DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 23/00668/B Applicant: Mr Steve Dick Proposal: Proposed extension to the rear of the property to form a new Kitchen, Utility and WC at ground floor and a new bathroom at first floor Site Address: 18 Princes Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 1BD Planning Officer: Mr Toby Cowell Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 12.09.2023

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.

N 1. FOR YOUR INFORMATION Please be aware that a ban on the installation of fossil fuel heating systems in any new building(s) and or extension(s), will come into force on 1st January 2025.

You therefore are encouraged to ensure that your proposed development includes alternatives to fossil fuel heating systems if you believe that such works will not be completed by that date.

To this end, if you propose an alternative, such as air source or ground source heat pump(s), or any other heating system that would require planning approval, the details of this should be addressed now. This may require you to resubmit your planning application to accommodate the alternative permitted heating system proposed.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The proposed development is acceptable in terms of its form, mass and design by providing suitable additions to an existing residential property without resulting in a detrimental impact upon the character and appearance of the host dwelling or wider streetscene, whilst ensuring that the amenities of adjoining residential properties would be sufficiently safeguarded. The

proposals are therefore deemed to comply with Strategic Policy 5, Spatial Policy 3, General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 42 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016).

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following drawings referenced;

• 23-112-01 revA

• 23-112-03 revA
• 23-112-04 revA Received 31.05.23

• 23-112-02 revC Received 11.09.23 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None. _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site represents the curtilage of an existing 18 Princes Street, Douglas, which comprise a three-storey mid-terraced dwelling, including a yard to the rear of the property. The dwelling is located to the western side of Princes Street and within a wider urban housing area.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Planning permission is sought for the demolition of the existing single-storey flat roofed rear extension and erection of a replacement single storey flat roofed extension comprising the entire width of the dwelling and a staggered rear building line. The proposals would facilitate a new kitchen, whilst the additional rearward projecting element would comprise a utility, WC and store. The extension would incorporate a glass lantern for the kitchen element and a flat roof for the remainder. - 2.2 The revised scheme would further include the erection of a first-floor extension above comprising a depth of 2.7m, circa. half the width of the property and a dual pitched roof. This element would facilitate a new bathroom. The proposals would be finished in painted render and slate roof tiles for the pitched roof element to match the existing dwelling.

2.2 The proposals were amended following initial submission to reduce the depth of the first-floor extension and alter the flat roof to a dual pitch. Such changes were sought in order to safeguard the amenities of the immediately adjoining property and the visual amenities of the wider locality. - 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 Planning permission was previously granted for an almost identical single storey extension to that which forms part of the current submission in 2018 (PA 18/00186/B). This application originally included a first-floor extension identical to the one initially included with the current application, however the scheme was subsequently amended by removing this element due to concerns raided by the case officer over its impact upon the amenities of the adjacent property. This application was not implemented and has therefore expired. - 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 The application site is identified in the Area Plan for the East as land zoned for 'predominantly residential' purposes, whilst falling within the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area.

4.2 The following policies from the 2016 Strategic Plan are considered pertinent in the assessment of this application;

Strategic Policy 2 Priority for new development to identified towns and villages 3 To respect the character of our towns and villages 5 Design and visual impact

Spatial Policy

• 1 Development in Douglas General Policy
• 2 General Development Considerations

Environment Policy 42 Designed to respect the character and identity of the locality

4.5 Residential Design Guide (2021) This document provides advice on the design of new houses and extensions to existing property as well as how to assess the impact of such development on the living conditions of those in adjacent residential properties and sustainable methods of construction. - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Douglas Borough Council - No objection. (09.06.23) 5.2 Highways Services - No highways interest. (09.06.23) 5.3 Manx Utilities Authority - no response received at the time of writing. 6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are as follows:

• - Principle of development (SP1)
• - Design and visual impact (SP5, GP2, EP42)
• - Impact upon neighbouring amenity (GP2, g)

- 6.2 PRINCIPLE

• 6.2.1 The site falls within the settlement boundary of Douglas and an area zoned for residential development, where there is a general presumption in favour of extensions to existing properties provided such development would not have an adverse impact on either adjacent properties or the surrounding area in general.

- 6.3 DESIGN AND VISUAL IMPACT

• 6.3.1 The proposed rear extension would replace an existing single-storey flat roofed addition which is of no particular architectural merit, and in any case visually detracts from the character and appearance of the dwelling. The proposed rear extension, whilst arguably more visually prominent, would amount to a higher standard of design that the existing extension, whilst allowing for a more efficient use of the site and enhanced internal accommodation.
• 6.3.2 Following changes to the first-floor element, the proposals are considered to be appropriate from a visual perspective, with the use of a dual-pitched roof considered to successfully assimilate with the design and built form of the host dwelling, whilst further

• corresponding to the design of similar rear projections to other properties within the immediate streetscene.
• 6.3.3 Given the above, the proposals are considered to be acceptable from a design and visual impact perspective, in compliance with General Policy 2 (b) & (c) and Environment Policy 42 of the Strategic Plan.
• 6.4 NEIGHBOURING AMENITY

• 6.4.1 Following revisions to the first-floor extension, the result depth of the extension is now considered to be appropriate and such that it would not result in a demonstrably harmful impact upon the amenities of the adjoining property of No.16 to the north-east. In particular, the proposals would no longer breach a 45 degree light angle measured from the centre of the closets ground-floor habitable room of the adjoining property, and therefore not lead to an unacceptable loss of light or excessive overshadowing; as per the requirements of the residential Design Guide. The proposals are therefore considered to be compliant with General

• Policy 2 (g).

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed development is acceptable in terms of its form, mass and design by providing suitable additions to an existing residential property without resulting in a detrimental impact upon the character and appearance of the host dwelling or wider streetscene, whilst ensuring that the amenities of adjoining residential properties would be sufficiently safeguarded. The proposals are therefore deemed to comply with Strategic Policy 5, Spatial

• Policy 3, General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 42 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016). The application is therefore recommended for approval.

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

- 8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

• (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 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: 02.10.2023 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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