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APPLICATION:       MA/12/0286  Date: 17 February 2012         Received: 17 February 2012

The recommendation for this application is being reported to Committee for decision because:

●    The Council is the applicant.

1.0    POLICIES

·         Maidstone Borough Wide Local Plan 2000: ENV8.

·         The South East Plan RSS 2009: BE1.

·         Government Policy:  PPG19 – Outdoor Advertisement Control.

2.0    HISTORY

2.1     The most relevant planning history for the site is:

MA/95/0217 - Advertisement Consent for the installation of a poster hoarding measuring 1.56m x 1.045m - Approved

3.0    CONSULTATIONS

3.1     PARISH COUNCIL:  Not applicable.

4.0    REPRESENTATIONS

4.1     NEIGHBOURS: No response received to date.

5.0    CONSIDERATIONS

5.1     Site and Surroundings

5.1.1  The application site contains a multi storey car park within Maidstone Town Centre.  To the ground floor facing King Street is a shop front (vacant), with a dominant and bland concrete façade above.

5.1.2  To the west elevation is a very large section of unrelieved brickwork.

5.2     Proposal

5.2.1  Advertisement consent is sought for the installation of two non-illuminated poster cases to the south (King Street) and west (Church Street) elevations and four non-illuminated banner signs to the south elevation.  The poster cases would measure 1.6m x approximately 1m and would be sited at ground floor level.  The four banners would measure 2.5m x 6m and would be sited 7.4m above ground level (measured to their base). I understand that the proposals would be used for general advertising (rather than specifically Council business) and that what they advertise may be subject to change.

5.3     Assessment

5.3.1  The most relevant policy under the Maidstone Borough Wide Local Plan 2000 is Policy ENV8 which permits new advertisements provided that, in terms of scale and design, they would not be detrimental to the character and appearance of the surrounding area.  In addition, PPG19 requires consideration to be given to the issues of visual amenity and public safety, and, indeed, visual amenity and public safety are the only considerations under The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.

5.3.2  Although the banners would be of a large scale, this is a very large and bland building of monotonous appearance.  The banners would not be of a scale which would dominate a building of this size and to a certain degree they would add visual interest and enliven this elevation, which is in need of relief.  The poster cases to the ground floor would not be prominently located and would clearly be subordinate to the existing building.

5.3.3  None of the signs would be illuminated, so would not be overly prominent.

5.3.4  In relation to the overall height of the building, the banners would not be at a particularly high level.

5.3.5  Holy Trinity Conservation Area lies to the north of the site, but most of the signage would be on the south elevation and that to the west would not be close enough to the Conservation Area to significantly affect it.  The site is not seen in the same context as the listed building opposite.

5.3.6  I conclude that the proposal would preserve visual amenity.

5.3.7  Due to its siting, and the fact that the signs would not be illuminated, the proposal would not cause significant harm to public or highway safety.

6.0    CONCLUSION

6.1     Taking all of the above into account, it is considered overall that the proposal complies with Development Plan policy and the Central Government guidance as set out in PPG19.  I therefore recommend approval subject to the conditions set out below.

7.0    RECOMMENDATION

GRANT ADVERTISEMENT CONSENT subject to the following conditions:      

1.   (i) No advertisement is to be displayed without the permission of the owner of the site or any other person with an interest in the site entitled to grant permission.

(ii) No advertisement shall be sited or displayed so as to-
(a) endanger persons using any highway, railway, waterway, dock, harbour or aerodrome (civil or military);
(b) obscure, or hinder the ready interpretation of, any traffic sign, railway signal or aid to navigation by water or air; or
(c) hinder the operation of any device used for the purpose of security or surveillance or for measuring the speed of any vehicle.

(iii) Any advertisement displayed, and any site used for the display of advertisements, shall be maintained in a condition that does not impair the visual amenity of the site.
(iv) Any structure or hoarding erected or used principally for the purpose of displaying advertisements shall be maintained in a condition that does not endanger the public.
(v) Where an advertisement is required under these Regulations to be removed, the site shall be left in a condition that does not endanger the public or impair visual amenity.

Reason: In accordance with the provisions of Regulation 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.

2.   The advertisement(s) for which consent is hereby granted must be removed in accordance with condition 1 (iii) within five years of the date of this consent;

Reason: In accordance with the provisions of Regulation 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.

The proposed development, subject to the conditions stated, is considered to comply with the policies of the Development Plan (Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000 and the South East Plan 2009) and there are no overriding material considerations to indicate a refusal of planning consent.