94580

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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No. : 23/00680/B Applicant : Mr Neil Quane Proposal : Demolition of existing detached garage and construction of new gable end extension to include garage, ground floor living space and first floor bedrooms Site Address : 7 St Ninians Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4BB

Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.07.2023 __

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.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. Overall, it is concluded that the planning application is in accordance with the proposal complies with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan 2016 and the Residential Design Guidance 2021 having no significant adverse impact upon public or private amenities.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing all received on 31.05.2023.

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE

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1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of an existing dwelling 7 St Ninians Road, Douglas which sits on the south-western side of St Ninians Road and Nobel's Park.

1.2 The house is a traditional in style (1930/40's) two storey semi-detached property (two and half to rear - has a lower ground floor store) which has a single storey detached flat roofed garage to the south of the main dwelling which is accessed via an existing drive which runs along the southern boundary of the site to an existing access which adjoins St Ninians Road.

1.3 To the south of the application site is the neighbouring property Nr 6 St Ninians Road which due to the topography of the land in this location is set slightly below the ground level of the application site. To the north of the site is Cranburn, which has the same ground level as the application site. Norther properties to the north of the site haver high grounds levels and those to the south have lower ground levels.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The planning application seeks approval for the demolition of existing detached garage and construction of new gable end extension to include garage, ground floor living space and first floor bedrooms.

2.2 The works would involve the erection of a three storey side extension setback from the front elevation, finished to match the existing dwelling in terms of finishes and style.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the East 2020 as "Predominantly Residential" use. The site is not within a Conservation Area.

3.2 As such, the following parts of the Strategic Plan are relevant:

3.3 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; (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; (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".

3.4 The Department has recently published the Residential Design Guidance (March 2021) which 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 property.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 There are no previous planning applications which are considered relevant in the determination of this application.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services comment (14.06.2023); "After reviewing this Application, Highway Services HDC finds it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking. The Applicant is advised

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that Highway Licences may be necessary for any equipment and materials to be placed within the highway for the duration of the proposed works."

5.2 Douglas Borough Council do not object (13.06.2023).

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of the application are the potential impacts upon the character and appearance of the street scene, and the potential impacts upon the neighbouring properties.

Potential impacts upon the character and appearance of the street scene 6.2 The proposed side three storey extension in terms of its proportion, form, scale and design are in keeping with the property and although being publically viewable; it is considered the works would be appropriate to the amenities of the street scenes and the individual property. Adding a three storey extension to a two storey dwelling does have some initial concern; however the ground levels to the southern gable of the dwelling are such that the lower ground floor element (i.e. garage) is almost at basement level, set a full storey below the finished floor level of the ground floor of the main dwellinghouse. While in most circumstances this three storey extension would not be appropriate, in this case it is considered acceptable.

6.3 Accordingly, it is considered the proposed extensions would be appropriate for this individual dwelling and also within the street scene it forms part of and would have a significant adverse impact to warrant a refusal.

Potential impacts upon the neighbouring properties 6.4 The property most likely to be affected by the development would be Nr 6 to the south of the extension. The new extension would be located between 0.46m and 1.3 m to the shared side boundary with Nr 6 and 5.2m to the gable end elevation (north) and 8.2m to the two storey rear outrigger side (north) elevation. The neighbouring property (Nr 6) has a single storey flat roofed garage which would be located between the proposed extension and the northern gable end wall of Nr 6. There are no windows within the gable elevation of Nr 6, but a number of windows at ground floor and first floor levels within the side of the rear outrigger.

6.5 As mentioned the finished floor level of this neighbouring property is below that of the application dwellings finished floor level.

6.6 The main issue are potential overbearing impacts upon outlooks, loss of light and/or loss of privacy.

6.7 In terms of loss of light, given the application site and extension is to the north and the subs orientation (east to west) it is not considered there would be any significant loss of light to warrant a refusal.

6.8 In terms of overlooking resulting in a loss of privacy, the proposal includes no gable end windows within the southern gable. There are a total of three sets of windows in total within the rear elevation (lower ground, ground and first floor). While this increases the number of windows within the rear elevation of the property and windows that are closer to Nr 6; given their position to the rear elevation and the position of the neighbouring dwelling, it is not considered there would be any directly overlooking to warrant a refusal.

6.9 The final issue relates to the potential overbearing impacts upon the outlooks of the occupiers of Nr 6. The proposed three storey extension, will have an impact given it siting and its height. However, the outlook is not likely to radically change, currently views from the rear garden and windows within Nr 6's outrigger are of the single storey flat roof garage and the two half storey gable wall of the existing dwelling. The proposal which would remove the flat roofed garage (runs immediately along shared boundary with Nr 6) would result in a similar

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outlook in terms of scale, form and mass of built form, albeit slightly closer. Overall, while there is an impact given the above reasons, it is not considered the impacts would be so great to warrant a refusal.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 Overall, it is concluded that the planning application is in accordance with the proposal complies with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan 2016 and the Residential Design Guidance 2021 having no significant adverse impact upon public or private amenities and therefore it is recommended for 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 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 in Article 4(2) 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: 12.07.2023

Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON

Jason Singleton

Principal Planner

Customer note

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