DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/01141/B Applicant: Scott Michael Davies Proposal: Alterations, installation of replacement roof and windows and removal of chimney stack (retrospective) Site Address: Lyndhurst Hilary Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3EQ Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 09.01.2020 Site Visit: 09.01.2020 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 09.01.2020 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the information received on 11th October, 2019. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of an existing dwelling which sits at the end of a row of dwellings on the corner of Hillary Road and Park Road within the Woodbourne Road Conservation Area. The property, like its neighbours along Park Road, is a two storey dwelling with pitched roofed dormer, dashed walls and brown framed sliding sashes with a casement arrangement at first floor level on the Hillary Road angled elevation above the bay. The front door sits at an angle to the corner. The two bay windows have decorative timberwork beneath the slated roofs and the windows have decorative render bands around them. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is the replacement of some of the windows with brown plastic framed casements and fixed lights, the removal of a rear chimney and re-roofing of that slope, omitting the existing rooflights and introducing gable verges. Also shown is the replacement of the rear

door which fronts onto the highway, with a brown plastic one. There appears to be a new grey front door also which is not referred to in the application.

2.2 All of this work has already been undertaken. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area of Residential Use on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998 and the draft Area Plan for the East. The site also lies within the Woodbourne Road Conservation Area.

3.2 The Conservation Area Appraisal for this makes reference to Hillary Park with yellow and red bricked properties and more generally to the sliding sash windows and decorative detailing on the properties which establish their attractive qualities. The negative elements include the loss of some sliding sash windows and decorations.

3.3 Environment Policy 35 requires development in Conservation Areas to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 requires development to take account of the special character of such areas in any decision-making. - 3.4 Planning Circular 1/98 provides advice on the replacement of windows and states the following:

"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."

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The property has not been the subject of any previous applications. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council does not object to the application (08.11.19).

5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services have no highway interest in the application (06.11.19). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issues in this case are whether the proposed alterations preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area.

6.2 The character of the Area is formed more by the uniformity and continuity of the terraces and similar window openings and external finishes than by the details of the opening styles of the windows. In the immediate area there appears to be only one property, that immediately to the north on Hilary Road - Greystones - which has retained its original form of window opening. The rest of the properties have an array of plastic casements with the group around the corner of Hilary Road and Park Road having dark brown coloured plastic casements and fixed lights. To that extent, the proposed works maintain the character formed by the existing dwellings of the same type elsewhere in this terrace. The retention of sliding sashes would not have a significant beneficial impact on the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. Similarly, the doors, whilst not original, have little impact, and not adverse, on the Area.

6.3 The chimney is not one of the principal ones on the property and was not particularly visible or prominent. It was also not important to the character of the building and its removal will have been beneficial to the outlook from the adjoining property. Its loss is not considered detrimental to the character and appearance of the property. CONCLUSION - 7.1 Whilst the proposal does not accord with Planning Circular 1/98 in that the original form of opening is not being retained, in this case, given the existing windows in the surrounding area, it is considered that the new windows and doors have a neutral impact and therefore preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area in accordance with EP 35 and CA/2. 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 : 16.01.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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