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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 21/01310/D Applicant : Fancy A Coffee Limited Proposal : Installation of illuminated, non-illuminated and digital signage Site Address : Costa Coffee Retail Unit Crosby Meadow Estate Peel Road Crosby Isle Of Man

Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Photo Taken : Site Visit : 11.11.2021 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 20.12.2021 __

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.

C 2. The illuminated sign hereby approved may only be lit when the coffee shop/cafe is open.

Reason: In the interests of amenity.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2, General Policy 6 and Environment Policy 36 of the Strategic Plan, as well as the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the signage details and photo sheet, and Drawings Nos. 220669/5.0 rev A and 220669/2.0 rev A, all received on 21 October 2021. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

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1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is the smaller retail unit (Costa Coffee) which is part of the retail unit which lies to the south west of the junction of the A1 Main Road through Crosby and the north-south intersection of Eyreton Road (A23) and Old Church Road (B35). The site lies southeast of new residential dwellings which were approved with the application building under PA 17/00852/B.

1.2 Opposite this building and on the other side of the main road, is 1-6, Eyremont Terrace, 1, Crosby Terrace and on the corner of Main Road and Eyreton Road is a pair of semi-detached houses - Crosby House and Eyrebrook. To the south east of the site is a tree-lined watercourse beyond which are public toilets, a children's playground, a bowling club, Marown Millennium Hall, a BMX track and a sports pitch.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks approval for the installation of illuminated, non-illuminated and digital signage to front elevation of the small retail unit.

2.2 The first sign would be internally illuminated suspended built up letters signage that would together measure 3.5m x 300mm high, and would be located over the main entranceway to the unit and suspended from the ceiling. The sign would advertise the letters "COSTA COFFEE" and would have their base set 2.6m above the ground level. The letters would have white letter 1/3 returns that are 30mm wide from rear and red bank (2/3) 60mm wide from front. These letters would have an illuminated Opal Acrylic face.

2.3 Other Vinyl signage would be attached to the glazed section on the front of the unit. These have been illustrated on the front elevation drawing.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site is designated on the Area Plan for the East Map 10 (Crosby and Glen Vine) as 'Predominantly Residential'. Residential designation can include non-residential development where this is complementary to a residential area, such as shops, churches and amenities which contribute to the sustainability of a settlement, as is the case of this retail development which complements the Crosby Meadows residential development. The site is not within a Conservation area, or within a Registered Tree Area and there are no Registered trees on the site. The site is also not within a flood risk area as shown on the Isle of Man Indicative Flood Maps. As such, the following parts of the Strategic Plan are relevant:

3.2 General Policy 2 states that "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; (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

3.3 General Policy 6 reads as follows: "Within our towns and villages, the display of external advertisements will be permitted on the site or building to which they relate provided they:

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(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."

3.4 General Policy 7: 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.

3.5 Paragraph 6.6.2 of the Strategic Plan: 'Within our towns and villages, well designed and sensitively sited advertisements can contribute positively to the character of a building or area, and can be of help to the general public. However, advertisements which are too bright, overlarge or poorly sited may endanger safety by distracting or confusing highway users and may, both individually and cumulatively, detract from amenity by being intrusive, by introducing clutter and visual confusion or by masking features of interest or attraction.'

4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS 4.1 The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013

4.1.1 Section 5.1 states that: (1) The Department must exercise its powers under these Regulations only in the interests of amenity and public safety, taking account of any material factors, and in particular - a) in the case of amenity, the general characteristics of the locality, including the presence of any feature of historic, architectural, cultural or similar interest, disregarding, if they think fit, any advertisement being displayed there; (b) In the case of public safety - (i) the safety of any person who may use any road, railway, tramway, harbour or aerodrome; and (ii) whether any display of advertisements is likely to obscure or hinder the ready interpretation of, any traffic sign, railway or tramway signal or aid to navigation by water or air.

5.0 PLANNING HISTORY 5.1 The following previous planning applications are considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application:

5.2 PA 21/00175/MCH for Minor changes application to PA 17/00852/B involving alterations to retail unit, car parking, cladding, and retaining walls - Split Decision

5.2.1 The elements of the application relating to alterations to the retail unit were refused as their approval would be contrary to extant conditions with potential to increase impacts on neighbours, and as such were recommended to be the subject of full applications.

5.3 PA 20/01294/B for Variation of conditions 2 and 3 of PA 20/01024/C, Change of use from retail (class 1.1) to a combined use as food and drink (class 1.3) with related hot food takeaway (class 1.4) - Approved.

5.4 PA 20/01024/C for change of use from retail (class 1.1) to food and drink (class 1.3), Small Retail Unit Adjacent to Main Retail Unit, Crosby Meadow Estate, Peel Road, Crosby - approved with the following attached conditions:

"C2. The food and drink (class 1.3) (Small Retail Unit), hereby approved, shall only be open for use by customers between the hours of 0700hrs and 2200hrs, 7 days a week.

Reason: The application proposes the times listed and has been considered on this basis only and in the interests of the amenity of neighbouring occupants in accordance with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

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C3. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2012 (or any Order revoking and/or re-enacting that order with or without modification), the use hereby permitted shall not include use for the sale of hot food for consumption off the premises or any activity involving such sales whether ancillary or incidental to the use of the premises.

Reason: To safeguard the amenities of occupiers of adjoining properties."

5.4.1 This approval allowed the smaller retail unit to operate as food and drink (class 1.3), and as such it is not considered to be in retail use, as the larger retail unit.

5.5 The site has also been the subject of a number of applications which includes the detailed application PA 17/00852/B for the erection of 28 residential units and retail unit with associated parking and landscaping. Approved. This is the approval that has been implemented on the site.

5.5.1 The unit which is the subject of the current application was approved as part of this application which has been built with works currently underway to complete the landscaping works around the retail building.

6.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

6.1 The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division have stated that they do not oppose in a letter dated 10 November 2021.

6.2 Marown Parish Commissioners - no comment or further comment (18 November 2021).

7.0 ASSESSMENT 7.1 The main issue to be considered in the assessment of this application is the impact of the proposed development upon the character and appearance of the individual property and street scene.

7.2 It is considered that the proposed signage would not result in a harmful impact on the existing building, when considered in its retail/commercial context. The proposed signage in terms of finish is more contemporary which would ensure it fits with the character of this modern retail building to which it would be attached. As well, the size, scale and position are also acceptable. It is also considered that the descriptions and design of the signage would relate well to the buildings use as a retail building within a residential area.

7.3 Based on the foregoing, the installation of the proposed signage is judged to be in keeping with the surrounding area and would therefore not result in a harmful impact on the character of streetscene or existing building, where its design, construction and finish are considered to be appropriate.

7.4 The siting of the proposed signage is also not deemed to cause a highway safety hazard.

8.0 RECOMMENDATION 8.1 For the reasons set out in the sections above, it is concluded that the planning application is in accordance with General Policy 2, 6 & 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013..

9.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

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9.1 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.

9.2 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 the Director of Planning and Building Control 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 : 22.12.2021

Determining officer

Signed : J CHANCE

Jennifer Chance

Director of Planning and Building Control

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.