DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00530/D Applicant: Reverend Josephine Dudley Proposal: Installation of non-illuminated signage (in association with 19/00531/CON) Site Address: Christ Church Church Hill Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7AX Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.06.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 7th May 2019:

• o Location Plan
• o Site Plan
• o Photograph of existing
• o New Sign Sheet B
• o New Sign details Sheet C1
• o New signage specifications C2
• o Signage elevation drawing as proposed C3 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is Laxey Christ Church, adjacent to the Laxey MER station. The church is a mid-19th century small stone Registered Building (No.85) with a slate roof and traditional lead windows. At present there is a green welcome sign between a window and north elevation edge of the church, which is within Laxey Conservation Area and partly screened by mature trees.

2.0 PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for the installation of a replacement 2000mm x 1130mm non illuminated yellow sign on the side of the church north elevation. The sign would feature some details regarding the heritage of the church, with contents and purpose largely the same. The main difference is that the new signage would cover roughly twice the surface area of the existing.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There have been Registered Building applications and planning applications for this site, including an application for express consent for the erection of a notice board in the church grounds (12/00283/D), none are particularly relevant to this application.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site is zoned within the Laxey and Lonan Local Plan as Civic, Cultural or other Special Use - Worship. It is within Laxey Conservation Area, and is a Registered Building (no.85). - 4.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan contains the following policy that is considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application: - 4.3 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."

4.4 Environment Policy 32 states:

"Extensions or alterations to a Registered Building which would affect detrimentally its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest will not be permitted."

4.5 Environment Policy 37 is concerned with advertisements in conservation areas: "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 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Garff Commissioners have no objection to the application (13.06.2019). - 5.2 DoI Highway Services have stated that they have no objection to the application (12.06.19).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue to be considered in the assessment of this application is the impact of the proposed signage on the church and the wider area visually. - 6.2 The impact on the building itself is likely to be limited only to visual impacts, and whether or not the new signage would preserve or enhance the special character and appearance of the Registered Building. Visually, the difference between the existing and proposed signage is considered negligible. Both serve as signs to welcome visitors into the church dating from 1856. The proposed signage, whilst larger than the existing, is not of a form or design which would appear out of place or harmful in its location or when read within the context of the church building itself. - 6.3 It is not considered that the signage would be of a type or in such a position as to cause damage to the building both when installed, and if necessary in future, removed. Nor is it considered to be inappropriate in this historic part of Laxey.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 This proposal accords with the planning policy aforementioned and is recommended for approval.

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

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• o The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application;
• o Manx National Heritage, and
• o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

8.2 In addition to those above, the Regulation 9(3) requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.

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.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 19.06.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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