3 December 2007 · Delegated - Director of Planning and Building Control (M. I. McCauley)
Vino, 1, Quines Corner, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 4lf
The proposal involves changing the use of a ground-floor shop unit in a mixed-use town centre location from a newsagents to a coffee shop accommodating around 20 seats, open 7am-6pm daily (12 noon-6pm Sundays/Bank Holidays).
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The site is within a town centre mixed-use area characterised by eating and drinking establishments, so the coffee shop use complements the prevailing character.
Douglas Local Plan Policy D/Ret/P1
Douglas Local Plan 1998 zones the site as Mixed Use / Town Centre, suitable for retail/leisure including eating establishments. The officer confirmed the coffee shop complements pubs, cafes and shops on North Quay.
Time limit
The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
Approved plans
This permission relates to the conversion of the premises to a coffee shop as shown and described in drawings received on 12th October, 2007.
Opening hours
The premises may only be open between the hours of 7am and 6pm and between 12 noon and 6pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
No extraction without approval
No approval is hereby permitted for the installation of any ventilation or extraction system as none has been shown in the application drawings. If such a system is required as a result of cooking operations within the premises, such must be the subject of a planning application following consultation with the Environmental Health Inspectorate.
no objection
Douglas Borough Council has no objection to the proposal. IoM Water Authority requests contact for water supply changes. Fire Service requires consultation on fire safety. A resident objects due to existing fumes and smells.
Douglas Corporation
No ObjectionDouglas Corporation have no objection to the proposals listed below.
Isle of Man Water Authority
Conditional No ObjectionThe Authority wish to express their interest in the following planning applications, and request that a condition of planning be that the applicant must contact the Authority
Conditions requested: a condition of planning be that the applicant must contact the Authority to ensure that a connection is obtained for water supply purposes, or an amendment to the existing supply under the terms of the Water Supply Byelaws; For a change in the supply to a premises (domestic or commercial) the applicant should contact the IoMWA Byelaws Inspector (Michael Karran), tel. 69 59 57
Isle of Man Fire And Rescue Service
Applicant to consult with Fire Safety Department as proposal falls within the scope of The Fire Precautions (Places of Work) Regulations 1996
Conditions requested: Applicant to consult with Fire Safety Department as proposal falls within the scope of The Fire Precautions (Places of Work) Regulations 1996
The original application (06/01161/C) for change of use of existing retail units to fish and chip takeaway, restaurant, and coffee house was refused by the Planning Committee primarily due to highway safety concerns from on-street parking at a busy junction and harm to residential amenities from noise, smells, and disturbance. The appellant argued the site is in a mixed-use town centre/harbour area suitable for such uses, provided evidence of adequate parking availability, low accident risk, local customer base, and advanced odour extraction systems. The inspector found the proposal compatible with the locality, unlikely to harm residential amenities with proper conditions on hours and extraction, and minimal risk of illegal parking causing highway issues based on site observations and evidence. The appeal was allowed with conditions including restricted opening hours and extraction scheme requirements.
Precedent Value
Demonstrates that in town centre/harbour locations, change to takeaway uses can succeed on appeal with evidence of minimal highway harm via observations/precedents and amenity mitigation via extraction/hours, even without off-street parking. Future applicants should prioritise peak-hour surveys, technical odour solutions, and local trade focus.
Inspector: Terrence Kemmann-Lane
