DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No.: 21/01346/D Applicant: Mr N Quayle T/A Lifestyle Furniture Proposal: Erection of four non illuminated advertisement boards to the front elevation Site Address: Units 16 And 17 Snugborough Trading Estate Union Mills Isle Of Man IM4 4LG Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Site Visit: 24.12.2021 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 05.01.2022 _________________________________________________________________

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 application accords with General Policies 6 and 7 and would meets the general standards set out in The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013. Plans/Drawings/Information; The approval relates to drawing numbers P01ad, P02ad, P03ad and P05, date stamped and received 28/11/2021. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of Unit 16 and 17 Snugborough Trading Estate. The units which are situated on the eastern side of the site entrance is completely screened from Peel Road to the south by the mature landscaping which runs along the entire southern and western boundary of the units. The front elevation of these units which has painted masonry

walls directly overlooks the parking areas situated directly opposite and separated by the driveway which serves these units and the neighbouring unit (Unit 28) situated directly southeast.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the erection of four non illuminated advertisement boards to the front elevation of the units. These advertisement boards would contain artwork and would be on Dibond composite sheet and fixed to 38mm square section aluminium framing carrier system bolted to the front elevation of the building. Each sign would be 2.8m wide and

• 2.9m high and would show artwork advertising the furniture on display within these units.
• 3.0 PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The application site is in an area zoned as Industrial under the Area Plan for the East (Map 8 Union Mills / Strang) and the site is not within a Conservation Area. The site is not prone to flood risks and there are no Registered trees on the site. The site is also not within a Registered Tree Area. As such, the following parts of the Strategic Plan are relevant: - 3.2 General Policy 2 states: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development:

• (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them;
• (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;

3.3 General Policy 6 states: "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."

3.4 General Policy 7 states: "Within our towns and villages, the display of external advertisements on sites or buildings other than those to which they relate will not generally be permitted." - 3.5 Paragraph 6.6.2 of the Strategic Plan: 'Within our towns and villages, well designed and sensitively sited advertisements can contribute positively to the character of a building or area, and can be of help to the general public. However, advertisements which are too bright, overlarge or poorly sited may endanger safety by distracting or confusing highway users and may, both individually and cumulatively, detract from amenity by being intrusive, by introducing clutter and visual confusion or by masking features of interest or attraction.'

- 4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS

4.1 The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013

• 4.1.1 Section 5.1 states that:

(1) The Department must exercise its powers under these Regulations only in the interests of amenity and public safety, taking account of any material factors, and in particular a) in the case of amenity, the general characteristics of the locality, including the presence of any feature of historic, architectural, cultural or similar interest, disregarding, if they think fit, any advertisement being displayed there;

• (b) In the case of public safety —

• (i) the safety of any person who may use any road, railway, tramway, harbour or aerodrome; and
• (ii) whether any display of advertisements is likely to obscure or hinder the ready interpretation of, any traffic sign, railway or tramway signal or aid to navigation by water or air.

- 5.0 PLANNING HISTORY

5.1 The following previous planning applications are considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application: - 5.2 PA 04/01167/B for Conversion of existing factory and office unit to a furniture showroom with associated offices including the installation of timber wooden double doors to replace existing single, (Unit G) - Approved. - 5.3 PA 04/01778/D for Erection of advertising signage, (unit G) - Approved. These signs were attached to the front of the building and similar to that proposed within the current application. The scale of the current scheme. The current signs are, however, larger than that proposed within this scheme. - 5.4 PA 14/00530/D for Erection of advertising signage (retrospective) - Refused. This was erected by the entrance to the estate, although on the application site. Reason for refusal: "By reason of the siting and presence of existing signage relating to the application site and Snugborough Trading Estate, the signage would have a detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the locality on the grounds of introducing additional clutter and intensity of proliferation of signage within the area".

6.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only. - 6.1 The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division have stated that they do not oppose in a letter dated 19 November 2021.

6.2 Braddan Commissioners have stated that they have no objection to the application (19 November 2021). - 7.0 ASSESSMENT

7.1 The main issue to be considered in the assessment of this application is the impact of the proposed development upon the character and appearance of the individual property and street scene, and highway safety.

7.2 In assessing the impacts of the proposed advertisement boards, it is considered that the signs would relate to the building on which they are to be attached. They are also considered to be of acceptable size and scale so as to be readable by passing public without causing distraction or harm, or any new highway safety issues. As well, the signs would not contain any form of illumination. It is also vital to note that the descriptions and design of the signage would relate well to the building's use as a furniture showroom within an industrial area.

7.3 Based on the foregoing, it is considered that the design and siting of the signs are acceptable and would comply with General Policies 6 and 7 and would meets the general standards set out in The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013. - 8.0 RECOMMENDATION

8.1 For the reasons set out above, it is concluded that the planning application is in accordance with General Policy 2, 6 & 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013. - 9.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

9.1 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 of Infrastructure;
• (f) The Ports Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (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.

9.2 The Planning Committee 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 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 : 06.01.2022 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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