**Document:** Planning Statement **Application:** 25/90928/B — Installation of floodlighting, Gobo projectors and wall lights to front elevation, installation of shopfront entrance paving, painting of front elevation, installation of new ventilation ducting and air conditioning plant to rear elevation **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2025-12-05 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/93454-braddan-7-17-wellington-street-wall/documents/1142751 --- # Planning Statement SODA Group Ltd, The Studio, Sovereign House, Turner Way, Trinity Business Park, Wakefield, WF2 8EF. T 01924 372654 E richard@sodagroup.co.uk www.sodagroup.co.uk Proposed alterations to provide new kitchen extract and air input ducting at Ground Floor level to be located to the rear of the building, and alterations to the main Wellington Street Elevation to include new decorations, new lighting, new Gobo lighting and new floor finishes at entrances into the building. ## Planning Statement. ![A street-level photograph showing the front elevation of a commercial building with large glass shop windows, a central entrance, and paved pavement.](https://images.planningportal.im/2025/10/6846639.png) ### 1. Site and Surroundings. ![A digital location map showing the site at Wellington Street in Douglas, marked with a red pin, surrounded by nearby streets and landmarks like the promenade.](https://images.planningportal.im/2025/10/6846641.png) The proposed development site concerns a multipurpose building on Wellington Street, Douglas, which is adjacent to the main pedestrianised shopping street in the city centre. The site is owned by the applicant. At present the left-hand unit at Ground Floor Level is a vacant retail unit, operated as a Class 1.1 retail unit. A planning application was submitted to change the current use to Use Class 1.3 for the sale of food or drink for consumption on the premises including restaurants, public houses, wine bars or other such uses. This included internal alterations at Ground Floor level, as well as alterations to the current shopfront windows to form new door opening. The planning application for this work is 25/90721/B, and at the time of this new planning application was still under consideration. This new application concerns additional items required to be installed and is associated with the proposed development contained within application 25/90721/B. The application site is located at 7 - 17 Wellington Street, Douglas, located to the south side of Wellington Street and to the south of Marks and Spencer's. 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. The proposed change of use will be carried out to a current vacant retail unit at Ground Floor Level. The site has previously and presently operates as several independent businesses, including a restaurant, retail stores & leisure facilities. ### 2. Proposed Development. The proposed development contained within this application consists of the following items of work, and also relates to the proposed development contained within application 25/90721/B: - • The addition of new LED floodlights located on the Wellington Street Elevation. These new floodlights are mounted above the existing horizontal stone banding above the Ground Floor Level shopfront opening and are intended to illuminate the upper areas of the building frontage, and to highlight its appearance. - • The addition of new ‘GOBO’ LED projector lights. These projector lights are to be located above the openings into the new public house premises, and the entrance to the offices located within the premises, and project temporary images downwards onto the pavement in front of the premises. - • The addition of new wall lights (combined up and downlighters). These wall lights are located on the external wall face on the Wellington Street Elevation to the sides of the Ground Floor Level openings and will provide a subtle level of illumination to the wall faces. - • The redecoration of the exterior of the building to the Wellington Street elevation. The wall faces will be re-decorated on the Wellington Street Elevation from pavement level, up to the top of the horizontal stone band above the ground floor level shopfront openings. The walls will painted in Farrow and Ball colour reference ‘Railings’, and the window and door frames will be finished in RAL 9005 Jet Black. These colours tie in with the intended colour scheme for the proposed signage to be installed at the site (signage installation is subject to separate applications by others). - • The addition of NovaStar LED ‘ticker tape’ lighting around two shopfront openings. This ‘ticker tape’ lighting will be installed to the outer building face on the Wellington Street elevation, around two shopfront openings, and is intended to provide non-permanent moving images and coloured light shows of various designs. - • The addition of new surface finishes at the entrances to the premises in two locations on Wellington Street. The new surface finishes at the building entrances will be in granite stone matching the adjacent pavement surface finish. This finish will provide consistent exterior appearance and will tie in with the surrounding areas. - • The installation of new external ducting, and two new air-cooled condensing units at the rear of the building, associated with the new Catering Kitchen at Ground Floor Level, and ventilation provided to the main trading areas and toilet areas. The new extract ducting will be installed in line with the specialist designers and suppliers submitted drawings accompanying this application and will be installed in the alleyway area at the rear of the main building, close to existing ducting located in this area. The two new air-cooled condensing units will be mounted on the existing wall face at high level over existing doors and are intended to serve the internal high level comfort cooling cassette units provided internally. The area at the rear of the site houses the service yards and bin store areas and is the ideal location for this new equipment. The new ductwork installation is designed to cater for the proposed internal trade kitchen area and will incorporate all necessary filtration systems required. The above listed proposed development will be carried out as part of, and alongside the development associated with the change of use class of the ground floor areas, internal layout alterations and external alterations, which are subject to approval of application 25/90721/B. The new lighting and redecorations to the Wellington Street Elevation of the premises are intended to tie in with the intended use and ambience to be created at the site and marry the proposed signage scheme colours and appearance. The proposed external alterations are to be carried out to parts of the