DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/00129/D Applicant: Manx Shirts Limited Proposal: Installation of illuminated signage Site Address: Swiss Buildings Marathon Terrace Queens Promenade Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4NH Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Photo Taken: 03.03.2020 Site Visit: 03.03.2020 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.04.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2, General Policy 5, Environment Policy 35 and Environment Policy 37 of the Strategic Plan. Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the plans, location plan, site plan, design statement, and photos datestamped as having been received 4th February 2020.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the commercial curtilage of Swiss Buildings, Marathon Terrace, Queens Promenade, Douglas, a two-storey semi-detached shop located on the corner of the Queen's Promenade and Switzerland Road. - 1.2 The existing signage runs above the shop window on the south and west elevation. There is a main light box above the entrance and two light boxes that connect by the southwest corner. All three have a black background, yellow and white letters in bold and the TT Trade Logo.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the replacement of signage for all three light boxes. - 2.2 The replacements will be exactly the same size as the existing. The design will be similar except without the TT Trade Logo. All signage would have 8mm thick push through LED letters and the background would not be illuminated, only the letters. The back box would be thinner than existing.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There is no previous application considered materially relevant to this application.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 In terms of the local plan, the site is designated as "Mixed Use (Tourism/Office)" in the Douglas Local Plan 1998. It is within the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area. - 4.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: - 4.3 General Policy 2: "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".

4.4 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."

4.5 Environment Policy 35 states: "Within Conservation Areas, the department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special

• features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."
• 4.6 Environment Policy 37 states: "As a general policy, advertisements within Conservation Areas will be permitted only if:

• i) the proposal preserves or enhances the Conservation Area;
• ii) the signage is in a style appropriate to the character of the area;
• iii) traditional materials and finishes are used and glossy and highly reflective materials are excluded from proposals; and
• iv) internally illuminated box fascia and projecting box signs are excluded from the proposals.

5.0 REPRESENTATION - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection on this application (27/02/2020). - 5.2 DoI Highway Services does not object to this application (28/02/2020).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 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 street scene and the Conservation Area. - 6.2 The signage would be directly related to the existing usage of Manx and TT related merchandise sales. The signage has no significant changes except for the way it illuminates. The proposed illumination would be more gentle compare to the existing light box and therefore the visual impact on the Conservation Area is negligible, arguably beneficial. - 6.3 The existing signage is a typical last century light box that does not match the Victorian style of the Conservation Area while the proposed LED signage, although much more modern, will blend into the architectural style more easily due to its better contrast between the letters and the back box. - 6.4 EP37 states that internally illuminated boxes should be excluded from the proposal. The proposed design only has illuminated letter while the back box has no lights inside and therefore is considered to meet this requirement as it replaces an existing box fascia sign.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 For the reasons that the proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2, General Policy 5, Environment Policy 35 and Environment Policy 37 of the Strategic Plan, it is recommended for approval.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2013 (As Amended), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• o Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material;
• o The local authority in whose district the land which the subject of the application is situated.
• o the Highways, Ports and Railways divisions of the Department of Infrastructure.

8.2 The decision-maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than those explicitly listed above) are material; and
• o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 04.06.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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