DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00421/D Applicant: Eden Park Developments Proposal: Installation of illuminated signage Site Address: Cooil Road Roundabout And Adjacent Jacksons / Eden Business Park Cooil Road Douglas Isle Of Man Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 18.07.2019 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

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.
• C 2. The advertisement(s) hereby granted consent shall not be illuminated outside the hours of 0600 - 0000 hours. Reason: In the interests of amenity and/or public safety.
• C 3. The sign(s) hereby granted consent shall not be lit by an intermittent source. Reason: In the interests of amenity and/or public safety.
• C 4. Notwithstanding the details shown in 003, no approval is granted to the 2 x LED up lighters. Reason: In the interest of visual amenity and spill of unnecessary light.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawing numbers 001, 002 and 003 all date stamped and received 02/04/2019, and two emails from the applicant dated 14/06/2019 and 22/06/2019. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The application site comprises the extents of the new roundabout on Cooil Road and the entrance way into the recently approved site for vehicle dealership approved under PA 15/01186/B and most recently under PA 17/00230/B, and which forms part of a much wider area known as Eden Park. - 1.2 The current application comprises the development of two areas of signage, one adjacent to the entrance into the Jacksons site, and the other on the opposite side of the road and nearest the south-east side of the roundabout junction heading into Douglas. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The application seeks approval for the erection signage on two 1m high masonry walls each around 15m in length and curved to follow the bend in the road around the roundabout. A 100mm precast concrete cap stone is to sit on top of the wall. The development of the walls is proposed within contemporaneous application PA 19/00420/B for landscaping and sculpture works for the roundabout. - 2.2 Each wall is to include 5m length of signage reading 'EDEN BUSINESS PARK'. The letters are to be individually fixed to the wall. 'EDEN' is to be 521mm high letters finished in grey and 'BUSINESS PARK' in 316mm high letters finished in green. - 2.3 Each area of signage is to be illuminated with an LED strip running under the pre-cast concrete cap and the letters individually lit from behind with LED's. A further 2 x ground lights are to be centred to the signage to provide up-lighting. - 2.4 Additional information provided by the agent indicated that the proposed hours of illumination are from 0600 up until 0000hrs. PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There are two application considered materially relevant in the assessment of the current application; PA 17/00230/B and PA 15/01186/B both approved for the development of the site as a vehicle dealership. The most recent application for the site was approved under PA 17/00230/B for the development of a multi franchise car dealership consisting of two showrooms, after sales building incorporating a valeting suite with associated roads, drainage and landscaping and alterations to highway including the creation of the roundabout. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site is in an area not designated for development on the 1991 Braddan Parish Plan. The site is one which is being considered for development in the Area Plan for the East which has recently been released as a draft development plan. The Area Plan for the East designated the site for Industrial Use.

4.2 Given that planning approval has already been granted in full to the development of the site for a vehicle dealership with associated facilities, it is most relevant to consider The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 in the assessment of the proposed new walls and signage adjacent to the entrance and roundabout. - 4.3 The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 makes 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.
• 4.4 In addition to The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 we may also consider General Policy 6 Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 that refers to the display of advertisements within our towns and villages:
• 4.5 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.

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

5.1 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services - OPPOSE (20/06/2019)

• the signage would be located on a wall within an existing adopted highway or highway proposed for adoption, signage cannot legally be displayed here. The application also includes changes to the highway layout which has not been assessed or agreed and should be discussed as part of a highway agreement.

5.2 Braddan Parish Commissions - no objection (03/05/2018). ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposed signage relates to the wider Eden Park site which comprises a large part of land on this side of Cooil Road, including Eden Park Industrial and Research and Development Units nearer to and behind Rileys Garden Centre. The form, size and finish of the walls and the individual signage letters are both considered to be appropriate and not to result in any adverse visual impacts on the amenity of the existing site or surrounding areas.

6.2 This type of gateway signage is fairly common into industrial areas such as this and in this case both are located adjacent to the main roundabout. The signage is considered to be prominent enough to be noticeable and easily read by passers-by but sensitive enough as to not distract users of the highway or to cause any highway safety concerns. No lux levels or illumination intensity has been provided for the 2 x LED uplighters to safeguard the unnecessary spill of light upwards and at the risk of glare to passing traffic and highway safety. The agent confirmed this in an email dated 14/06/2019. A condition revoking any installation of these uplighters is appropriate.

6.3 Following a discussion with the agent and on receipt of addition photographs it was evident that a similar sign as proposed was already installed further along the road. The agent provided a photograph of this sign in an email dated 14/06/2019. The existing car dealership site comprises a number of showroom building which have a mix of externally illuminated signage and the main showroom running along the road with internal lighting which is fairly notably from the highway during dusk and night time hours. - 6.4 PA 17/00230/B for extension signage on the rear showroom building included a condition restricting hours of lighting due to the potential impact on owls or bats nesting in the adjacent tree area. A further application for signage on a building within the dealership was also approved with a similar condition restricting lighting hours with no illumination between

• 0000hrs and 0600hrs. The proposed signage in this case is further away from the trees and closer to the main road, and not expected to have such an impact as to cause harm to adjacent trees or highway users, however a condition restricting the hours between 0600 0000hrs would run consistently with others in the immediate area.
• 6.5 DOI Highway Services have stated that it would be illegal to display signage on an adopted highway. This would be a legal matter between the two parties outside of the remit of planning. Any works to the highway do not form part of this application which is solely for the installation of signage.

CONCLUSION

7.1 For the above reasons the application is considered to comply with The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 and General Policy 6 and therefore recommended for approval. Any approval should be supported by a condition restricting any intermittent lighting 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:

• (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) Persons to whom notice has been given under regulation 10(3)(a)(i)
• (d) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material;
• (e) The Highways Division of the Department;
• (f) The Ports Division of the Department;
• (g) The operator of the railway or tramway; and
• (h) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. _____________________________________________________________________

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 : 31.07.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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