a furniture shop and not for any other purpose within Class 1.1 of Part 1.

Reason: in order to comply with Business Policy 5 of the Strategic Plan (2016).

C 3. Prior to the development hereby approved being brought into use the car park shall be laid out in accordance with details which have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department and which show the provision of at least 1 disabled parking space, and the car park shall be retained as such thereafter.

Reason: to ensure that adequate provision is made for disabled parking in accordance with the supporting information.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The application is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Business Policy 5 and Transport Policy 7.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the submitted documents, planning statement and drawing no. 1278_P_001, 1278_P_002 as having been received on 4th May 2021.

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

DOI (Floodrisk) should be afforded IPS as they are part of a Government Department and have made comments on a material issue. __

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS BROUGHT BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED CONTRARY TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN BUT IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of St Helena, Millmount Garage, Millmount, Douglas, a two-storey car-showroom building with car park located on the south of New Castletown Road, on the west of River Dhoo. There is an existing access via a service lane which leads onto New Castletown Road. The site is within a small existing industrial estate on the edge of Douglas.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The proposed work is the change of use from the existing car dealership (use class sui generis genre) to a furniture shop (use class 1.1).

2.5 The proposal includes the provision of 11 parking spaces on the front of the property.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 Conversion of a car showroom to a veterinary practice was APPROVED under PA 20/01114/B.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 In terms of local policy, the site lies within an area designated as Industrial in the Area Plan for the East. Employment Proposal 1 of the Area Plan for the East states: "The development of existing industrial land, including the following sites, will be supported for the following uses only: manufacturing; warehousing and distribution; office accommodation (subject to compliance with Strategic Plan Business Policy 7); or retail outlets (subject to compliance with Strategic Plan Business Policy 5)."

4.2 The side is just outside the boundary of the River Dhoo flood risk zone (Douglas Map 2).

4.3 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application:

4.4 General Policy 2: "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; (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;

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(k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan;".

4.5 Business Policy 5 states: "On land zoned for industrial use, permission will be given only for industrial development or for storage and distribution; retailing will not be permitted except where either: (a) the items to be sold could not reasonably be sold from a town centre location because of their size or nature; or (b) the items to be sold are produced on the site and their sale could not reasonably be severed from the overall business; and, in respect of (a) or (b), where it can be demonstrated that the sales would not detract from the vitality and viability of the appropriate town centre shopping area."

4.6 Transport Policy 7 sets out parking standards. Appendix 7.6 states that for light industrial use, there should be 1 space per 30 square metres net floor space. For neighbourhood shops, which is the closest definition to out of town shops, there should be spaces for staff, customers, and service vehicles.

5.0 REPRESENTATION 5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection on this application (25/05/2021).

5.2 DoI Highway Services do not oppose this application (06/04/2021). The Services states that there is no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network efficiency and/or parking.

5.3 DoI Flood Risk Management Division does not object to this application (04/06/2021).

5.4 DEFA Inland Fisheries Policy Manager states there is no concern (04/06/2021) for this development as there is no work altering external elevation of the property.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The main concerns for this application are the principle of the development, the loss of employment land and whether there is sufficient parking provision.

6.2 The site is designated as industrial in the Area Plan for the East. Furniture shops can be suitable for a town centre location depending on the size of the shop. However, furniture shops are typical requires to showcase furniture, which by its nature takes up large amount of floor space. To provide variety and maintain a minimum amount of choices, the only option is to increase floor space. Given its nature, it is considered that it is appropriate on industrial land.

6.3 A key issue raised in the employment land review (2017) was the demand for employment land within the East. Although the site is allocated as industrial, the existing use is not industrial and so there is no net loss of industrial land. The proposed use would being in a mix of employment opportunities.

6.4 The items being sold are furniture, which are too big in number to be sold in a town centre location and would not detract the vitality and viability of Douglas town centre. Therefore, the proposed retail use for furniture is considered acceptable.

6.5 The property sits alongside an arterial road. As the furniture shop functions in a similar model, the parking standard for a neighbouring shop is used to assess the parking provision for this proposal. As Highway Services has no objections, it is considered that there is no concern for highway safety or parking.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Business Policy 5 and Transport Policy 7. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.

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8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (f) the local authority in whose district the land which the subject of the application is situated; and (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

8.2 The decision-maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o 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. __

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to the it by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted

Committee Meeting Date: 12.07.2021

Signed : P SHEN Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).

Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below

Customer note

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