20 June 2008 · Committee
Forester'S Arms, 17, St Georges Street, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 1aj
This application sought permission to erect a four-storey office building with basement parking on a vacant plot at the corner of Hope Street and St Georges Street in Douglas town centre. The site was previously occupied by the Forester's Arms public house and three terraced properties. The Planning Committee refused the application. The key reason was that the proposed building's design, height, and massing would have an overbearing impact on the Hope Street elevation, failing to respect the character and appearance of the surrounding area and causing demonstrable harm to local visual amenities. Key issues considered during the assessment included land use, parking provision, the visual impact of the building within the existing street scene, and the potential impact on the neighbouring property at No. 2 Georges Terrace.
The Planning Committee refused this application. The proposed four-storey building was judged to have an overbearing impact on the Hope Street elevation due to its design, height, and massing. This was considered harmful to the visual amenities of the area and out of keeping with the character and appearance of the locality.
Refusal Reasons
Business Policy 7
Business Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, states that "New office floor space should be located within town and village centres on land which is zoned for the purpose on the appropriate area plan
Business Policy 7: New office floor space should be located within town and village centres on land which is zoned for the purpose on the appropriate area plan; exceptionally, permission may be given for new office space (a) on approved Business Parks for Corporate Headquarters which do not involve day to day callers; or (b) in buildings of acknowledged architectural or historic interest for which office use represents the only or most appropriate practicable and economic way of securing future use, renovation and maintenance.
Business Policy 8
Business Policy 8 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 states that "New office buildings should, in terms of height and mass, respect the scale and character of adjoining and nearby buildings
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:
Transport Policy 7
Transport Policy 7 states that "The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards"
Transport Policy 7: The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards. The current standards are set out in Appendix 7. 11.5.4 New development can have a significant impact in terms of the traffic generated by it and the impact on the various modes of travel. The Department considers that proposals which are likely to be significant traffic generators should be accompanied by a Transport Assessment(1) which should look at all modes of transport including access by public transport, cycling and on foot.
