FILE MEMO

Emailed comment relative to a planning application and submitted via IOM Government online services.

Hard copy for the purposes of the planning file. Regarding:

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NB For the purposes of assessing party status the person submitting the comment has been invited to indicate their relationship toward the end of the comment received;

The comment stated;

Please see details of our objection to the application in our e-mail, sent 20th Dec, 2017 Relationship to site: Close to the site (please elaborate)

From: Steven Ashton [email protected] Sent: 20 December 2017 18:06 To: DEFA, Planning Subject: Objection to Planning Application Reference 17/01219/B Attachments: Haven Planning.doc

Dear Planning,

We are writing to object to the planning application (Reference 17/01219/B) for alterations to garage at the Haven, Agneash.

The details of our objection are contained in the attached document,

yours faithfully,

Steven & Claire Ashton

Draycott Snaefell Road, Agneash IM47NR

Tel 862639 / 412350/[email protected]

Claire & Steven Ashton Draycott Snaefell Rd Agneash Lonan IM4 7NR 18th December, 2017

With regard to Planning Application Reference 17/01219/B for alterations to garage to create ancillary accommodation at The Haven, Agneash, IM47NS

As close neighbours to the site, we object to the above planning application.

Our house is the middle of the three houses on the single track Snaefell Mines Road, directly before the proposed development site. The level of our house and gardens are below the level of the gardens of the Haven.

The plans for the development do not provide ancillary accommodation for the Haven because they are significantly disconnected from the main house, and they are not designed in a manner that provides a functional connection with that house. Access to the new development from the house would be by walking through the garden, through the back door of the downstairs garage, opening the garage doors from the inside to exit the garage, closing the garage doors from the outside, and walking up the side entrance steps into the upper floor accommodation. This is not practical. The alternative would be to walk around from the Haven to the development via the roads. In this way it is too far disconnected from the house to be regarded as ancillary accommodation. This leads us to the opinion that the intention is to change the development in the future for use as separate accommodation. This is further demonstrated by the use of the term "Tenants" on the Approval Drawing.

The grounds for our objections are as follows:

Addition of traffic and further congestion to parking

The current building at the site is a garage for a single vehicle. Whilst the proposed plans show two vehicles, the diagram is misleading and it would only be practical for one. It is also true that a large proportion of garage owners do not use the garages for vehicles but tend to use them for storage and other purposes. Whether this is the case or not, from certain aspects of the plans, we worry that the future intention is to change the use of the garage to a dwelling at a later date, which would result in additional vehicles parking in the village, especially in this extremely restricted area. The spaces around the three houses at the Agneash end of the Snaefell Mines Road are already overloaded with vehicles on a regular basis, with seven residents' cars between the three houses. Guests or visitors using the proposed development would want to use the Snaefell Mines Road for access and parking and would not access through the Haven house and gardens. This would cause further parking on soft verges and gated field entrances.

In addition to use by residents, the Snaefell Mines Road is regularly used by walkers, cyclists, off-road bikers, farm access, farm-land access, MEA access, with a wide range of vehicle types requiring access. As well as adding to the parking difficulties, the additional guests, tenants and/or visitors to this development would add traffic load to road to the village from Laxey, and specifically on the Snaefell Mines Road. During its development, there would be significant

additional traffic in the village. This is an issue that concerns us, as the road to Agneash is narrow, with few passing places. It is in poor condition and in summer is overgrown with grass banks which make it even narrower. The development adds a further obstruction in the form of the balcony at the front. This protrudes out onto the road, would be a risk to vehicles and would limit visibility to oncoming vehicles around the bend at the property. Even without the balcony, the proposed widening of the building by addition of the steps which emerge onto the highway, and the orientation of the building to the road would cause the front of the building to protrude further than it does at present.

Additional load on the drainage of water and waste

The three current houses on the Snaefell Mines Road, of which ours is the middle, have extremely inadequate drainage facilities for the drainage of waste water. The close proximity to the road and the high water table do not allow for effective drainage. The Haven drainage adds to this load by virtue of its relative height and the position of its current drainage facilities. We have suffered flooding inside our house from rising water (through the floor) on several occasions, including two occasions in the last two years.

Our concern is that the development will inevitably add to this problem by the additional kitchen and bathroom waste water, whether it is through additional use of the current septic tank arrangement, or through any additional septic tank or other land drainage system. The development would most likely cause additional drainage of rainwater, clean waste water and foul drain water onto the road, either directly from the new development or via the land of the existing properties.

Unsuitability for area of land

The development does not provide space around the buildings for maintenance and / or access. With the current purpose as a garage, this does not present any serious issues. With the new purpose as combined accommodation and garage, or with the possible future purpose as a holiday let, the plans give the impression of shoe-horning the development into a site for which it is not really adequate. This has only been achieved by disregard to the impact on the adjacent property (La Petite Coline) by blocking its light and views, and to the adjacent farm-land with its natural borders through disruption caused by groundworks and building works during the development, and by discharge of waste water when in use.

Aesthetics

The appearance of the development with glass-fronted balcony, and zinc-plated, sloping roof are not in sympathy with the natural surroundings of the lane and valley, or with the style of residential buildings in the village of Agneash.

Yours Faithfully,

Claire & Steven Ashton