**Document:** YESSS Electrical Planning Statement **Application:** 14/00443/B — Conversion of existing building for light industrial to assembly of electrical components/showroom/trade counter/storage/distribution and ancillary offices (Sui Generis) for Units A1-A4 and light industrial (Use Class 5) for Units A5-A6 **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2015-01-22 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/5341-braddan-units-a1-to-conversion/documents/1296947 --- # YESSS Electrical Planning Statement Department of Planning Department of Infrastructure Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2SF 28th March 2014 Dear Sir / Madam, RECEIVED ON - LAR 2014 DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE Re: Detailed planning application for proposed mezzanine floor and changes to external elevation to Block A, to previously approved scheme (PA11/01232/B), Light Industrial Units at Eden Business Park, Cooil Road, Douglas. The works proposed by this application are required to allow us to operate from Block A, Eden Business Park. In support of this planning application, we would provide the following. ### The Applicant YESSS Electrical has over 50 years experience in the Electrical Industry and is part of an established and very successful Pan-European business. Currently there are over 400 trading branches across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Monaco and the Caribbean Islands, and in 2013 we opened 84 new branches in the UK. Our distribution centres in France and Germany provide over of space, and carry a stock value of over €35 million, providing next day delivery to the European branch network. Our new HQ and National Distribution Centre at Normanton, West Yorkshire, will support the European logistics operations and will carry in excess of £10 million of stock. We will expand the network over the next 2 years and hope to be trading from over 200 branches by the end of 2015. Our property requirements on the Island are: - 5,000 - 7,500 ft² - B1, B2 and B8 planning consent or specific Trade Park consent - Prominent and easily accessible locations in major conurbations - Good access for deliveries - Modern, good quality buildings We have been trying to identify a suitable commercial property on the Isle of Man for a new trade operation for the past 2 years. We need to be in Douglas, in a prominent location that is easily accessible to our customer. We offer a design service for lighting and other electrical requirements and have a showroom, design area for electrical contractors, architects and home owners and therefore we must have good access for commercial vehicles as well as parking for customers in front of the trade counter entrance. Remote parking presents us with a Health and Safety issue. The trade counter is effectively our display area and needs to appeal to trades people and the design area assists the contractors and architects deliver appropriate lighting strategies for any given situation. We have taken space across the whole of northern England and Scotland and without a doubt the Isle of Man is proving the hardest location to find suitable premises. Quite simply the island does not currently offer the type of accommodation required by modern business. We have found, through our extensive period of researching, available space is generally too old, in an unsuitable environment, poorly located or the wrong size (for us). Even if we compromise our requirements we still cannot identify suitable space to trade from. Eden Park is the sole exception. The branch will ultimately employ 10 people and we have already recruited the Branch Manager and 4 support staff. All other recruitment is on hold subject to us being able to occupy the building at Eden Business Park, which is the ideal location for us and we would be willing to take a unit of circa 10,000 ft² to provide us with some expansion space in the future. We would prefer to own the unit freehold to show our long-term commitment to the Island and strongly believe that our business will create economic benefits to our other trading partners on the island. We want to invest in the Island, but our intended level of investment must achieve the best returns for our business to make it worthwhile and to ensure our longevity on the Island. ### The Approved Development The scheme approved by PA11/01232/B was for the development of 24 light industrial units, grouped in 4 blocks (Blocks A to D), located south of the garden centre accessed from Cooil Road, Douglas, a copy of the Planning Approval Notice including Conditions is included in APPENDIX A. Condition 10 of the approval states; 'The units hereby permitted shall be used for Light Industrial (Class 5 of Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2012) purposes only.' The application was approved in April 2013, commenced on site in November 2013 and is due for completion in July 2014, enabling the units to be available in the very near future. Having been unsuccessful in finding a suitably sized unit in the right location on the Isle of Man, YESSS Electrical opened a temporary branch in a small unit in the Tromode Industrial Estate. We approached the owners of the Eden Business Park site (the application site)prior to the development receiving planning approval with the intention of purchasing the whole of Block A, which consists of 6 separate industrial units, intending to operate our business out of 4 of the units and let the remaining 2 units out to other light industrial tenants. Our use of the 4 units will consist of the following activities; - Assembly of light and electrical fittings - Processing of electrical and data cabling ready for site use - Design office - Showroom - Administrative office plus staff rooms - Ancillary storage - Ancillary trade sales counter Please refer to the proposed internal layout drawing included as part of this package. A copy has been included in APPENDIX B. The above activities will be undertaken with small hand / power tools only and will not generate significant noise or fumes. We believe that our proposed use of the building complies with the use approved by PA11/01232/B, i.e. Light Industrial (Class 5 of Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2012); 5 Class 5 Research and development, light industry Use for all or any of the following purposes — (a) for research and development of products or processes, or (b) for any industrial process, being a use which can be carried out in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of that area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit. Our Use does not fit into any other Use Classes outlined in the Town and Country Planning (permitted Development) order 2012, i.e.; - Class 1 Shops - Class 2 Financial and professional services - Class 3 Food and drink - Class 4 Offices - Class 6 Storage and Distribution - Class 7 Hotels and Hostels - Class 7 Hospitals, nursing homes and residential Institutes. We understand that the Planning Department are currently giving consideration to the review of the use classes and the permitted change of uses within the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) order 2012. One possible outcome of this review could be adoption of similar permitted change of use policy as the UK where there is greater flexibility in the use of industrial and business premises. The transport consultants for the original planning approval, JMP, have reviewed our intended use and have advised that this will have no detrimental impact on the traffic flow provisions of the overall development as previously approved by PA11/01232/B. Please see APPENDIX C. ## Conclusion The proposed changes to the external envelope will have minimal visual impact. Our intended use is Light Industrial, in compliance with the description given in Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order. We understand that the overall development, which is still currently under construction, has received considerable interest, and we would like to commit to the purchase of the units as soon as possible, whilst they are still available and to trade from there as soon as possible. We trust that we have provided sufficient information for this application to be considered but should you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact the writer. Yours faithfully, Graham Lockwood General Manager, Yesss Central M: 07780496668 E: graham.lockwood@yesss.co.uk Yesss Electrical, Unit B Foxbridge Way, Normanton, West Yorkshire, WF6 1TN --- *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/5341-braddan-units-a1-to-conversion/documents/1296947*