DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/01215/B Applicant: Mrs Valerie Towers Proposal: Replacement of existing conservatory with a larger single storey side extension Site Address: 42 Close Famman Port Erin Isle of Man IM9 6BJ Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 02.12.2019 Site Visit: 02.12.2019 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 06.01.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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.

Plans/Drawings/Information:

This decision relates to drawings VT/05 and VT/04 received on 11th December and VT/03 and VT/09 both received on 18th December, 2019. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons none _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of an existing dwelling situated at the western end of Close Famman and on the northern side of the road. Close Famman is a cul de sac terminating at the boundary with the Cherry Orchard Aparthotel and starting from Ballafesson Road.

1.2 The dwelling is a detached single storey property with a relatively shallow pitched roof with a modest extension on each side - a flat roofed garage to the west and a lean to conservatory to the right. The conservatory projects out 2.2m from the side of the property and is 4.7m long and approximately 1m from the boundary with 40, Close Famman, which sits further forward with the rear of that property in line with the front of the application property. The conservatory is 2m to eaves level and 2.3m to apex, tucking in just under the main eaves level of the house. - 1.3 The boundary between the application property and 40, Close Famman is a timber fence up to around 1.8m with dense shrubs on the neighbours' side taking the vegetation up to around eaves level of the application dwelling. That property generally has a lot of vegetation on all sides. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the removal of the conservatory and its replacement with a pitched roofed extension. The extension will project slightly less far than does the conservatory (2m) but will be longer (7.8) and higher (2.1m and 4.5m respectively). The extension will be finished to match the main house. The extension will have a pedestrian door and window facing the rear garden of number 40. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site is within a wider area of residential use on the Area Plan for the South adopted in

1. As such, General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is applicable as follows:

"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".

3.2 The Department has also recently produced advice regarding residential design - The Residential Design Guidance, July 2019. This contains the following advice which is relevant to the current application:

"3.2.2 Extensions should generally have the same roof pitch (angle) and shape as the existing dwelling and the height (roof ridge) should be lower than that of the main building. Generally, pitch roofs are the preferred roof type compared to flat roofs which are generally inappropriate forms of development, especially if publically viewable, unless the existing property has a flat/low pitched roof design."

3.3 Guidance is also provided about how to assess the impact of development on the living conditions of those in adjacent property.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 No previous applications have been submitted for this property. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Highway Services have no objection to the application (18.11.19).

5.2 Port Erin Commissioners support the application (12.12.19). ASSESSMENT

6.1 The issue is whether the proposed flat roofed extensions would have an acceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area and on the living conditions of those in adjacent property, notably number 40, having regard to the provisions of the Residential Design Guidance.

6.2 The works will increase the impact of the existing property as viewed from number 40 through the raising of the ridge and elevation facing towards it. This would be close but the adjacent property is set in front of the application property so the proposed extension will be alongside the rear garden rather than alongside the dwelling itself. Given that there are no windows in the extension, there will be no impact of overlooking. CONCLUSION - 7.1 The application is considered to accord with the relevant policies and is supported. 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.

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 : 08.01.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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