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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 18/01068/B Applicant : Roman Holdings Limited Proposal : Installation of replacement windows (retrospective) Site Address : 71 Malew Street Castletown Isle of Man IM9 1LR

Planning Officer: Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 28.11.2018 __

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

None

Plans/Drawings/Information:

This approval relates to location plan, photographs, window invoice sheets x 2 and a before image all date stamped and received 11/10/2018. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

none __

Officer’s Report

THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of an existing three storey terraced Manx cottage sited on the south western side of Malew Street. The property has a front elevation that faces directly on to the main road.

1.2 The front elevation comprises a front door and windows at ground floor with two windows on each floor above. These windows are all fitted in white UPVC with top opening windows.

1.3 At the rear the dwelling has three windows on the main rear elevation and three on the two storey outlet. These windows are similarly fitted with white UPVC top opening windows with exception to the single window on the rear outlet which is a single fixed window.

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1.4 The application site is within the Castletown Conservation Area.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the retrospective replacement of both the front and rear elevation windows. No other changes are proposed.

PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 There have been no previous planning applications for the site.

PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area designated as Residential on the Area Plan for the South 2013 and also within the Castletown Conservation Area. Given the nature of the proposal Environment Policy 35 is considered most relevant in the assessment of the application along with Planning Circular 1/98.

4.2 Environment Policy 35 states:

"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."

4.3 Planning Circular 1/98:

"BUILDINGS IN CONSERVATION AREAS If the original windows are in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is impracticable, replacement windows which would be readily visible from a public thoroughfare MUST HAVE THE SAME method of opening as the originals. Whatever the material used in their construction, the windows MUST HAVE THE SAME pattern and section of glazing bars and the same frame sections as the original windows.

Windows not readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the same or similar pattern of glazing bars as the originals, but not necessarily the original method of opening, whatever the material used in the construction."

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Castletown Commissioners o No comments received as of 27/11/2018.

5.2 The DOI Highway Services o No highways interest (29/10/2018).

ASSESSMENT 6.1 Windows and doors are often the most important element in any façade and can often help in gauging the age and/or purpose of a building. In the case of this application, the existing windows have already been replaced. In order to assess the acceptability of the new windows we need to understand what was there before and whether the new replacements are considered to preserve or enhance the character of the area.

6.2 From reviewing the information submitted and in checking google streetview 2010 it is clear that the existing front windows to the property were installed with white UPVC top opening windows. These windows were not original and not considered to positively contribute to the character of the Conservation Area. While it would have been preferred that the new

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windows be installed in sliding sash, the new upvc top opening windows are similar in appearance to the previous windows and have a negligible impact on the overall appearance of the dwelling and as such preserve the character of the Conservation Area.

6.3 Google streetview 2010 does not allow views to the rear of the dwelling and therefore it is unknown what the existing windows were. The character of the Conservation Area here is formed mostly by the front elevations of properties along here with little views or contribution made by the rear elevations. In addition to which Planning Circular 1/98 indicates that for windows not readily visible from a public thoroughfare there is a level of flexibility in what can be installed in that they must have a similar glazing patterns but not necessarily the same method of opening. Given that these windows aren't readily visible its considered that the installation of UPVC top opening windows here will preserve the overall appearance of the Conservation Area.

CONCLUSION 7.1 The replacement windows are not so far removed from the appearance of the existing windows as viewed on google streetview 2010 and the windows at the rear are not readily visible from public thoroughfare. As such their replacement is to have a negligible impact on the appearance of the property and as such is considered to preserve the overall appearance of the Conservation Area in accordance with EP35 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016. The application is recommended for approval.

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. __

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 : 30.11.2018

Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

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.