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Chartered Town Planning Consultants
36 Woodlands Park, Guildford, Surrey. GU1 2TJ
Tel: 01483 5709892
Email: [email protected]
October 2015
1.1. This report is provided in support of the planning application that seeks approval for a multi franchise car dealership located at Cooil Road, Braddan. The report examines whether a retail impact assessment is required for the proposals as referred to in the 2007 Isle of Man Strategic Plan (“the SP”).
1.2. References to a Retail Assessment of the proposals are made in Section 5.1 of the Planning Statement with related information regarding the location and condition of existing car showroom businesses in the East detailed in the Agents Report.
1.3. In terms of policy requirements, Business Policy 9 of the SP refers to new retail provision in existing retail areas and states:
“The Department will support new retail provision in existing retail areas at a scale appropriate to the existing area and which will not have an adverse effect on the adjacent retail areas. Major retail development proposals will require to be supported by a Retail Impact Assessment.”
1.4. Appendix 1 of the SP defines a Retail Impact Assessment as:
“An assessment undertaken for a planning application for major retail developments (those over 500 m sq of floorspace measured externally). The assessment examines the impact of development on the vitality and viability of existing shopping centres within the catchment area of the proposed development. The assessment usually includes the likely cumulative effect of recent planning permissions under construction and completed development.”
2.1 Car showrooms and their associated uses are classed as “Suis Generis” and not “retail” both in the Isle of Man as well as throughout the UK with such proposals usually located outside of established shopping centres. The acceptance, and indeed preference, for the siting of car showroom developments outside of established shopping centres are directly referred to in paragraph 9.2.6 of the SP which states:
"Since the adoption of the Braddan Local Plan in 1991, pressure has been growing for the inclusion within industrial areas of a variety of retail-related uses, with some applications being successful. Those which have been successful have generally fallen into one of the following two categories;
a) developments of a retail nature where the items being retailed cannot generally be sold from a high street or town centre location, eg. motor cars, builders’ materials, agricultural equipment and feed; and
b) developments which in themselves are not retail but comprise elements of retail use which are inextricably linked to the primary use of the building or site – e.g. tailor-made clothing or video tapes manufactured on the premises.” (Our emphasis).
2.2 Whilst there are currently only two car showrooms in the Douglas central area and outside the shopping area, both are relatively small operations. Apart from the site operated by Eurocars on the Peel Road, the few larger dealerships in the East operate from existing light industrial areas. The most recent car showroom dealerships are located some considerable distance away from the Douglas central area on the Isle of Man Business Park north of Cooil Road well away from any existing shopping areas.
2.3 The Applicant has confirmed that the proposed multi franchise car dealership will only introduce new franchises to the Isle of Man and therefore there will be no direct impact on existing franchises and their business located either in Douglas or on the fringes of Douglas or the Isle of Man generally. There may be a degree of competition between certain marques but it is likely to be relatively small and be of no relevance in planning terms. In any event any loss of trade to any existing business would be strongly outweighed by the significant economic and related benefits for the Island as a whole. The competition will not in any event necessarily result in a loss of existing dealerships and could be beneficial.
2.4 Therefore, it is not considered that there will be any material impact on the vitality and viability of existing shopping centres or within the broader catchment area of the East and Douglas. A Retail Impact Assessment is therefore not considered a requirement for this particular proposed development.
2.5 With regard to dealerships elsewhere on the Island, we are not aware of any in existing shopping areas which would be affected by the proposals. In so far as there is any loss of trade, that is not in itself a planning matter and in any event any loss to individual dealerships would be significantly outweighed by the overall gain to the Island as detailed in chapter 9 of the Environmental Statement accompanying the Application and the Jacksons (CI) Limited letter in support of the Application.
3.1. In summary, it is considered that a Retail Impact Assessment is not required for the following reasons;
a. The proposed development does not constitute a direct retail development in use class terms. b. The proposed development will not impact the vitality and viability of the main existing shopping centre in the East and the Isle of Man which is located in the Douglas Central Area. The same appears to apply also to the rest of the Island. c. The proposed development will only introduce new franchises to the Isle of Man. d. The proposed location will assist in the clustering of car showrooms in benefitting other established car showroom operators in the immediate Cooil Road area. e. Any trade loss to existing businesses would not have a planning impact and in any event would be very strongly outweighed by the significant benefits that the development would bring to the Island.
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