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Application No.: 24/00676/D Applicant: Laxey Glen Mills Limited Proposal: Installation of temporary signage until 1st January 2026 while a permanent design is developed (in association with 24/00677/CON). Site Address: Flour Mill Mill Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7AU Planning Officer: Toby Cowell Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 25.11.2024 _________________________________________________________________
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
C 1. The signage hereby approved shall have been removed from the site and the building restored back to its original state by the 1st January 2026.
Reason: Permission has only been sought on a temporary basis up to the above referenced date, which has formed the basis for the works having been justified contrary to General Policy 6 and Environment Policy 37.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.
Notwithstanding the level of short-term visual harm to the character and appearance of the Registered Building and wider Conservation Area, the proposed banner is, on balance, considered to be acceptable in the context of it being temporary in nature and assisting with the continued operation of the building as a flour mill.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following drawings and documents referenced; Schedule of works document Received 17.10.24 Location plan Site plan Banner detail Elevation illustration Received 25.07.24
Interested Person Status None _________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THIS APPLICATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR DETERMINATION DUE TO THE OBJECTION FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site relates to the principal and original building within the Laxey Glen Mills site. The building in question was constructed in 1860 as detailed on the decorative pediment adorning the building and is further present on historic mapping dating from the same period. The building also forms part of the registration for Laxey Glen Mills, and comprises a key feature within the wider Conservation Area; particularly when viewed from the bridge crossing the river to the immediate east.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Permission is sought for the installation of banner on the principal elevation of the building comprising dimensions of 8m in length by 1.2m in depth set at 7m above ground level. The application has been submitted on the basis that the signage would only be temporary in nature, with permission sought for its installation up until 1st January 2026 whilst a permanent solution for signage is sought in the intervening period. - 2.2 The signage would be non-illuminated with a largely white background complemented with red lettering displaying the opening times together with the logo of the flour mill on the right hand side.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The applications site and wider site of Laxey Glen Mills is subject to a fairly extensive planning history, however none of which is considered to be of material relevance to this application.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as 'Industrial' within the Area Plan for the East (2020) within the settlement boundary of Laxey, whilst also falling within the Conservation Area. The building forms part of the Laxey Glen Mills site and is a key part of the Registration for the site. General Policies 6 and 7 require signage in town or village areas to be of suitable design, in keeping with the surrounding area and not cause a highway safety hazard, whilst relating to the building on which it is to attach. Furthermore The Control of Advertisements Regulations 2013 make clear that the only considerations which can be applied to applications made under them are in the interests of protecting amenity and public safety. - 4.2 Environment Policy 37 further states that, as a general policy, advertisements within Conservation Areas will be permitted only if they preserve or enhance the Conservation Area, are of an appropriate style in the context of the character of the area and utilise traditional materials and finishes. Internally illuminated box fascia and projecting box signs will not typically be permitted.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Garff Commissioners - The consensus of the Members is that the design and format of the banner could be more appropriate for the building than the latest proposed. Members noted that on other such commercial traditional mill buildings in other jurisdictions the banners are sometimes placed to run vertically. It was felt that this arrangement would be more visually
in keeping with the window alignments of the building and that in this configuration the banner could be mounted higher than currently proposed.
Notwithstanding this, the Board recognises that this vertical configuration may not be suitable for the advertising text required and wish to advise that they would not appeal any approval decision on this application. (03.10.24)
5.2 Highway Services - No highways interest (02.08.24) - 5.3 Manx National Heritage - No response received at the time of writing. - 5.4 Manx Utilities Authority - No response received at the time of writing. - 5.5 Department of Infrastructure Harbours Division - No response received at the time of writing. - 5.6 Department of Infrastructure Railways - No response received at the time of writing. - 5.7 Registered Buildings Officer - These applications initially proposed a permanent advertising banner in a position on the right hand side of the main building's eastern (principal) elevation. Concerns were raised that the nature and location of this banner were not appropriate for this historic registered building. Following discussions, a revised proposal was put forward to locate the banner above the vehicular entrance way, on the far right of the easterly elevation. In addition to the revised location, the description was altered to propose the banner as a temporary installation until January 2026 while a more appropriate permanent signage design was developed. Following circulation of these revised proposals, Garff Commissioners have maintained their objection on the basis that regardless of the temporary nature, the size and design/materials are not appropriate for this historic building. Given that the objections raised have not been removed by the proposed alternative location, the applicant has reverted back to the proposal for the banner to be installed in the originally proposed location. This location is preferable as it will be easier to install and change the banner than it would be if the banner were located over the vehicular access. Suggestions have been made by both the registered buildings officer and Garff Commissioners to install a vertical banner that would better respect the form of the front elevation, with examples on other historic industrial buildings provided. However, the applicant has stated that their preference is for a horizontal banner as they believe that this would be easier to read.
