**Document:** Officer Report **Application:** 16/01263/D — Installation of illuminated and non-illuminated signage **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2017-01-20 **Parish:** Rushen **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/21831-rushen-co-op-shop-bay-view-road-signage/documents/1017051 --- # Officer Report **Application No.:** 16/01263/D **Applicant:** Food Programme Delivery Orchid Group **Proposal:** Installation of illuminated and non-illuminated signage **Site Address:** Co-op Shop Bay View Road Port St. Mary Isle of Man IM9 5AE Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade **Photo Taken:** 08.12.2016 **Site Visit:** 08.12.0201 **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation ## Officer’s Report 1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of the existing Co-op convenience store on the northern end of the Bay View Road Road Port St Mary. The shop sits within an existing single storey building which fronts on to the main road. The site is long and narrow and the rear backs on to an access lane which services a number of neighbouring properties. The site lies within the designated proposed Conservation Area. - 1.2 The existing front elevation of the building has a projecting pitched decorative finish above the existing store front. Behind this a red brick finish and grey coping. The store was recently refurbished under PA 15/00758/B which permitted alterations to shop front, installation of replacement door and replacement goods entrance lighting at the rear. - 1.3 At present the shop has a large predominantly glazed front with painted grey frames. Above the glazing is the existing shop signage which is green with blue and white text which is illuminated by strip lighting from above. The signage runs almost the entire width of the building. The triangular pitched decorative detail above is similarly painted dark grey. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the replacement of the existing signage above the shop windows with new for a temporary period of 5 years which will incorporate the new branding of the store, the existing green signage will be removed and replaced with dark grey wood effect aluminium slat fascia with new white signage lettering 'Welcome to Bay View Road's Co-op'. - 2.2 There are two internally illuminated 'Co-op' logo signs proposed for the shop font, one to be fixed on the east side of the front elevation of the new fascia, and the other is to be mounted and hung on the east side. - 2.3 Proposed are also two smaller hanging projectors on the west side of the front elevation fascia that will project to advertise the new Paypoint service and Lotto service within the store. - 2.4 At the rear of the building which backs on to the access lane is a proposed non-illuminated sign to highlight where the 'Goods Delivery' is to be delivered to, this sign is to be blue in colour with white text to match with the proposed signage on the front elevation. ## - 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 There have been a number of previous planning applications which have been submitted for the application site. Most recently, planning approval was granted for alterations to shop front, installation of replacement door and replacement goods entrance lighting under PA 15/00758/B and PA 15/00480/D was approved for the alterations and installation of additional illuminated signage to existing signage. Previous to this, planning approval was granted under PA 08/00522/D for the installation of illuminated signage and PA 01/00271/D for the erection of shop signs. 4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is within an area zoned as Mixed Use under the Area Plan for the South 2013. As previously mentioned, the site also lies within the proposed Port St Mary Conservation Area. - 4.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains a number of policies that are considered specifically relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: - 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; (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways." 4.4 General Policy 6: "Within our towns and villages, 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." 4.5 Although not fully designated as a Conservation Area its proposal to be as such means that we should consider both EP35 and EP37 when assessing the application; - 4.6 Environment Policy 35 states: "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character of appearance of the area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development." - 4.7 Environment Policy 37: "As a general policy, advertisements within Conservation Areas will be permitted only if: - i) the proposal preserves or enhances the Conservation Area; - ii) the signage is in a style appropriate to the character of the area; - iii) traditional materials and finishes are used and glossy and highly reflective materials are excluded from proposals; and - iv) internally illuminated box fascia and projecting box signs are excluded from the proposals." 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Port St Mary Commissioners have no objection to the current planning application (15/12/2016). 5.2 The Department of Infrastructure have commented that there is no highways interest and stated that: "The proposal is to replace existing external sigs with new signs in similar locations. There will be no impact on highway or pedestrian safety as a result of this." (09/12/2016). 6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this application are the impacts of the proposed alterations on the appearance of the existing building and character and appearance of the surrounding area and proposed Conservation Area. - 6.2 The proposal seeks to install a new signage panel above the existing windows to replace the old green signage. The new signage is to match with the recently painted grey front elevation of the shop. It is expected that this should create a uniform and aesthetically pleasing view from the street scene. There are no changes proposed for the red brick which sits behind the shop front. It must be noted that the painting of a property may not require planning permission as the Department cannot control the painted colour finish of the building unless there are conditions restricting its colour scheme or the building is registered. Nonetheless, these works would be deemed to enhance the appearance of the application building and uplift the overall look of the building as viewed within the street scene and proposed Conservation Area. - 6.3 The new signage on the front elevation and the projecting signs are not expected to create any adverse impacts on the area, the surrounding street scene itself is characterised by a variety of shop fronts and signage and the proposed signage will not detract from this. Similarly the proposed signage is not expected to impact the local highways or members of the passing public. - 6.4 With regards to the non-illuminated sign at the rear of the building, it is highly unlikely that its installation would cause harm upon the amenity of nearby residents or users and is therefore not expected to generate any impacts that would warrant a refusal. In fact it is expected that its installation would go unrecognised by the majority of the public. - 6.5 It must be noted that although the Paypoint and Lotto projecting signs are not viewable to a full extent on a submitted plan drawing (similar to that for the projecting Co-op projecting sign), they are visible on the proposed front elevation drawing Rev 1 (Contracts) and they are considered acceptable and not to impact the street scene or the character of the area. - 6.6 Following a telephone conversation with the agent it was confirmed that the hours of illumination for the signage is expected to match with the opening hours of the store and that normal procedures of closing up involve the switch off of the external lighting in order to improve the energy efficiency of the overall building. Given the location of the store within the main highstreet it has been considered that a condition in this instance for the hours of illumination of the signage is not required. 7.0 RECOMMENDATION - 7.1 Overall it is concluded that the planning application accords to the provisions of General Policy 2 and 6 and Environment Policy 35 and 37 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and as such it is recommended that consent be granted. 8.0 PLANNING STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 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) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material; (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order. Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.01.2017 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. This approval relates to the site and location plan, existing drawings, proposed drawings and site photographs all date stamped and received 10th November 2016. I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation. Decision Made : Permitted Date: 19.01.2017 Determining officer Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer ## 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. --- *Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).* *Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/21831-rushen-co-op-shop-bay-view-road-signage/documents/1017051*