Officer Report

Application No.: 17/01200/B Applicant: Mr Paul Metcalfe Proposal: Erection of single storey extension Site Address: 8 Knock Rushen Scarlett Castletown Isle of Man IM9 1TQ Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 06.12.2017 Site Visit: 06.12.2017 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 19.01.2018 _________________________________________________________________

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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

Plans/Drawings/Information:

This approval relates to drawings 01, 02 and 03A received on 17th November, 2017 and 04 received on 21st November, 2017. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons none _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the curtilage of an existing semi-detached dwelling which sits within a relatively modern housing estate which lies on the southern side of Castletown. The site sits alongside the estate road which runs to the side and the house fronts onto an area of grassed sloping public open space and backs onto a communal parking area. The house is two storey and half

• of a pair of symmetrical stone fronted houses with a steeply pitched roof which provides living accommodation served by two pitched roofed dormers - one in the front pitch the other in the rear - and a number of rooflights.
• 1.2 The properties have a distinctive style with original designs for all of the houses and a considerable range of house types. The application property and its neighbour to the south west form a symmetrical pair and the houses to the south west of it match these two.
• 1.3 One consistent theme within the estate is the boundary walling alongside the estate road which comprises approximately 2m high stone pillars with rendered flat capping in between sections of smooth white painted rendered 1m high walling with similar capping. This forms the eastern boundary of the application site. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is an extension at the rear alongside a small pitched roofed annex which matches that on the adjoining property. The proposed extension is flat roofed and rendered on the rear elevation with decorative quoins on each corner. The elevations facing the estate road and public open space are to be finished in stone to match the frontage of the house although the existing boundary wall is to be retained and the extension will sit 1m higher than the level of the bottom of the wall, with the roof sitting around 1m higher than the tallest part of the wall and 1m back into the garden. - 2.2 The extension will come within 1.2m of the estate road: the existing rear annex sits up to 3.8m away: the existing main gable sits around 200mm from the wall abutting the highway. - 2.3 The additional accommodation will be accessed off the existing dining room with patio doors leading out into a new pavioured area. A new set of double doors will lead into the site from the estate road. This new opening will be 2.4m wide and there is sufficient space on which to park a vehicle but probably not enough to turn. PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South (2013) as Residential. As such, the following Strategic Plan policy is applicable: 8.12.1 Extensions to Dwellings in built up areas or sites designated for residential use

As a general policy, in built up areas not controlled by Conservation Area or Registered Building policies, there will be a general presumption in favour of extensions to existing property where such extensions would not have an adverse impact on either adjacent property or the surrounding area in general.

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;

• (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 and
• (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways". PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The estate was approved under 04/02083/B and was subsequently modified through a series of amended schemes, including 09/01335/B. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Castletown Commissioners have no objection (06.12.17).

5.2 Highway Services indicate that they do not oppose the application (20.12.17). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue here is whether the proposal has any adverse impact on the character or appearance of the area or on the living conditions of those in adjacent property. Whilst the adjoining dwelling appears to be in the same ownership as the application site, it must still be demonstrated that the living conditions of those there would not be adversely affected as land ownership can change over time.

6.2 The works are unlikely to have any significant impact on the amenities of the adjoining property as it is located on the side furthest away from it. The new side wall is unlikely to be seen to any great extent from the highway due to the existing boundary wall.

6.3 The proposal will create additional off road parking spaces which will help prevent on-street parking which is not welcome on what is a well designed estate with relatively narrow roads and where parked vehicles adversely affect the character and appearance of the estate as well as highway safety for pedestrians and those in vehicles. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The application is supported. INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material
• (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and
• (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated. 8.2 The decision-maker must determine:

• * whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• * whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 22.01.2018 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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