**Document:** DEC Officer Report **Application:** 20/00063/D — Erection of non-illuminated signage board **Decision:** Refused **Decision Date:** 2020-04-08 **Parish:** Braddan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/12603-braddan-cu-plas-snugborough-trading-estate-signage/documents/993019 --- # DEC Officer Report **Application No.:** 20/00063/D **Applicant:** Cu-Plas Callow (IOM) Limited **Proposal:** Erection of non-illuminated signage board **Site Address:** Cu-Plas Snugborough Trading Estate Union Mills Isle Of Man IM4 4LG **Planning Officer:** Miss Lucy Kinrade **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation **Recommended Decision:** Refused **Date of Recommendation:** 24.03.2020 _________________________________________________________________ Reasons for Refusal R : Reasons for Refusal O : Notes attached to reasons - R 1. The proposed sign is not located on the site or building to which it relates and therefore fails to comply with General Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan. - R 2. The siting, size and scale of the sign also results in the accumulation of advertisement clutter on the roadside verge bringing visual harm to the streetscene and the visual amenity of the surrounding area contrary to the principles of General Policy 6 (b). _______________________________________________________________ ## Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ ## Officer’s Report 1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is a small area of grass verge adjacent to the communal way sign board within the entrance of the Snugborough Trading Estate, Union Mills, Braddan. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current application proposes the installation of a non illuminated sign measuring - 2.4m wide x 2.3m high fixed to 100mm x 100mm posts. The sign is to be timber fixed with a - blue acrylic sheet containing 'CuPlas' logo under which is 'plumbing and heating supplies' and a large white directional arrow. - 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The most recent and relevant in this case is PA 15/00237/D for the erection of nonilluminated signage for 'B and B' at the entrance of the industrial estate and adjacent to the current site. This application was refused at officer level and recommended for refusal by the Inspector due to its location not being at the site or building it was to relate to and the adverse visual impact on its surroundings. This recommendation was overturned by the Minister and approved. The sign approved was 2.4m wide and 1.5m high and fixed to two standing poles. 3.2 Prior to the above, there was an application under PA 06/00714/D for the erection of advertising signage for 'Lifestyle Furniture' within the same grass verge which was refused at officer level and no appeal was submitted. - 3.3 There is also a contemporaneous application for the erection of signage for the same company along the main Peel Road under PA 20/00062/D. ## - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site lies within an area designated on the Braddan Local Plan as 'Predominantly Industrial'. 4.2 The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 make it clear that the only considerations which can be applied to applications made under them are in the interests of amenity and public safety. In the case of amenity, such things as the general characteristics of the area need to be taken into account along with the presence of any features of historic, architectural, cultural or similar interest and the public safety should consider the safety of any person using a road, railway, tramway, harbour or aerodrome including the obscuration of any traffic sign or similar. - 4.3 In addition to The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 we may also consider General Policies 6 and 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 which state: - 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 General Policy 7: Within our towns and villages, the display of external advertisements on sites or buildings other than those to which they relate will not generally be permitted. ## - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only. 5.1 Braddan Parish Commissioners - Objection (14/02/2020) - A communal entrance sign has already been erected at the estate in an attempt to reduce the amount of signage at the entrance, and the addition of another sign would be unsightly. 5.2 Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highway Services - Do Not oppose - sign does not affect visibility and there are no highway issues expected. - 6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 This type of way signage can be common across industrial estates and business parks alike and in the case of this application the sign is position on the estate verge and not expected to result in any public harm or highway visibility issues, in fact its installation here could benefit highway safety as visitors would be able to easily read and recognise the signage due to its size and scale compared with the smaller text contained with the communal sign which would require drivers to slow down to read it, which could have impact on those coming in and out of the estate. However, the sign is not located on the site or building to which it relates and is therefore contrary to General Policy 7. While not resulting in any public harm in its own right, a proliferation of advertisement signage here through an accumulation of separate approvals would result in a negative visual impact on streetscene and bring unacceptable harm to the wider visual amenities of the area. - 7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed sign is not located on the site or building to which it relates and therefor fails to comply with General Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan. The siting of the sign coupled with its size and scale also results in the accumulation of advertisement clutter on the roadside verge bringing visual harm to the streetscene and the visual amenity of the surrounding area contrary to the principles of General Policy 6 (b). - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following persons are automatically interested persons: - o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; - o Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material; - o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. - o the Highways, Ports and Railways divisions of the Department of Infrastructure. 8.2 The decision maker must determine: - o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than those explicitly listed above) are material; and - o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status. 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. Decision Made : Refused Date: 06.04.2020 Determining officer Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner 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/12603-braddan-cu-plas-snugborough-trading-estate-signage/documents/993019*