Officer Planning Report

Application No.: | | | :-- | :-- | | Applicant: | Mr N P Croyden | | Proposal: | Use of industrial unit as an internet book distribution business with a retail | | | showroom | | Site Address: | Unit 11, New Block D Springvalley Industrial Estate Douglas | ### Considerations Case Officer : Sarah Corlett Expected Decision Level: Committee Decision ### Written Representations We have received no private representations for this application. ### Consultations Consultee : Highways Division Notes : no adverse traffic impacts Consultee : Braddan Parish Commissioners Notes : refused, see comments Consultee : Isle Of Man Newspapers Notes : ### Policy

Officer's Report

The site represents an inudstrial unit in Springham Park, at the end of Spring Valley Industrial Estate past the storage and distribution operatives (ICD and Graylaw Freight). The unit has permission for the sale of furniture (PA 01/1073).

Proposed here is the change of use of the unit to permit the sale and distribution of books via the Internet. Proximity to the sorting office is important and as such this site is ideal for the applicant. This operation would not be dissimilar to the storage and distribution of goods operating at ICD and Graylaw Freight mentioned earlier.

However, the application also proposes to operate a book sale business. This is described as representing of the business to bring in some retail revenue to help underwrite the costs of

establishing the business. The appliant claims that local estate agents have been unable to find a premises in town which I find hard to believe. There may be no premises large enough to accommodate the Internet business but I am sure that there are outlets of a size to accommodate the book sales to the public. The proximity to the sorting office is irrelevant in respect of the retail side of the business. The applicant also cites in support of the retail element, the proximity of other retail outlets including Lights of Mann and Matco. Certainly the latter does not represent the sort of business we would normally expect to find in the town centre and Lights of Mann is a long established (but unfortunate) business which should not really be in an industrial area. The existing retail use was specifically for furtniture and on the basis that the items to be sold were large and could not easily be sold from the town centre. None of the supporting information given in relation to the direct book sales persuade me that this is acceptable. There is little in the way of information to persuade me that the retail element is inextricably linked to the Internet sales side and I find it difficult to think of how we would condition any approval to ensure that only of the business constituted direct retail sales.

We could either try to restrict the floor area dedicated to retail sales but this is unlikely to be successful in that the titles will all be mixed up together. Alternatively we could try to restrict the times when the unit is open to the public. As the retail side is said to represent only then perhaps of the opening times could be dedicated to the public - say 2 days a week. Alternatively, and probably in addition to any of these constraints, we could and should restrict the business to a personal approval to the Internet business and to the applicant.

There is a letter of support from the DTI who are obviously keen to support what is a new business for the Island. However, having spoken with Tim Craine at DTI, they are not involved in nor interested in the retail side of the business which was not made clear to them as being inextricably linked to the Internet business.

I would doubt that the retail element of this operation would be in direct competition with the Strand and Castle Street book shops who tend to attract passing trade from those in town shopping generally.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision : Permitted Date of Recommendation : 18.05.2004 Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal

• : Notes attached to refusals

C 1 . This approval relates to the use of Unit 11 as an Internet book distribution business involving the picking and packing of books for onward transmission through the post with some retail sales as described in the applicant's letter of 29th March, 2004.

C 2 .

The use must be taken up within four years of the date of this notice in order for this approval to remain valid after that time.

C 3. This permission is personal to and may be exercised only by Mr. N.P. Croydon in his capacity as involved with Island Books Ltd and only for the purposes described in condition 1 above.

N 4. The applicant is encouraged to consult the Health and Safety Division of this Department in respect of the separation of warehouse activities and others within the building.

Decision Made : Committee Meeting Date : dereprec doc