110968

==== PAGE 1 ====

                                      18/00943/B                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 18/00943/B Applicant : Andrew Michael Patrick Proposal : Replacement of slate roof and roof lights Site Address : 21 Kensington Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 3EP

Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Photo Taken : 20.09.2018 Site Visit : 20.09.2018 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 10.10.2018 __

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. All external roofing materials to be used shall match those of the existing building in respect of type, size, colour, and texture.

Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This permission relates to the following plans and photographs: o Site Location Plan o Existing Roof Photograph o Proposed Roof light photograph o Proposed slate tile photograph (Date stamped as received on 5th September 2018).

o Screen grab of proposed rooflight design (date stamped as received 6th September).

__

==== PAGE 2 ====

                                      18/00943/B                                     Page  2  of  4

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

NONE __

Officer’s Report

1.0 SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of a terraced property on Kensington Road, Douglas. The application relates to property number 21. Kensington Road is a street characterised by older terraced properties of an early to mid-1900's design featuring large bay windows on the ground floor and generally two or three storeys. The street is within the Woodbourne Road Conservation Area. 1.2 The houses to the east part of Kensington Road feature mainly cream painted render and grey slate roof tiles. Those to the west end of the street are of a newer design and feature mainly red brick ground floor with dash render on the first floor and again grey slate roofing. All of the houses are set back 4-5 metres from the highway. Large chimney stacks are also a prominent feature and window design is primarily white framed awning windows. 1.3 21, 22 and 23 Kensington Road adjoin and vary from the typical form of the street in that they feature a distinctive red brick fronting with steep pitched roofing on the front porch and upper bay windows. 3 dormer windows also form part of the build, with a large chimney stack between 22 and 23. 21 Kensington Road sits slightly lower than number 20 adjacent but a storey taller than number 24 and other properties on the west end of the street. Roof lights are a feature of all three adjoining properties, varying in size.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The proposal aims to re-roof and replace the existing roof lights on number 21, involving no change to space and positioning. The applicant has stated that replacement roof lights will be the closest available to the current style. The design proposed is for 'Velux top- hung Pine Conservation Roof windows', specifically designed for use within conservation areas. 2.2 The slate roof would also be replaced with a full re-roofing in order to repair the condition of the roof. The replacement slates will also be the as close to the existing as is possible.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site is designated as 'Predominantly Residential' under the Douglas Local Plan Order 1998, (Map 1, Central).

3.2 Of specific relevance to this application is Environment Policy 35 contained within the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 which states that;

"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."

3.3 In terms of general planning guidelines, it is also important to consider General Policy 2 (GP2) of the same Strategic Plan; "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."

==== PAGE 3 ====

                                      18/00943/B                                     Page  3  of  4

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 There is no relevant planning history available for this site.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services have No Highways Interest in this application (28.09.18). 5.2 Douglas Corporation have no objection (08.10.18).

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The main point of interest for planning in this case is the fact that the application site sits within Woodbourne Road Conservation Area. Hence, the application must be assessed against both Environmental Policy 35 (EP35) and General Policy 2 (GP2), included in section 3 of this report. It is important to consider any potential impact of this development on "the character or appearance of the area" and on the site itself in terms of appearance and design. 6.2 The building containing numbers 21-23 Kensington Road are unique to the street scene and are easily distinguishable; they can be seen from the entirety of the road. The site therefore compliments the character of the street and by extension, the Conservation Area. Any modifications or alterations to the roof of the site must account for this and design proposals should therefore be as sensitive to the current form and design as possible, as required by EP35 and GP2 (b), (c) and (d). 6.3 The application details efforts to achieve this through the use of slate roof tiles to match the existing, and roof lights which will not be more prominent than the existing in either size or design. The Velux Top-Hung Pine Conservation spec roof lights would complement the roof of the building and the character of both the site and the surrounding area by maintaining its low-key and traditional design. 6.4 Additionally, it is recognised that occasional upkeep of any building, whether old or new, is necessary. Proposals such as this which aim to do so whilst preserving or enhancing the character of the building, in keeping with the requirements of relevant policy, and the area are to be encouraged.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 In summary, it is a necessary requirement for a proposal such as this to account for design and area character sensitivity and prevent a roof scene which appears out of place on the street. The plans submitted achieve the balance between preserving this character and ensuring the essential upkeep of the building. The proposal complies with EP35 and GP2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and the Douglas Local Plan, and is therefore acceptable.

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: (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. __

==== PAGE 4 ====

                                      18/00943/B                                     Page  4  of  4

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Director of Planning and Building Control in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 15.10.2018

Determining officer

Signed : J CHANCE

Jennifer Chance

Director of Planning and Building Control

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.