erection of a building
21 August 2017 · Committee
Florist Unit Robinsons Ballapaddag, Cooil Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM4 2af
This application sought retrospective planning permission for the erection of a pack house and floristry centre at a site off Cooil Road, Douglas, on the Isle of Man. The proposal also included meeting and conference room use as part of the Eden Park Centre. The application was made by H Richmond Ltd. The site is an irregularly shaped parcel of land to the southwest of Cooil Road. At the time of the application, a recently completed floristry centre with associated car parking, landscaping, and a delivery area was already present on site. A Robinsons distribution warehouse and hardstanding were also within the applicant's control nearby.
The committee approved the application on 21 August 2017. The main planning issue considered was whether the design and proposed use of the building were acceptable. Permission was granted on a retrospective basis, with one condition attached.
All new retail development (excepting neighbourhood shops and those instances identified in Business Policy 5) and all new office development (excepting corporate headquarters suitable for a business park location) must be sited within the town and village centres on land zoned for these purposes in Area Plans, whilst taking into consideration Business Policies 7 and 8.
Strategic Policy 9: All new retail development (excepting neighbourhood s hops and those instances identified in Business Policy 5) and all new office development (excepting corporate headquarters suitable for a business park (1) location) must be sited within the town and village centres on land zoned for these purposes in Area Plans, whilst taking into consideration Business Policies 7 and 8. 4.4.7 The definition of Corporate Headquarters includes offices for those companies using the new information technologies and/or who service other business park users (but specifical ly excludes financial and professional services to visiting members of the public including banks, building societies, estate agencies and betting offices). 4.5 Transport and Communications 4.5.1 There is a direct link between the location of new devel opment, its effect on the transport network and the provision of a more integrated transport network. Accordingly:
design of new office buildings should be respectful of "the scale and character of adjoining and nearby buildings and should accommodate [sufficient] parking space"
Business Policy 8: New office buildings should, in terms of height and mass, respect the scale and character of adjoining and nearby buildings and should accommodate parking space in accordance with the standards specified in Appendix 7 of the Plan. 9.4 Retailing 9.4.1 As with office accommodation, and for similar reasons, retailing is largely concentrated in our town and village centres. Of these, Douglas is the largest and includes branches of many of the shops which are familiarly found in high streets around the UK. However, locally based retailers add variety and interest to our shopping streets, and this is particularly noticeable in Ramsey, Peel, and Castletown. It is interesting to note that in Ramsey and Peel, locally based furniture shops operate successfully from within the town centres, whereas Douglas town centre has now largely lost its furniture shops to edge-of-town or out-of-town sites. 9.4.2 The reasons for directing retail development to town centre sites are essentially those set out in paragraph 9.3.3 in respect of offices, but to these must be added the nee d for there to be a sufficient range and choice of goods available in the one shopping trip, without the need to travel between sites. Experience in the UK illustrates the impact which out -of-town retail development has on the traditional town centre high street and on small village shops, and it is pertinent to note the reversal of policy by the UK Government. The Department therefore proposes to adhere to the established policy which was embodied in the Tynwald resolution of 1987 (see paragraph 9.2.5). 9.4.3 Exceptions to this general policy have been identified in paragraph 9.2.6. In addition, there are community benefits associated with neighbourhood shops (see paragraph 10.6.1). The following general policy is therefore appropriate:
Condition 1
The building hereby approved shall, from the date of this approval notice, be used only in accordance with the approved drawings (date-stamped as having been received 19th June 2017) as: - (i) the operation of a floristry club; - (ii) a floristry learning centre for members of floral clubs and trainee florists; - (iii) a central make-up area for floral goods; - (iv) a packaging and distribution centre for on-Island flowers and floral goods deliveries; - (v) an internet sales centre for flowers and floral goods and - (vi) for private meetings unrelated to the above five specified uses.
erection of a building
earliest approval
erection of a building
erection of a building
erection of a building
most recent approval
retrospective approval for the addition of cladding to the building
amend condition 4 as attached to the 2008 application