Officer Report

Application No.: 25/00797/D Applicant: Mr Ben Dalglish Proposal: Erection of new permanent illuminated signage and window graphics Site Address: 7 - 17 Wellington Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 2AS Planning Officer: Russell Williams Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.12.2025 _________________________________________________________________

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 signs hereby granted consent shall not be lit by an intermittent source. Reason: In the interests of amenity in the area.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 and General Policy 6 of the Strategic Plan and Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2013 having no adverse visual impact upon the street scene or upon highway safety. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings date stamped 19 August and 6 October 2025: Location Plan Site Plan Motor Isle Café Supporting Documents

_________________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status None

_________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site comprises a multipurpose building on Wellington Street, Douglas, which is adjacent to the main pedestrianised shopping street in the city centre. Previously, the basement area of the building operated as a public bar & nightclub, which has been vacant since 2020. - 1.2 Various town centre-related uses exist in the area, with the application site building located adjacent a pedestrianized street connecting Duke Street to the east and Nelson Street to the west. A service yard exists to the rear (south) of the site. - 1.3 The site forms a vacant ground floor retail unit, with the wider building operating as several independent businesses, including a restaurant, retail stores & leisure facilities. - 1.4 The existing building comprises of a three storey block, with additional basement areas. The building frontage facing Wellington Street is finished with painted stone bands at Ground Floor Level up to First Floor, with painted render finishes at First and Second Floor Levels. Windows and doors to the Ground Floor units, and to the First and Second Floor windows are in powder coated aluminium. The building is finished with a slate covered pitched roof, with a central gable feature facing Wellington Street.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks planning permission for - 2.2 The proposals seek approval for the installation of 3 no illuminated signs, vinyl imagery to doors and a logo projector to part of the property frontage at 7-17 Wellington Street, Douglas. - 2.3 The proposals will comprise:

• 1) Black, white and grey fascia sign measuring 10.0m x 0.7m with internally illuminated opal acrylic letting with a maximum letter height of 130mm;
• 2) Fixed LED amenity screen beside doors, measuring 820mm x 1337mm;
• 3) Internally illuminated projecting sign measuring 920mm x 500mm, aluminium carcass coated black. Opal acrylic letters and stainless steel effect background. Letter height to be 180mm.
• 4) 2 no LED logo projector installed above doors and logo projected onto pavement.
• 5) Red vinyl lettering and image to bifold doors.

- 3.0 PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site is within an area designated as Mixed Use on the Area Plan for the East (map 5

• Douglas Central), and the site is not within a Conservation Area. This site is not prone to flood risks. As such, the following polices contained within the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 would be relevant for consideration in the assessment of this proposal.

3.2 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: - 3.3 General Policy 2 - development will normally be permitted provided it meets the relevant criteria of (a) to (n). In this case (b) (g) (i) (m) (n) are considered most relevant relating to character of the area and highway safety. - 3.4 General Policy 6 - the display of external advertisements will be permitted on the site or building to which they relate provided they:

• (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.

3.5 General Policy 7 - the display of external advertisements on sites or buildings other than those to which they relate will not generally be permitted.

- 4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS

4.1 Regulation 5 of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2013 states that the control of advertisement is only in the interest of amenity and public safety, in particular general characteristics of the locality, the safety of any person who may use the highway and potential obscuration of any traffic sign or signals. - 5.0 PLANNING HISTORY

5.1 The following application are of relevance

99/02334/B - Erection of building comprising two retail units café/bar and floors for leisure usage - 13 Jun 2000 - Permitted 00/02300/B - Additional use for Basement to be used for Night Club/Public House 24 May 2001 - Permitted 00/02299/B - Additional use for Ground Floor Level to include shop, café/bar or restaurant 24 May 2001 - Permitted

02/00134/B - Alterations to shop front, installation of new window and artwork to gable elevation and erection of advertisement sign - 11 Jun 2002 - Permitted

14/00675/B - Conversion of Ground Floor from Café/Bar to Disco/Nightclub - 28 Jul 2014 Permitted

19/00506/B - Alterations and Installation of Pizza vending machine - 25 Jul 2019 - Permitted 25/90721/B - Change of use of retail unit to food and drink place - 16 October 2025 Permitted 25/00796/D - Installation of Illuminated advertisements and logo projector - Awaiting determination.

5.2 There have also been various application for signage approved at the site including 02/00387/D, 07/00635/D, 16/00950/D and 17/00038/D. - 6.0 REPRESENTATIONS

6.1 The following Statutory Consultees have been consulted and their responses can be summarised as follows: Douglas City Council - No objection.

DOI Highway Services - After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking. Notes to attach to permission: the overhanging sign will need a Section 69 overhanging licence from the DOI.

6.2 No representations have been received from members of the public. - 7.0 ASSESSMENT

7.1 The key considerations in the determination of the application are its impact on the proposed advertisements upon the character and appearance of the building and surrounding area.

7.2 Th existing building has a somewhat tired appearance, with grey painted stone walls and white double glazed windows and doors. The building has approval for the change of use to an eating and drinking place which includes new windows and doors. There are no singed to the building frontage at present, though there are various different advertisements in the immediate setting.

7.3 The proposed advertisements relate to future occupier of this part of the site, which will be a café based upon the Islands motoring heritage. The advertisements will be black, opal and grey in colour with a motoring theme. The general scale and positioning of the advertisements are considered to be acceptable and will not be overpowering upon the appearance of the building or surrounding area. - 7.4 The level of illumination, being internal, will not cause any significant harm to the character or appearance of the area and with this being a town centre location, there are other similar advertisements in the area, ensuring the proposals are in keeping with the immediate setting. - 7.5 The site does not front onto an active highway used by vehicles and so the proposals will not cause any distraction or other possible harm to highway users. - 7.6 Overall the proposed advertisements are considered to be acceptable and will tie in well with the adjoining unit.

- 8.0 CONCLUSION

8.1 The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 and General Policy 6 of the Strategic Plan and Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2013 having no adverse visual impact upon the street scene or upon highway safety. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval. - 9.0 Party Status (Advertisements)

9.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Persons to whom notice has been given under regulation 10(3)(a)(i)
• (d) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material;
• (e) The Highways Division of the Department;
• (f) The Ports Division of the Department;
• (g) The operator of the railway or tramway; and
• (h) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

9.2 In addition to those above, the Regulation 11(3) requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.

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 and/or rights to appeal.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 03.12.2025 Determining Officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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