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19/01411/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 19/01411/B Applicant : Manx Utilities Authority Proposal : Installation of a heat pump to replace boiler Site Address : 2 Lhargan Port St. Mary Isle Of Man IM9 5AR
Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.02.2020 __
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.
C 2. One air source heat pump shall be fitted in accordance with the following approved plans and brochure all date stamped 18 December 2019; Site Plan; Marked up photograph; and Mitsubishi Ecodan brochure, unit model PUHZ-W112VAA(bs).
The air source heat pump shall be retained in place and maintained in working order thereafter.
Reason: In the interest of residential amenities
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This decision relates to the plans and air source heat pump information all received on 18th December, 2019. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None
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19/01411/B Page 2 of 4
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of an existing dwelling, 2, The Lhargan which is a semi-detached, traditional cottage which sits on the western side of the Lhargan a little further north than The Bay View former hotel. The property has a small rear yard which is at the same level as the main house, and stone steps which lead up to a higher rear garden. The boundary between the property and its semi-detached neighbour is a stone wall against which sits a lean-to annex attached to and part of the application dwelling.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the installation of an air source heat pump (ASHP) to generate renewable heating for the dwelling. The air source heat pump would be 1.05m wide, 0.48m deep and 1.02m in height - situated to the east of the house beside the steps. The ASHP would replace the existing boiler. It would be 4m from the boundary with 3, Lhargan.
2.2 Noise levels provided by the product specifications submitted indicate that the noise emitted by the unit would be 47dB(A) @ 1 metre. According to the submitted information the noise levels at the boundary would be around 42 dB(A) and any noise beyond that would be mitigated by the existing extension and stone wall which is over 2m high.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 Part of the site is identified as being in an area of Predominantly Residential use on the Area Plan for the South: it is not within an adopted Conservation Area but is within a proposed CA as shown in the Area Plan.
3.2 General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 is therefore relevant:
"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 and (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."
3.3 The Strategic Plan also provides guidance on the installation of renewable energy apparatus:
"12.2.8 The Department is fully supportive of the need to secure greater energy efficiency in new and existing development and has recently introduced additional energy efficiency requirements in the Building Regulations 2003. Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources are covered in General Policy 2(m) of the Building Regulations. At the same time the Department recognizes that renewable energy sources can have adverse environmental impacts. The idea of a wind turbine Installation is currently being investigated and considered by the Manx Electricity Authority. Any feasible site is likely to be exposed and have considerable visual impact. There may also be other impacts such as noise. On a smaller scale, the popularity of domestic wind turbines has been increasing in recent years in response to rising energy prices and increasing awareness of climate change. Planning applications for domestic wind turbines are unlikely to require the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment. The Department will assess any proposals for wind turbine installations by weighing the benefits of using such renewable energy sources against the environmental impact arising in any particular site. It is likely that the visual impact would be less detrimental on a coastal site than on a rural or upland one.
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19/01411/B Page 3 of 4
Accordingly:
3.4 Energy Policy 4: Development involving alternative sources of energy supply, including wind, water and tide power, and the use of solar panels, will be judged against the environmental objectives and policies set out in this Plan. Installations involving wind, water and tide power will require the submission of an EIA."
3.5 Development within a Conservation Area must preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area as stated in Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement CA/2.
4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 There is no planning history for this site which is considered materially relevant to this application. Air source heat pumps are being installed at a number of residential properties throughout the Island.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 DoI Highway Services have stated that they have no objection (07.01.20).
5.2 Port St. Mary Commissioners have no objections to the application (23.01.20).
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposal will accord with GP2(n) in respect of non-renewable energy consumption and the general support in the Strategic Plan for the installation of renewable energy installations. The apparatus is modest in size and would replace the previously existing boiler - it is likely that the visual impact would be low given the positioning at the rear of the sunroom and not visible from any public vantage point or highway. In this respect the proposal accords with GP2(b,c,g).
6.2 In terms of noise impact, the sound pressure level of the heat pump at 47dB @ 1 metre would not be significantly different than that expected from an outdoor oil boiler. For reference, 50dB is similar to the noise generated by light traffic, 60dB that of normal conversation or an air conditioner. There will be a background noise generated but this is not considered likely to have a detrimental impact on the amenity of the neighbours given the distance from each neighbouring property and the intervening extension and stone wall. Notwithstanding this assessment a condition is proposed to ensure it is installed as per the specified model and in the proposed location.
6.3 Whilst the site lies within a proposed Conservation Area, the value of this relates to the external appearance of the older properties and street pattern and not the rear garden space, demonstrated by the rear extension in this case which is modern and not in keeping with the traditional nature of the main dwelling. The air source heat pump will not be visible from the public realm.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal is considered to accord with GP2 and Energy Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, as well as wider Government climate change strategy and would not be contrary to the Conservation Area policies, and the application is recommended for approval.
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;
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19/01411/B Page 4 of 4
(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:
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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 : 06.02.2020
Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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