Officer Report

Application No.: 18/00421/B Applicant: Department Of Infrastructure Proposal: Installation of replacement paving, street lighting and street furniture Site Address: Site Of Regeneration Works Duke Street Douglas Isle of Man Planning Officer: Mr Owen Gore Photo Taken: 19.06.2018 Site Visit: 19.06.2018 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 24.07.2018 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

Plans/Drawings/Information: This Planning approval relates to the following plans and documents: -

Planning Statement and Drawing No.P001 - Duke Street General Arrangement date-stamped as having been received 20 April 2018 and Drawing No.P002 - Street Furniture date-stamped as having been received 12 July 2018.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the pedestrianised route through Douglas town centre. This section links Victoria Street and Lord Street, connecting Market hill to the south, to the remainder of Duke Street to the north. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal is to replace the existing paving, street lighting and street furniture to replicate the granite paving sets of the previously renovated parts of the town centre. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site is shown on the Douglas Local Plan Order 1998 map No.1 as being within the local plan area and the property is designated within an Area of Predominantly Shopping use. The proposal will only affect the pedestrian thoroughfare and support the existing businesses; therefore General Policy 2 is considered to be applicable in this instance. Due to the nature of the proposal Transport Policy 5 and Transport Policy 6 are considered to be applicable.

3.2 Part of the site is within the Athol St and Victoria St Conservation Areas; therefore Environmental Policy 35 is applicable to this proposal. - 3.3 Due to the location of the development, the Central Douglas Masterplan is a material consideration.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The previous planning permission 12/00679/B for regeneration works to highway is considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application.

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division confirms that they do not oppose in the letter dated 25 May 2018.

5.2 Douglas Borough Council have provided two sets of comments for this application and stated that they do not object, in the letter dated 21 May 2018 and the Environmental Services Committee have provided further comments stating that: -

The Council believes that as the proposed scheme will significantly enhance the character and appearance of the Athol Street/Vitoria Street Conservation Area, the application should be supported.

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The proposal is to renovate the public spaces of the town centre, which includes this thoroughfare. The choice of materials and the design is proposed to be in keeping with the previous improvements to the public realm that have taken place on other parts of Duke Street to the north of the site.

6.2 The proposal also includes replacing the street lighting, installing Sheffield style cycle parking and raised planters. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The proposal would not unacceptably harm the characteristics of the high street or the character of its surroundings and is considered to enhance the character of this part of the Conservation Area. The proposed development would not result in a significant adverse impact upon the living conditions of neighbouring residents. The proposal therefore complies with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35 and Transport Policy 5.

• INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
• 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 Article 6(4), 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
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 8.2 The decision maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 27.07.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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