DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/00431/C Applicant: Mr Robert Cosgrove Proposal: Change of use from office space to beauty therapy clinic Site Address: 1st Floor Office 26 Duke Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 2AY Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 27.05.2021 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice.

Reason: To comply with Article 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2 and Transport Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawings date-stamped as having been received on 2nd March 2021. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following Government Departments should be given Interested Person Status on the basis that they have made written submissions relating to planning considerations:

DoI Flood Risk Management Division _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

- 1.0 THE SITE

1.1 The application site is 26 Duke Street, Douglas, a three-storey mid-terrace house located on the west of Duke Street. The property is currently vacant.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The planning application seeks approval for the change of use for the first floor from office (class 2.1) to a hair and beauty salon (Class 1.1).

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

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 In terms of the local plan, the site is within an area designated as Mixed Use (Strand Street) in the Area Plan for the East. The site is also on the Primary Retail Frontage. - 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
• (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space
• (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways;
• (j) can be provided with all necessary services."

4.4 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."

4.7 Appendix 7.6 states town centre shops should have space for service vehicle use. - 4.8 Appendix 7.6 also states: "These standards may be relaxed where development:

• (d) is within a reasonable distance of an existing or proposed bus route and it can be demonstrated a reduced level of parking will not result in unacceptable on-street parking in the locality."

5.0 REPRESENTATION - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objections to this application (26/04/2021). - 5.2 DoI Highway Services do no oppose this application (30/04/2021). The comments there is no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network efficiency and/or parking. - 5.3 DoI Flood Risk Management Division states there is no flood risk management interest in this application (05/05/2021).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The key issues to consider are the principle of the development and its impact on parking provision. - 6.2 The site is located in a central location in Douglas. The Local Plan designated the area as being Mixed Use and it is on the Primary Shopping Frontage. Therefore, the proposal is considered acceptable. - 6.3 There is no specific parking to be allocated for this development. Whilst there is no kerbside parking in the vicinity, Highway Services have confirmed that they have no objection so the impact on parking is considered acceptable.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 For the reasons that the proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan, it is recommended for an 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:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land which the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

8.2 The decision-maker must determine:

• o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) 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 and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 27.05.2021 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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