I consider this proposal to be a relatively finely balanced case. I judge that the size, position, material and horizontal form of the proposed banner fail to respect the design and form of this registered building. However, the temporary installation of such a banner for a period of little over a year while a more permanent signage solution is developed is entirely reversible and I would judge that this would be something that would cause no long-term harm to the special architectural or historic interest of the building. Furthermore, the rationale for installing the banner, to advertise the fact that the mill is open for public sales of their products, is something that is intended to support the building's long-term use as a flour mill. I judge that the fact that the complex is still in use for its original purpose to be something that makes a significant contribution to the building's historic special interest. On balance, I judge that the temporary installation of a banner in the form and position proposed to be something that would not harm the building's special interest and to therefore be acceptable. I would caveat this judgement by stating that, in my judgement, a permanent installation in the manner proposed would cause harm to the building's special interest and would not therefore be acceptable. I am keen to work with the applicants to develop a permanent advertising solution that would be appropriate to the building's historic nature while assisting to keep the ongoing operation of the mill in its historic home to be commercially viable. (05.11.24)
6.1 The proposed signage would clearly relate to the building on which it is to attach and therefore satisfy the requirements of General Policy 7. Likewise, no concerns have been raised by Highway Services and therefore the proposals are further deemed to be acceptable from a highways safety standpoint in compliance with General Policy 6 (c). - 6.2 General Policy 6 (a) and (b) relate to the character and design implications of new advertisements, and require that they:
6.3 This is further reinforced by Environment Policy 37 which states that new advertisements within Conservation Areas will be permitted only if they preserve or enhance the Conservation Area, are of an appropriate style in the context of the character of the area and utilise traditional materials and finishes. - 6.4 Concerns have been raised by the Local Authority over the design and horizontal nature of the proposed banner, and state that vertical signage would be more in keeping with the character of the building. This stance is further echoed by the Registered Buildings Officer who considers that the size, position, material and horizontal form of the proposed banner fail to respect the design and form of this registered building. The Registered Buildings Officer deems the submission to be very finely balanced, but notes that the immediate level of harm proposed from a visual standpoint would be tempered by the fact that the banner would be of a temporary nature only whilst a permanent solution is sought, and indeed would be entirely reversible. Therefore, no long term harm is deemed likely to arise as a result of the proposals in the context of the historic fabric of the building. - 6.5 Officers are in agreement that the proposals are finely balanced, particularly as the banner would appear at odds with the character and appearance of the building whilst resulting in a degree of visual intrusive when viewed from public vantage points within the Conservation Area; particularly the bridge over the river to the east. The banner would undoubtedly appear as an obtrusive and somewhat incongruous feature, and therefore fail to preserve of enhance the character and appearance of the building and the wider Conservation Area, contrary to General Policy 6 and Environment Policy 37. - 6.6 Nevertheless, the banner is proposed to be of a lightweight PVC construction which would not result in any permanent damage to the building, whilst only be applied for on a temporary basis up until January 2026. Should planning permission be forthcoming, this would be strictly controlled by condition as permission. - 6.7 On balance, the temporary nature of the banner coupled with its purpose of assisting with the continued operation of the building as a flour mill is considered to marginally outweigh the level of harm caused by its installation to the character and appearance of the registered building and that of the wider conservation area. It would however be stressed that should planning permission be forthcoming, the temporary nature of the banner be controlled by condition and strictly enforced if any planning breach were to occur. It is also noteworthy that officer support almost entirely hinges on the banner being of a temporary nature for in the region of 12 months whilst a permanent solution is sought. A continued extension of the banner being present on the building past January is not considered to be appropriate and therefore would unlikely be looked upon favourably if sought in the future.
7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 Notwithstanding the level of short-term visual harm to the character and appearance of the Registered Building and wider Conservation Area, the proposed banner is, on balance, considered to be acceptable in the context of it being temporary in nature and assisting with
the continued operation of the building as a flour mill. The application is therefore recommended for approval.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
8.2 The decision maker must determine:
8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture (DEFA) is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status.
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded interested person status and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted Committee Meeting Date: 09.12.2024
Signed : T COWELL Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
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