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Application No.: 18/00849/B Applicant: Mr Patrick & Mrs Kay O'Meara Proposal: Installation of dormer to front elevation Site Address: Albert Hotel Athol Street Port St. Mary Isle Of Man IM9 5DS Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Refused Date of Recommendation: 07.12.2018 _________________________________________________________________ Reasons for Refusal R : Reasons for Refusal O : Notes attached to reasons R 1. By reason of its substantial size, mass, design, material finish and siting on the principle harbour facing elevation the proposed dormer would have a significant overbearing and substantial adverse impact on the visual quality of the original building and a consequential impact on the overall historic and traditional appearance of the streetscene and surrounding area failing to make a positive contribution to the existing building and failing to preserve or enhance the individual character of the locality. The proposal fails to comply with Strategic Polices 3 and 5, General Policy 2 (b), (c) and (g) and the principles of Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons
1.0 APPLICATION SITE - 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of The Albert Public House, Port St Mary an existing three storey traditionally end terrace property located on the southern end of Athol Street and facing directly over Port St Mary harbour. The existing building has two large gable end chimneys and an unaltered slated pitch roof. The façade of the building comprises two large windows and a door at ground floor and three windows to each floor vertically aligned above.
2.1 The current application proposes the installation of a large 7.8m long x 1.6m tall dormer across the roof slope of the harbour facing principle elevation. The proposed dormer is to be designed as such to appear as three individual pitched roof dormers each finished in dashed render, the main body of the dormer between each of the rendered parts is to be clad in vertically hung slates.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The application site has been subject to a number of previous planning applications, although none are considered to be materially relevant to the assessment of the current proposal.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The application site is in an area designated as Mixed Use on the Area Plan for the South and also within a proposed Conservation Area. Given the nature of the proposal it is relevant to consider Strategic Policies 3 and 5, General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan. Given the location of the site within the proposed Conservation Area it is also relevant to consider the 2009 Port St Mary Draft Conservation Area Character Appraisal. - 4.2 Strategic Policy 3:
"Proposals for development must ensure that the individual character of our towns and villages is protected or enhanced by:
4.3 Strategic Policy 5:
"New development, including individual buildings, should be designed so as to make a positive contribution to the environment of the Island. In appropriate cases the Department will require planning applications to be supported by a Design Statement which will be required to take account of the Strategic Aim and Policies."
4.4 General Policy 2 states (in part):
"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:
4.5 Environment Policy 35:
"Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."
4.6 The 2009 Port St Mary Draft Conservation Area Character Appraisal only specifically references the Albert Hotel once and indicates its siting pre-dating 1869:
"Little of Athol Street was built in 1869, although the Albert Hotel, formerly known as The Ship Inn and The Temperance Hotel can be noted."
4.7 In addition to this the following extracts relate to the development of dormers overtime and where there inclusion has had a negative impact on the conservation area as a whole:
"The Victorian expansion, which occurred due to the growth of the tourist trade, resulted in much larger properties, with up to four floors and increased floor-to-ceiling heights. Most properties were still built in terraced form, with occasional semi-detached or detached houses. Windows in these properties are typically two pane sashes, often set in bay windows, and rendered eves brackets were used. Roof coverings were still slate, but with steeper pitches to accommodate rooms in the roof, which often had dormer windows. Walls were usually rendered, but with a hood drip moulding replacing window architraves."
"Throughout the proposed conservation area, there are properties where alterations, particularly to windows and entrance doors, have a negative effect on the area as a whole. This includes replacement of original timber windows and doors with incorrectly proportioned uPVC replacements. These often have an inappropriate wood grain. There are many examples of enlarged and oversized window openings with no consideration to appearance, but merely to improve the view out from the property. This problem is particularly prevalent with dormer and roof windows."
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Port St Mary Commissioners - No Objection (dated 23/08/2018) - 5.2 DOI Highway Services - NHI (dated 07/09/2018)
6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The Albert Hotel, formerly known as The Ship Inn pre-dates most of Athol Street which was constructed after 1869. Over time (and likely prior to the designation of the proposed Conservation Area) there have been modern developments and additions along Athol Street and The Underway that have resulted in inappropriate dormers being added and existing window openings and designs being altered in order to obtain maximum benefit of the harbour views, but in some cases with consequential and detrimental impacts on the historic and architectural quality of the area. It is therefore all the more important to seek to preserve or enhance those existing buildings and elements which make a positive contribution to the proposed Conservation Area. The original building of the Albert Hotel is of both historic and architectural interest and forms part of one of Port St Mary's most prominent vistas from the bay and it is considered that this principle harbour facing elevation should be protected from harm. - 6.2 It is considered that the substantial size, mass, design and material finish of the proposed dormer and being situated on the principle front harbour facing elevation that it would have a significant overbearing and substantial adverse impact on the visual quality of the original building and a consequential impact on the overall historic and traditional appearance of the streetscene and surrounding area failing to make a positive contribution to the existing building and failing to preserve or enhance the individual character of the locality.
7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 For the above reasons it is considered that the application fails to comply with Strategic Polices 3 and 5, General Policy 2 (b), (c) and (g) and the principles towards development in Conservation Areas as set out in Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016. Therefore the application is recommended for refusal.
8.0 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:
8.2 The Planning Committee must determine:
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 : Refused Date : 07.12.2018 Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management
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