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Application No.: 17/00856/D Applicant: Manx Telecom Proposal: Installation of illuminated and non illuminated signage Site Address: Manx Telecom 15 - 17 Strand Street Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2ED Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The advertisement(s) hereby granted consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice. Reason: To avoid the accumulation of unimplemented advertisement consents. Plans/Drawings/Information: The consent hereby issued relates to Drawings 16046.00.SP.00, 16046.00.L0.002 Rev A and 16046.10.L0.006 Rev B. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None. _____________________________________________________________________________
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is an essentially L-shaped parcel of land that includes the Manx Telecom retail outlet on Strand Street in Douglas. The building has a dual aspect, with the main pedestrian entrance facing eastward onto Strand Street and the smaller, rear entrance facing south onto the seemingly unnamed pedestrianised area that connects the frontage of the Mars & Spencer retail unit with Strand Street.
1.2 The front entrance has a contemporary, almost entirely glazed shopfront. There is some horizontal cladding above, attached to which is the company's branded lettering. Otherwise, and including its front door, the shopfront is formed of floor-to-ceiling glazing panels. - 1.3 This secondary entrance is somewhat obscured by the presence of a timber bin store, which though a modest and timber-framed store, adds to the perception of the area being something of a rear yard rather than as a primary shopping frontage. This perception is not improved by the somewhat unsightly and certainly untraditional appearance of the entrance doors and also the building in which they sit. The rear entrance does not appear to be currently (or even recently) in active use. - 1.4 There is a variety of shopfronts in the area - some contemporary, some traditional, and some of poor appearance - but, generally speaking, all the shop frontages are well-looked after even if some are not judged to be of an appropriate appearance for Douglas' main shopping street. It is nevertheless noted that the site falls outwith a Conservation Area, and cannot be viewed readily from one.
2.0 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY - 2.1 It is worth noting that an application submitted subsequently to that which is the subject of this report (PA 17/00952/B) proposes a replacement shopfront as well as internal alterations. It has been recently approved. - 2.2 Other applications in this site on the past have largely been confined to alterations to the shopfront and the addition of new or replacement signage. The most recent such pair of applications carried the reference numbers 11/01193/D and 11/01194/B, and the consent and approval issued resulted in the shop carrying its current appearance, albeit the letting of 'manx telecom' as currently attached to the unit is on a single line whereas that approved was over two separate lines.
3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICATION - 3.1 Express Consent is sought for the erection of advertising signs, some illuminated and others not. These are shown on the replacement shopfront that, as noted, has recently been granted planning approval under PA 17/00952/B. The current application could not be determined until that application had been positively determined because the current application shows signage on a shopfront that, without that issued approval, would not provide a lawful background for it to be there. - 3.2 Four new signs are proposed, three at the front elevation and one at the rear. - 3.3 With respect to those at the front, the details are as follows:
3.4 The sign proposed at the rear would be identical to the company logo sign described above.
4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Predominantly Shopping on the Douglas Local Plan. Accordingly, and noting that the signage will be related to the site on which it is proposed, General Policy 6 places the following requirements on external advertisements:
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Highway Services of the DoI stated the proposal had no highway implications on 18.08.2017, while Douglas Borough Council offered no objection to the application in comments received 30.08.2017.
6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The proposed signage would not be markedly difference in appearance, size or location to that which is already affixed to the building. While it is noted that the current advertisements do not accord with the approved drawings, it is nevertheless considered that they are appropriately subtle in terms of their visual impact. - 6.2 That which is proposed is considered to be acceptable in the context of the key assessment points of GP6. While the installation of a projecting sign higher than the ground floor is perhaps slightly beyond what would normally be expected - in order to maintain the vibrancy of the ground floor for shoppers - it is not so high, large or dominant as to draw the eye. - 6.3 The use of illumination is not considered to be an issue with regards neighbouring amenity, inasmuch as there are not understood to be any residential uses nearby the site. The most likely to be affected by the high projecting sign would be in the building itself, and it is noted that this within the ownership of the applicant and, indeed, now has approval for use as retail under PA 17/00952/B.
7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 It is concluded that the application complies with GP6 and it is recommended that Express Consent be issued.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
8.2 The decision-maker must determine:
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 : 29.11.2017 Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management
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