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                                      18/00838/B                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 18/00838/B Applicant : Mark & Frances Guthrie Proposal : Erection of detached double garage Site Address : Rose Hill Lodge Richmond Hill Douglas Isle Of Man IM4 1JG

Head of Development Management: Miss Jennifer Chance Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.12.2018 __

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.

C 2. The garage hereby permitted shall only be used for purposes which are incidental to the main dwelling house known as 'Rose Hill Lodge'

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

The plans referred to in this approval are: 15/2457/10; 15/2457/11; 15/2457/12, all date stamped as received 7th August 2018.

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

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                                      18/00838/B                                     Page  2  of  4

Officer’s Report

THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of Rose Hill Lodge, a two storey traditional Manx dwelling located on the southern side of Richmond Hill, Douglas. The dwelling is relatively new, having replaced a previous dwelling which sat closer to the A5 and which was demolished to make way for the road widening scheme which has since been undertaken.

1.2 The application dwelling follows a regular fenestration and maintains a central porch entrance. The dwelling has five upper front windows which can often symbolise an extended version of a vernacular three upper front window dwelling. The dwelling has two single storey extensions; one to the southern elevation and one to the western elevation. These extensions remain subordinate to the main dwelling.

1.3 Rose Hill Lodge sits in a large plot equating to just less than 1 acre. The site is accessed via a narrow track that runs south off Richmond Hill and also serves Rose Hill Farm. The dwelling and the shed on site are visible from the A5 but only fleetingly as one passes the site: the pedestrian footpath up Richmond Hill is on the other side of the road and separated from the carriageway by a landscaped strip.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the erection of a garage to the north of the house, parallel with and immediately alongside the access lane leading from the A5. The garage would be 6.15m by 6.3m, single block and with a roof pitched at 30 degrees and finished in imitation slate, the materials and pitch to match those of the main house on site. The walls will be rendered to match the existing house.

2.2 There is currently a small shed on the site of where the garage is proposed and fencing along the lane beside the shed. This fencing extends up to the eaves level of the proposed garage.

PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The application site lies within an area zoned as an Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance under the Braddan Local Plan of 1991 with a line of Woodland extending along the lane. In the draft Area Plan for the East the site lies within a much wider area not designated for a particular purpose.

3.2 In terms of strategic plan, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains policies which presume against development in areas such as this and protect the countryside for its own sake and in the interested of its visual character (GP3, EPs 1 and 2).

3.3 The Plan is silent on developments of modest and domestic character and function within existing residential curtilages but it should be borne in mind that the Permitted Development Order 2012 provides for certain levels of development without the need for planning approval, including domestic garages which are no larger than 6m by 6m and positioned no further forward than is the existing dwelling. In this case the garage would be larger than the dimensions allowed under the Order and would be closer to the highway (A5) than the dwelling so could not be built without planning approval.

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 Previously 15/00755/B proposed the erection of a two storey extension to the south western elevation and erection of a single storey garage. The garage was to be located 5 metres south east of the main dwelling and would measure 6.7 x 6.7 metres with a height of 5.3 metres and be finished in materials to match the main dwellinghouse. This was approved.

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                                      18/00838/B                                     Page  3  of  4

4.2 Prior this, planning permission was granted under 05/00694/B for the erection of a detached double garage with store over. This measured 6.3 x 6.6 x 5.6 metres and was approved subject to a number of conditions, one of the conditions stated that the building must only be used as a garage and for domestic storage purposes in association with the dwelling on the site.

4.3 Prior to this, planning approval was granted under 06/01776/C for the change of use of the dwelling from residential to self-catering accommodation. Previous to this, planning approval was granted under 02/01330/B for the erection of a replacement dwelling.

4.4 The applicant's agent advises that the owners do not wish to pursue either the extension or the garage approved under 15/00755/B.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services: (7.9.18) The proposed garage would replace the existing shed at the dwelling. The proposed site plan shows that the existing gated site access would not be changed as part of the development. The plans show that the existing driveway would be retained as at present with the new garage erected adjacent to it. The garage would be 6m wide and 6m in length with 2 no. 2.4m wide garage doors. The 'Manual for Manx Roads' design guide specifies that a double garage should have minimum internal dimensions of 6m x 6m with 2.4m wide single doors to be counted as 2 car parking spaces. The proposed garage would therefore be able to accommodate 2 parked cars. The driveway in front of the garage would be at least 8.2m in length, and due to its location adjacent to the site access it may require more than one turning movement for cars to be able to access and egress the garage. However, these turning manoeuvres could take place within the site without affecting the adjacent highway and could still allow vehicles to enter and exit the site in forward gear. The proposals should therefore not create any new highway issues.

5.2 Braddan Commissioners: (14.9.18) No objection

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The applicants indicate that they do not wish to go ahead with the garage approved 15/00755/B and this is an alternative. Although it could be argued that it is a departure from the land use zoning, noting the planning history it is not considered that it needs to be considered by the Planning Committee.

6.2 It is considered that the fundamental issue to consider in the assessment of this current planning application is the visual impact of the garage on the surrounding area which is rural in nature and character. Whilst there are no policies which specifically allow for the construction of domestic buildings such as these, the provisions of the Permitted Development Order are relevant in that such structures could be built in another position and slightly smaller, without planning approval.

6.3 The garage will not be especially apparent, although the garage will be visible if one looks for it when passing the site. There is a footpath from the A5 but this runs to the east of the site, not along the lane and from where the garage is unlikely to be visible. In any case, what would be seen is not objectionable and fits in, in scale, design and finish to the residential curtilage.

6.4 It would be possible to impose a condition that required the applicants to develop either this garage or the previously approved but not both, however it is not considered necessary as the combined impact would not be unduly detrimental given the positioning of each of them.

6.5 In conclusion it is considered that the proposal is acceptable as it would not have an unduly negative impact on the countryside.

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                                      18/00838/B                                     Page  4  of  4

CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed garage is considered to be acceptable and is supported. Whilst planning approval exists for another garage at the rear of the property, it is not considered that there would be an unsatisfactory impact if both garages were to be built although this is not the applicant's intention at this time.

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: 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 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status.

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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 : 17.12.2018

Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

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