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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No. : 22/00263/B Applicant : Santander Financial Services PLC T/a Santander International Proposal : Alterations including replacement of windows and doors, new ground floor canopy, installation of new ATM shroud and lighting, replacement of existing louvre vents with larger grilles, re-finishing the ground floor front facade with black cladding and replacement of entrance balustrade with new glazed panels Site Address : 19 - 21 Prospect Hill Ioma House Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 1ET

Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 15.08.2022 __

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.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan, Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and Planning Circular 1/98, Planning Circular 7/89.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the documents, planning statement, renderings, Location and site plan, Existing North East Elevation, Existing South East Elevation, Existing North West and South West elevations which having been received on 8th March 2022, and covering letter, Proposed North East elevation, Proposed South East Elevations, Proposed South West and North West Elevations which have been received on 14th July 2022.

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__

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is the curtilage of Ioma House, Prospect Hill, Douglas, a four-storey detached property located on the west of Prospect Hill. The ground floor is a bank and all floors above are offices.

1.2 The building sits on a slope. The south side has a lower level than the north side. There is a terrace with a balustrade on the south side of the front elevation leading to one of the two main entrances: one for the bank and one for offices.

1.3 The building consists of a four-storey hipped-roof main building and an octagon-shaped turret on the east corner of the building. The building's appearance is separated by a dark blue belt course between the ground floor and the first floor.

1.4 The front and south elevations of the ground floor have decorative horizontal grooves. The front elevation of the ground floor has a smooth render in light grey paint. There are two double glass entrance doors and a few fixed panel windows on the front elevation. There is also an ATM in one of the fixed panel windows. The south elevation has a smooth render in ivory paint. There are aluminium sliding sash windows, a double garage gate and a ventilation grill on the south elevation.

1.5 Above the ground floor, the elevations are finished in smooth ivory paint. Exclude the windows on the turret, all windows are aluminium sliding sash windows.

1.6 The turret has three columns of windows on the front elevation: an aluminium sliding sash window on every floor level and fixed-panel windows between two sliding sash windows.

1.7 The rear and north elevation is rendered in ivory paint. There is a shutter garage door and two fixed panel windows on the ground floor of the north elevation.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The proposed is a series of external work on the external elevations.

2.2 The work above the ground floor includes: replacing existing windows with fixed-panel windows with aluminium frames and replacing the existing roof like for like.

2.3 The work on the front elevation of the ground floor (the shopfront) includes the installation of replacement windows, replacement sliding doors, replacement glass balustrades, and installation of an aluminium backboard for the ATM.

2.4 The proposal also includes the removal of windows on the north elevation and the installation of vents on the west and north elevation.

2.5 The proposal also includes the changes to the logo, projecting signage and the installation of a digital display, which are assessed under PA 22/00264/D.

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3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 Installation of illuminated signage was APPROVED under PA 17/00548/D. Erection of illuminated and non-illuminated signage was APPROVED under PA 13/00276/D. Installation of an ATM was APPROVED under PA 13/00277/B.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY Site Specific 4.1 The site is within an area designated as Mixed Use (Strand Street) in the Area Plan for the East.

4.2 The site is within the Athol Street/Victoria Street Conservation Area.

Strategic Policy 4.3 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application:

Principles of Developments 4.4 Strategic Policy 4 states: "Proposals for development must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings, Conservation Areas, buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest."

4.5 General Policy 2, which provides an overall requirement for all development, 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; (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."

Visual Design 4.6 Strategic Policy 3 focuses on the visual design of developments, they state that the design should take account of the local materials, character and identity of its immediate locality, in terms of buildings and landscape features.

4.7 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." This is also reiterated in CA/2 of PPS 1/01.

Environment 4.8 Strategic Policy 5 states: "New development, including individual buildings, should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment of the Island." Then, Infrastructure Policy 5 particularly states that "Development proposals should incorporate methods for water conservation and management measures to conserve the Island's water resources."

Safety and Security 4.9 Community Policy 7, 10 and 11 state that the design of new development must, as far as is reasonable and practicable, pay due regard to existing best practices such as to prevent criminal and anti-social behaviour and outbreak and spread of fire. In addition, development

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should also provide proper access for fire-fighting vehicles and adequate supplies of water for fire-fighting purposes."

PPS and NPD 4.10 Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man is the only adopted PPS at the moment. It provides supplementary policy on developments within any conservation area.

4.11 Planning Circular 1/98 - The Alteration and Replacement of Windows Set states: Category b) Buildings in a Conservation Area "if the original windows are in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is impracticable, replacement windows which would be readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the same method of opening as the originals. Whatever the material used in their construction, the windows must have the same pattern and section of glazing bars and the same frame sections as the original windows. Windows not readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the same or similar pattern of glazing bars as the originals, but not necessarily the original method of opening, whatever the material used in the construction."

4.12 Planning Circular 7/89 - Shop-fronts sets out general policies regarding shopfront designs.

5.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS Legislation 5.1 Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Planning Act (1999) states, "(4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act". This sets out the approach to be taken in determining planning applications, which includes giving great weight to the asset's conservation when considering the impact of a proposed development on the asset. Given that the site is within a Conservation Area, the above requirements apply and appropriate consideration will be given in section 7.

6.0 REPRESENTATIONS

6.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection to this application (01.04.2022).

6.2 DoI Highway Services does not object to this application (20.07.2022). The comment states that there is "no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network efficiency and/or parking."

6.3 The PRBO and the ARBO has no objection to this application (08.08.2022) after amended shopfront design was received.

7.0 ASSESSMENT Conservation Areas Statutory Test 7.1 Before assessing elements of the proposal, as it is within a Conservation Area, a test should be applied to this proposal as mentioned in 5.1. This is whether the proposal would preserve or protect the character of the Conservation Area.

7.2 The replacement shopfront on the front elevation is similar to the existing one. Although the mass glazing panel are of contemporary nature, the building is not a historic building. Therefore, it is considered that the shopfront replacement preserves the character of the Area.

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7.3 As mentioned in section 7.2, the building is not a historic building. In addition, there is a variety of windows around the building. It is considered that the replacement windows would preserve the character of the Area.

7.4 The alterations to the side and rear elevation do not have an impact on the character of the Area.

7.5 In Summary, it is considered that the proposal passes the statutory test.

Elements of Assessment 7.6 The key considerations in the determination of the application are its impact on the property itself and the character and appearance of the Area.

Design of the Property Itself 7.7 As mentioned in 7.2, it is considered that the proposal maintains the design of the building.

Character and Appearance 7.8 As mentioned in 7.2, the proposal in general preserves the character and appearance of the area. Therefore, the design is considered acceptable.

8.0 CONCLUSION 8.1 The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan, Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and Planning Circular 1/98, Planning Circular 7/89. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.

9.0 INTEREST PERSON STATUS 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 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.

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 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.

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Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 16.08.2022

Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

Customer note

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