DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 24/00060/D Applicant: Mr David Andrews Proposal: Erection of non-illuminated entrance sign and 3 non-illuminated information boards Site Address: Manx Birdlife Point Of Ayre Reserve Cranstal Road Bride Isle Of Man IM7 4BS Planning Officer: Toby Cowell Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 22.04.2024

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. This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The proposed signage is considered to be acceptable from a design and visual impact perspective, without posing a highway safety hazard or impact upon the local wildlife. The proposal is considered to comply with General Policies GP2, GP3 and GP8 and would meet the general standards set out in The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to drawings and documents referenced; Location plan Location plan - satellite Site plan Site plan - satellite

• 01 - entrance gate drawing
• 02 - information boards drawing Entrance sign - further detail Information boards - further detail Information boards - additional site plan Received 22.01.24

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site comprises a small portion of a former sand and gravel quarry at the Point of Ayre, situated to the south-west of the lighthouse, which includes part of the gravel access track stretching westward from the main road leading up to the lighthouse and car park.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Permission is sought for the following works:

• o Erection of a free standing aluminium entrance sign to the front of the existing timber fence adjacent to the entrance gate at the far eastern end of the site. The sign would measure

• 2.4m x 0.8m, with a maximum height of 1.2m above ground level. The signage would include the wording: BirdLife Point of Ayre National Nature and a corresponding bird logo, with the company's moto in English and Manx, together with an image of a lighthouse. The signage would primarily be finished in varying shades of blue with elements of white and orange, and be non-illuminated.

• Erection of 3 no. lectern style information boards at the eastern end of new central landscaped feature (already granted planning consent), with dimensions of 2.4m x 0.8m (1 no.) and 1.5m x 0.8 (2 no.) and mounted on metal posts. The boards would displays maps, additional imagery and information text, whilst extending to a maximum height of 1m above ground level.

- 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 23/01038/B - Landscaping of the former quarry works area to provide an information point, seating and viewing area - Permitted - 3.2 22/00377/B - Continuation of restoration works rebuilding of gravel bund, re-profiling of the lake edge, new ponds, erection of birdwatching hide - Permitted - 3.3 21/00929/B - Creation of three ponds, repair 40m of gravel bund and creation of two gravel islands in existing lake - Permitted - 3.4 21/01208/B - Installation of a shipping container for storage of tools and equipment during the development of the nature reserve (retrospective) - Permitted

- 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The site is classed as Area of an area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance; Nature conservation zone, nature reserves and sits of ecological importance for conservation; and small, oval area identified as an area for surface mineral working (gravel) on the 1982 Development Plan. The site is not within Conservation Area, or Registered tree Area and there are no registered trees on site. - 4.2 General Policy 8 states that: Within rural areas the display of external advertisements will be permitted only where:

• (a) they are located on or directly next to the premises to which they relate;
• (b) they do not detract from the appearance of either the immediate area or the landscape;
• (c) they are normally constructed of traditional materials unless the nature of the display or location would render such materials inappropriate;

• (d) any illumination, which will be permitted only where it is essential, is kept to a minimum and is so hooded as to prevent undesirable escape of light;
• (e) they are located so as not to cause a highway safety hazard; and
• (f) any illumination will not have an adverse effect on areas of ecological value.

4.3 Furthermore The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 make clear that the only considerations which can be applied to applications made under them are in the interests of protecting amenity and public safety.

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Bride Parish Commissioners - no comments received at the time of writing. - 5.2 Highway Services - Proposals would have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking. (26.01.24) - 5.3 DEFA Biodiversity - The proposed work is to take place within the legally designated Ayres Gravel Pits Area of Special Protection for Birds (ASP). The site was designated an ASP in

1. The Ecosystem Policy Team can confirm that we have no objection to this application as the proposals are not considered to be detrimental to the conservation interests of the site. Though no ecological information has been provided with this application, the attached, which was submitted in support of the previous Planning application for the Point of Ayres Reserve in 2023 (PA 23/01038/A), contains information pertinent to this application and shows that the area where to signs are to be located is mostly an area of bare sand and gravel. (30.01.24)

5.4 Manx National Heritage - no comments received at the time of writing.

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The proposed signage would be located in a distinctly rural area out of a defined town or village, and therefore requires assessment against General Policy 8. Such signage is considered to be generally modest and non-intrusive in the context of the wider landscape, whilst clearly relating to the nature reserve it would serve and increasing legibility/assisting with the interpretation of the countryside. No concerns are therefore raised over the design, size and location of the proposed signage. - 6.2 Likewise, no objections have been raised by Highway Services over the proposed signage; none of which would be illuminated which is welcomed in this rural location. No concerns have also been raised by the Ecosystems Policy Officer given that the signage would be located within an area predominantly comprising of bare sand and gravel.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposed signage is considered to be acceptable from a design and visual impact perspective, without posing a highway safety hazard or impact upon the local wildlife. The proposal is considered to comply with General Policies GP2, GP3 and GP8 and would meet the general standards set out in The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013. The application is therefore recommended for approval. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;

• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material. 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 Acting Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 24.04.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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