13 July 2022 · Delegated
Coffee Shop, Cherry Tree Drive, Crosby, Isle Of Man, IM4 2ee
The application sought consent to erect a freestanding totem sign on a grassed verge between the Crosby main road and the newly built Cherry Tree Drive residential estate. The totem, measuring 4 metres tall, 0.8 metres wide and 0.3 metres deep, would display the Costa name, their coffee bean logo, and a directional arrow, guiding road users to the coffee shop within the adjacent commercial building. Under the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013, the only material considerations are amenity and public safety. Officers assessed the sign in the context of the surrounding established development, noting that the site reads alongside the commercial building and the wider residential estate rather than as an isolated rural feature. The size, scale, siting, and design were found to cause no adverse visual or amenity harm and no highway safety hazard. Approval was subject to conditions preventing illumination and requiring removal if the sign is no longer needed.
The totem was approved because its size, scale, siting, and design were considered acceptable in relation to the adjacent Costa coffee shop and caused no harm to visual amenity or public safety. The proposal met the requirements of the Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 and the relevant general policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. Conditions were attached to prevent illumination and to secure removal if the sign becomes redundant.
The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013
The application accords with the The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013
General Policy 6
meets with the principles of General Policies 6, 7 and 8 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016
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.
General Policy 7
meets with the principles of General Policies 6, 7 and 8 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016
General Policy 7: 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. 6.6.3 Within rural areas, advertisements can be disruptive features which affect adversely the appearance of the landscape and the countryside. Lighting can pollute the night sky, and may be contrary to nature conservation interests.
General Policy 8
meets with the principles of General Policies 6, 7 and 8 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016
General Policy 8: 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. 6.7 Public Art 6.7.1 Our environment is improved by the provision of works of art in public places, particularly if that art reflects the cultural traditions or history of a particular area. 6.7.2 The Department will support the inclusion of such artwork in development proposals, and will expect such inclusion within major proposals. Artwork may take the form of public sculpture, s uch as the recently erected statues of T. E. Brown and Sir William Hillary in Douglas, or may be incorporated into features such as friezes, railings or landscaping. Commissions to locally based artists would be particularly welcome.
Spatial Policy 4
Spatial Policy 4 also identifies Crosby as being a smaller settlement
Strategic Policy 4: Proposals for development must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings (1), Conservation Areas (2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest; (b) protect or enhance the landscape quality and nature conservation value of urban as well as rural areas but especially in respect to development adjacent to Areas of Special Scientific Interest and other designations; and (c) not cause or lead to unacceptable environmental pollution or disturbance. 4.3.8 The design of new development can make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the Island. Recent development has often been criticised for its similarity to developments across the Island and elsewhere - "anywhere" architecture. At the same time some criticise current practice to retain traditional or vernacular designs. As is often the case the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes. All too often proposals for new developments have not taken into account a proper analysis of their context in terms of siting, layout, scale, materials and other factors. At the same time a slavish following of past design idioms, evolved for earlier lifestyles can produce buildings which do not reflect twenty first century lifestyles including accessibility and energy conservation. While there is often a consensus about what constitutes good and poor design, it is notoriously difficult to define or prescribe. 4.3.9 The Department recognises the need to raise the quality of the Island's architecture and built environment and is pursuing this through the development control process and the commissioning of its own schemes and environmental improvements. At the same ti me it appreciates that the debate about good design needs to be broadened to include those who design, construct and finance new development and the wider community as we are all affected by the end product. To this end it welcomes the Isle of Man Arts Co uncil's National Arts Development Strategy 2005 - 2014 which has as one of its objectives, to raise the quality of the Island's architecture and built environment by encouraging debate on architectural standards, town and country planning, urban regenerati on and public art. This Strategy recognises that debate will have to take place over time. 4.3.10 In the meantime, the Department considers that, while there are a number of policies in the Strategic Plan which cover various elements of the design of new development e.g. General Policy 2 (a) -(i), ( m) and (n), and various Housing policies, there is a need for a further statement on the need to secure quality in the design of new development. In the preparation of Area Plans the Department will include development briefs that set out design principles for significant sites including new residential areas. Subsequent planning applications will be required to be accompanied by a Design Statement setting out the way in which the proposal has been designed to take into account its context and how the design principles have been developed. 4.3.11 At the same time as wishing to promote good design in new development the Department recognises that there are an increasing number of alternative styles of housing which draw their design principles from the wish to promote sustainability and energy efficiency. Many of these can be incorporated into both modern and traditional designs but in some cases they produce a completely different structure or form of buildings, for exa mple underground (1)Registered Building is defined in Appendix 1 (2) Conservation Area is defined in Appendix 1 housing. While wishing to conserve the historic landscape of the Island the Department welcomes new styles of housing as long as they take into account the landscape context and the impact on the amenities of the area in which they are si ted. Merely arguing that a new building cannot be seen in public views is not a justification for the relaxation of other policies relating to the location of new development.
Condition 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.
Condition 2
There shall be no internal or external illumination of the totem hereby approved. Reason: for the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of the amenity of the neighbours.
Condition 3
In the event that the totem hereby approved is no longer required or if the use of the coffee shop to which it is relates ceases, the totem and any associated supports including below ground shall be removed within 6 months of the last requirement or within 6 months of the coffee shop use ceasing and the ground restored to its former condition. Reason: to avoid the accumulation of unwarranted structures in the interest of visual amenity.