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21/00696/C Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 21/00696/C Applicant : Pixel Entertainment Lounge Proposal : Change of use from office to a gaming/entertainment lounge Site Address : 2 - 4 Peel Street Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 1JH
Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level :
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 30.09.2021 __
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. No customers shall be served or remain in the building outside the following hours: o 1600hrs - 2000hrs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday o 1000hrs - 2200hrs Saturday o 100hrs - 1600hrs Sunday
Reason: The application has been assessed on this basis as requested in the application form and in the interest of amenity.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The application complies with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016, the principles of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and the land use designation and Policy R/TC/P1 Retail Uses from the Ramsey Local Plan.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to Site Location Plan, Site Plan, Ground Floor Plan and Supporting Statement all date received 23/07/2021. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
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Officer’s Report
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The site represents the extents of a ground floor unit in an existing building on the corner of Peel Street and Waters Street, and behind the old Police Station in Ramsey.
1.2 The existing building is three storey. The supporting statement indicates that the upper two floors are office space with currently only one being occupied. The ground floor has previously been used as offices and more recently as a travel agent but has lay vacant for 12 months.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 This application seeks approval for the change of use of the ground floor unit only to a gaming/entertainment lounge. There are no external alternations proposed.
One 'VIP room' consisting of a PlayStation 5 and projector set up.
2.3 There will be a separate staff area and the floor plan indicates three toilets serving the ground floor.
2.4 The operating hours are indicated in the submission as being 4pm - 8pm Wednesday to Friday, 10am - 8pm Saturdays (with an occasional 10pm each month) and Sunday 10am - 4pm.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The application site has not been subject to any previous planning applications.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 In terms of the current land use designation the site is identified as being an area of 'Town Centre - Mixed use" under the Ramsey Local Plan Order 1998. The site is within a Conservation Area. Due to the land use designation of the site and the type of development proposed the following policies from the Ramsey Local Plan and the IOM Strategic Plan are relevant for consideration:-
Ramsey Local Plan 4.2 9.16 Policy R/TC/P1 Retail Uses: "There will be a general presumption in favour of retention of retail uses at ground floor level in the main shopping streets (Peel Street, Bourne Place, Market Hill, Market Place (west), Parliament Street (excluding Auckland Terrace), East Street, Parliament Square (East side). Office uses (including finance related establishments) at ground floor level will not be permitted to occupy more than 30% of the street frontage in any one block between public and vehicular highways in these streets."
IOM Strategic Plan 2016: 4.3 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;
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(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; (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them"
4.4 Environment Policy 35 states: "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."
4.5 The principles of the Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Guide to the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man is also to be taken into consideration.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.
5.1 Ramsey Town Commissioners - no objections (26/08/2021).
5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - Do not oppose (11/08/2021).
5.3 No comments received from neighbouring properties.
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 Minded that there are to be no external changes to the building the character and appearance of the Conservation Area is to be preserved in line with EP35 and Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act.
6.2 As outlined within the policy section of this report the site is within a 'Town Centre - Mixed use" under the Ramsey Local Plan where there is a general presumption in favour of retaining retail uses at ground floor. While the proposal is not strictly retail, it's use as a gaming/entertainment lounge would be relatively in keeping given its purpose for visiting members of the public and would be considered to offer a facility that positively contributes to the range of leisure activities for the local community.
6.3 There are a mix of uses in the nearby surrounding area some of which operate until the early hours, some of uses are hot food take-aways, dine in restaurants, public houses, boxing gym, community hubs, coffee shops, bowling alley and distillery. The current application has been advertised with a specific set of opening times as requested in the supporting statement and so the current application must be considered on this basis. The proposed hours are unobjectionable, they would not be out of keeping with surrounding uses nor step outside of those typically expected within such a central town centre location.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 Overall it is considered that the proposal would comply with the land use designations of the Local Plan, will preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and will not result in any unacceptable amenity impacts on the town centre location or neighbouring uses. The application is therefore considered to be acceptable complying with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the IOMSP, the principles of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and the Ramsey Local Plan.
7.2 As the application has been advertised with a specific set of opening hours on which members of the public would have also viewed the application it means that these shall be
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conditioned accordingly. Any changes to these would need to be subject to a separate new application.
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 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 __
I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner 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: 05.10.2021
Determining officer
Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner
Customer note
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