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Application No.: 22/00696/C Applicant: Mr Ben Quayle Proposal: Change of Use of levels 1, 2 and 3 to south of main entrance and level 4 to both sides of the main entrance from office to gymnasium/wellness centre Site Address: Victory House Prospect Hill Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 1EQ Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 25.07.2022
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions
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.
Reason: The use of the building for other uses set out within the same use class would need assessment, given the nature/scale of the site and parking arrangements.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.
For the reasons outlined above it is considered that the planning application is in accordance with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 36 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and the Area Plan for the East 2020 having no significant adverse impacts upon public or private amenities.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawings all received on 17.06.2022.
Additional Persons
None _____________________________________________________________________________
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is Victory House, Prospect Hill, Douglas. The site is a large multistorey 1970's office building, located to the east of the Highway Prospect Hill and is a five storey office building when viewed from the Highway, predominately glass with concrete panels bisecting the floors. The front of the building follows the curvature of Prospect Hill, fronting onto the highway and footpath. - 1.2 The application building is not within a conservation area but the road and buildings opposite to the west are within the Athol Street / Victoria Street Conservation Area. The main entrance is via steps leading from the main street onto level 3 of the building, an additional entrance further north on the front elevation has been approved via 18/00431/B also onto level
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks full approval for the Change of Use of levels 1, 2 and 3 to south of main entrance and level 4 to both sides of the main entrance from office to gymnasium/wellness centre. The form uses of the building was Financial and Professional Services (i.e. Lloyds Bank with associated offices above). - 2.2 The applicants comment that;
"The office space has a bespoke set up for a bank which no longer complies with current banking standards, and as the offices are spread over 4 floors it hasn't appealed to larger potential tenants as they prefer to be based on a single floor.
The office space has remained unlet since Lloyds bank relocated to the Villiers building in May 2021."
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 Then previous planning applications associated with this site is considered relevant in the determination of this application; - 3.2 Change of use of level 3 to the North Side of the main entrance to Victory House from office (Class 2) to food and drink (Class 3) - 19/00829/C - APPROVED - 3.3 Change of use of level 3 to the North Side of the main entrance to Victory House from office (Class 2) to retail (Class 1) - 19/00828/C - APPROVED - 3.4 Creation of an entrance door for access to the third level of the building - 18/00431/B APPROVED
4.1 The application site is within an area designated as "Mixed Use Proposal Area - Strand Street" under the Area Plan for the East 2020. The site is within a Conservation Area. - 4.2 The following policies in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 are considered relevant:
3.3 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this application; - 3.4 General Policy 2 (GP2) (in part) "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:
3.5 Environment Policy 36 "Where development is proposed outside of, but close to, the boundary of a Conservation Area, this will only be permitted where it will not detrimentally affect important views into and out of the Conservation Area." - 3.6 In the Area Plan for the East, paragraph 9.8.3 states:
"This area forms the core of the retail shopping area and is characterised by shops, food and drink uses, financial and professional services and other associated town centre uses such as hairdressers, beauticians and so on. The area is currently busy during daytime but quiet of an evening and it is considered that more residential uses would benefit the area and help support the night time economy. The primary shopping frontage is notated by the hatched line on Map 5."
"There will be a presumption in favour of retail, and ancillary town centre uses such as food and drink and health and beauty uses along the primary shopping frontage. Outside of the primary shopping frontage a wider variety of town centre uses including financial and professional services open to visiting members of the public will also be acceptable. Entertainment venues, Offices and residential use will be acceptable at first floor level and above, but not at ground floor level where an active frontage should be maintained and enhanced. These active frontages are essential to sustain an attractive town centre."
5.0 CONSULTATIONS - 5.1 DOI Highway Services have no objection (06.07.2022). - 5.2 Douglas Borough Council have no objection (08.07.2022).
6.1 The following issues are relevant in the determination of this application; (a) principle of developing the site as a gym; (b) potential impact upon highway safety/parking provision; and (c) potential impact of the works to the street scene / the adjacent Conservation Area. PRINCIPLE OF DEVELOPING THE SITE FOR A GYM - 6.2 As stated earlier in this report, the application site is located within a wider area of land that is designated as Mixed use and therefore accords with this use.
6.3 Further, the Area Plan for the East supports the use of properties in Douglas Town Centre and especially above existing shops/offices to try reinvigorate the town centre during evening periods. - 6.4 Accordingly, while the current proposal does meet the current land use designation, it is considered acceptable. POTENTIAL IMPACT UPON HIGHWAY SAFETY/PARKING PROVISION - 6.5 The existing building has a number of off street parking spaces (6) associated with the site which are located to the rear of the site (east) accessed via Nelson Street (opposite M&S). - 6.6 The applicants state; "The former Lloyds bank tenancy was allocated 6 parking spaces in the car park to the rear of the property. All other parking was provided privately off site. The 6 spaces will be made available for staff at the gym and consulting rooms.
The gymnasium offer is primarily aimed at the employees of tenants of Rose Estates, who will already be parked in the town centre for work.
There is a former store at the lower car park level that is being converted into a bicycle store for workers at the Rose Estates properties in the vicinity. The bicycle store is in accordance with PA 19/00828/C."
6.7 The site is within a sustainable location within a town centre, next to a main bus stop. The existing use arguable created a greater level of parking requirement than the gym use would, as person visiting the gym (likely to be workers within the town centre), have already in connection with their work. Highway Services raise no concerns.
6.8 There are no external changes proposed to the building and therefore the proposal does not have any adverse impact upon the visual amenities of the property or adversely affect the visual amenities of the character and quality of the adjacent Conservation Area.
7.1 For the reasons outlined above it is considered that the planning application is in accordance with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 36 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and the Area Plan for the East 2020 having no significant adverse impacts upon public or private amenities and it is therefore recommended that the planning application be approved. - 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:
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: 25.07.2022 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner
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