**Document:** Savills Planning Covering Letter **Application:** 15/01063/B — Alterations, creation of a mezzanine floor to provide a veterinary surgery, pet grooming and related facilities, installation of eight air conditioning units, gas bottle storage unit, fire door, external staircase and amendments to existing roller shutter door **Decision:** Refused **Decision Date:** 2016-02-17 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / planning_statement **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/21486-braddan-pets-at-home-installation-doors/documents/1321305 --- # Savills Planning Covering Letter 18 September 2015 L 150918 SAV Covering letter 1501063 1501063 Savills Head of Planning DEFA Planning and Building Control First Floor Murray House Mount Havelock Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2ST SUBMITTED VIA POST Philip Marsden E: pmarsden@savills.com DL: +44 (0) 207 409 8024 F: +44 (0) 207 495 3773 33 Margaret Street London W1G 0JD T: +44 (0) 20 7499 8644 savills.com Dear Sir or Madam TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 APPLICATION FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A MEZZANINE FLOOR TO BE USED FOR A PET CARE, TREATMENT AND GROOMING FACILITY, INSTALLATION OF EIGHT NO. AIR CONDITIONING UNITS, GAS BOTTLE STORAGE UNIT, FIRE EXIT DOOR, EXTERNAL STAIRCASE AND AMENDMENTS TO ROLLER SHUTTER DOOR PETS AT HOME, UNIT 2, SPRING VALLEY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN, IM2 2QR COMPANION CARE (SERVICES) LIMITED Introduction We write on behalf of our client, Companion Care (Services) Ltd, to apply for the installation of a mezzanine floor to be used for a pet care, treatment and grooming facility (sui generis), the installation of eight no. external air conditioning units, a gas bottle storage unit, fire exit door, external staircase and amendments to the roller shutter door at Unit 2, Spring Valley Industrial Estate in Douglas. In accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, we enclose the following documents which comprise the application: - This covering letter; - The completed application forms and certificate of ownership duly signed; - Planning Application Checklist; - Drawing Ref: CC/SVIE/SLP – 'Site Location Plan'; - Drawing Ref: 5468/11 – 'Proposed Site Layout Plan'; - Drawing Ref: 5464/04 B – 'Existing ground floor layout plan, elevations and site location plan'; - Drawing Ref: 4368/09 – 'Proposed Site and Rear Elevations'; - Drawing Ref: 5468/12 – 'Proposed ground floor & mezzanine layout plan'; - Air Conditioning Units Technical Specification Sheet; - Gas Bottle Storage Technical Specification Sheet; - Product Range Summary; and - Planning Permissions issued at Norwich, Romford and Blackpool. A cheque, made payable to the 'Isle of Man Government' for £265.00, that being the requisite fee, has been issued under separate cover. Offices and associates throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Savills (UK) Limited. Chartered Surveyors. Regulated by RICS. A subsidiary of Savills plc. Registered in England No. 2605138. Registered office: 33 Margaret Street, London, W1G 0JD ### The Application Site The application site is Unit 2, Spring Valley Industrial Estate in Douglas, which measures approximately 732 sq. m (GIA). The Retail Park is located off Cooil Road (A6) with access from the A5, an arterial route into Douglas. The Industrial Estate is an established destination for large format retailing. Other occupiers at the site include B&Q and Currys. ### The Proposed Development As stated above, this application seeks permission for the creation of a mezzanine floor to be used for a pet care, treatment and grooming facility (Sui Generis). The proposed dual use will allow the potential for the additional floorspace to be used for the sale of goods in line with the established ground floor use in the future should the pet care, treatment and grooming facility be relocated to the ground floor in the future. The proposed mezzanine will measure 254 sq. m and is illustrated on Drawing Ref: 5468/10 A – ‘Proposed ground floor & mezzanine layout plan and areas’. The proposed development also includes the installation of eight no. external air conditioning units, a gas bottle storage unit, fire exit door, external staircase and amendments to the roller shutter door ### Nature of the Proposed Use Companion Care is part of the Pets at Home Group. It is a service industry, offering care and veterinary facilities for pets, and forms an integral part of the overall product range and services offered by Pets at Home in its larger format stores. The facility will comprise three consulting rooms where general pet care advice is given and animals receive basic preventative medicine and treatments (such as worming or flea treatments). There will be an small operating theatre to undertake small scale procedures such as spaying and X-raying. The facility will also include laboratory, pharmacy and grooming areas. Pets at Home is Britain’s largest retailer of pets and pet products, which includes a wide range of pet care goods. We attach a copy of the product list for Pets at Home, annotated to show those goods that are linked with the care of pets. Given that Pets at Home is the predominant retailer of pets and related goods in the retail warehouse sector, it largely defines the nature of the large format, pet retailing market within the UK, which can be described as a retail use for the sale of pets and pet goods, with complementary pet care facilities. As illustrated on Drawing Ref: 5468/10 A – ‘Proposed ground floor & mezzanine layout plan and areas’, the proposed mezzanine will measure approximately 254 sq. m. and the proposed facility will occupy approximately 178 sq. m of the mezzanine. We confirm that the Companion Care facility will only be accessible via the main Pets at Home store, that is, there will be no separate access or egress points for customers. Accordingly, the operating hours of the Companion Care facility will be controlled by that of the retail use and will ensure that the veterinary use cannot operate independently of the primary retail use of the building. ### External Alterations on the Front and Side Elevation The proposed development includes the following minor external alterations on the front and side elevation of the building: - Installation of eight no. air conditioning units; - Installation of a gas bottle storage unit; - Installation of external staircase; - Installation of a fire exit door; and - Amendments to roller shutter door. The proposed external alterations are illustrated on Drawing Ref: 5468/10 A – 'Proposed ground floor & mezzanine layout plan and areas'. ### Consideration The proposed alterations and additions to the front and side elevation are required to enable the proposed pet care, treatment and grooming facility to operate. The proposed installation of air conditioning units and gas bottles are required for the specific operational requirements of the pet care, treatment and grooming facility. To meet the required Building Regulations, a fire exit must be installed and the necessary access from it, which in this case will be via a staircase. The front and side elevation of the premises faces into the dedicated service yard that serves the unit and the wider Retail Park. It is exclusively commercial in terms of land use and physical characteristics and therefore the proposed external alterations are entirely appropriate. There are no residential properties in the vicinity of the site so there will be no adverse impact on the amenity to any adjoining land uses. ### Summary and Conclusion Given the unique characteristics of Pets at Home and the overall physical and functional relationship between the retail business and the Companion Care facility, we consider that the mezzanine floorspace and its use as a pet care, treatment and grooming facility will not have any material effect on the function of the unit or wider commercial area. The scale of the mezzanine alone (254 sq. m) means that the floorspace can only be described as de minimis. In light of the above, we respectfully request that this application is approved and that planning permission is granted for an additional 254 sq. m of floorspace at mezzanine level to be used as a pet care, treatment and grooming facility (Sui Generis) and the external physical works at Pets at Home (Unit 2), Spring Valley Industrial Estate in Douglas. We trust that the information provided above and on the enclosed drawings is sufficient for the Department to register and consider this application. We will endeavour to contact you within the next few days to establish your timetable for decision making. In the meantime, should you require any clarification or additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Philip Marsden or Clara Blagden at these offices. Yours faithfully Savills (UK) Limited Commercial Planning Page 3 --- *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/21486-braddan-pets-at-home-installation-doors/documents/1321305*