building under the Applicants ownership. Artist’s impression of the Wellington Street Elevation. (Note – All signage shown will be subject to separate Display of Advertisement Consent and is shown for illustrative purposes only). Artist’s impression of the Wellington Street Elevation. (Note – All signage shown will be subject to separate Display of Advertisement Consent and is shown for illustrative purposes only). ![A photorealistic rendering of the proposed front elevation for the Motor Isle Media Cafe, featuring black cladding, racing flag motifs, and outdoor seating.](https://images.planningportal.im/2025/10/6846642.png) ![A photorealistic rendering of a proposed commercial shop front elevation featuring a black facade, new signage, and updated paving. The image visualizes the installation of floodlighting and painting works described i...](https://images.planningportal.im/2025/10/6846643.png) Farrow and Ball ‘Railings’. Wall face colour. RAL 9005 – Jet Black. Door frame colour. Window frame colour. ### 3. Planning History. The following applications have previously been submitted for the application site at 7 – 17 Wellington Street, Douglas: 99/02334/B Erection of building comprising two retail units café/bar and floors for leisure usage. 13 June 2000. Permitted. 00/01375/B Alterations to gable wall (amendments to PA 99/02334/B). 23 November 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 June 2002. Permitted. 02/00387/D Erection of advertising sign. 31 July 2002. Permitted. 07/00635/D Erection of Signage. 3 July 2007. Permitted. 14/00675/B Conversion of Ground Floor from Café/Bar to Disco/Nightclub. 28 July 2014. Permitted. - 16/00950/D Erection of advertising board. 7 February 2017. Refused. - 17-00038-D Installation of non-illuminated signage to 20th February 2017. Permitted. gable. 19-00506-B Alterations and installation of pizza vending machine at Just Pizza & Pasta Limited. 25 June 2019. Permitted. 24-00612-C Change of use from Night Club to Offices (Class 1.2 Professional Services or 2.1 Offices) 22 July 2024. Permitted. at Basement Level of 7 - 17 Wellington Street, Douglas. 25/90721/B Change of use and conversion of vacant retail unit from Class 1.1 (Shop) to Class 1.3 (Food and Drink) together with external alterations to the building. 29 July 2025 Awaiting Decision - 3.1 The building is not registered or located within a conservation area. - 4. Drainage & Services. he works proposed within this application are associated with the proposed change of use and redevelopment of the currently vacant retail unit contained withing application reference 25/90721/B. The building’s existing services and drainage infrastructure will be reused, with new above ground drainage connections provided and routed to connect unit the existing underground drainage system present within the building. The proposed development contained within this application will not require additional connections into the drainage system. - 5. Bin Storage. The existing bin storage area located in the rear alleyway area will be retained, and waste will be separated into recyclable or non-recyclable waste in accordance with the Local Authority guidelines. - 6. Environmental. The works proposed within this application are associated with the proposed change of use and redevelopment of the currently vacant retail unit contained withing application reference 25/90721/B. The new ducting will be designed by a specialist subcontractor and will suit the layout of the interior of the building and the proposed prep-kitchen area layout (still to be finalised). The new extract system will incorporate all necessary filtration systems as required to suit the specific requirements of the Local Authority, and to minimise the Environmental Impact of the proposed development. The proposed development to the Wellington Street Elevation are associated with the proposed development to change the use of the premises interior area from a currently vacant retail unit to a Class 1.3 use, for the sale of food or drink for consumption on the premises, and involves the addition of new lighting, Gobo projector lighting, new external redecoration works, and new surface finishes at the building entrances. This work will have little or no environmental impact. - 7. Parking and Access. There is no vehicle parking space provided on the site, nor has there ever been any on-site parking provision. However, the strategic plan states that “in general, the need to find a use for redundant buildings which are in sound condition will outweigh the drawback of any shortfall in parking provision”. Public car parking is however available on the nearby promenade together with Chester Street and Shaws Brow car parks which are near-by and only a short walk away. Employees will also have use of the public transport system or will walk or cycle in from outside Douglas city centre. ### 8. Fire. he works proposed within this application are associated with the proposed change of use and redevelopment of the currently vacant retail unit contained withing application reference 25/90721/B. The scheme is intended to fully comply with the Isle of Man Building Regulations. As part of the relevant Licencing requirements associated with the change of use, they will fall under the Isle of Man Fire & Rescue Authority’s remit. The proposed extract ducting will incorporate any required fire suppression measures or fire resisting construction to maintain the integrity of the existing building. ### 9. Regeneration. he works proposed within this application are associated with the proposed change of use and redevelopment of the currently vacant retail unit contained withing application reference 25/90721/B. The proposed development provision of these proposals in this area will generate additional benefits for the city centre, by maximising the use of and repurposing buildings that are presently redundant and unoccupied. These proposals will additionally increase footfall in city centre which be of additional benefit to the local economy. ### 10. Summary. This statement has been prepared on behalf of the applicant, in support of a full planning application for change of use of the vacant Ground Floor Level retail unit, and other external alteration works associated with the change of use and other Applicant use of the building at 7-17 Wellington Street, Douglas. The applicant seeks to maximise the use of the available, redundant unit to create a new public house and bar premises. Overall, the proposals should be considered as being in accordance with current planning policy, and we therefore respectfully request that the Planning Committee grant permission for this application. --- *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/93454-braddan-7-17-wellington-street-wall/documents/1142751*