DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/00042/B Applicant: Mr Blake Ronald Proposal: Installation of a replacement window (retrospective) Site Address: 18 Brunswick Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3LQ Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Site Visit: 20.02.2020 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 13.03.2020 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval

• N : Notes attached to conditions None

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the submitted documents and photos date-stamped as having been received on 15th January 2020 and email correspondence received on 17 January 2020.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________ Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of 18 Brunswick Road, Douglas. It is a two-storey terrace dwelling on the northeast of Brunswick Road. - 1.2 The applicant provided photos showing the "existing" window is a wooden white sliding sash window with think frame and a vertical glazing bar in the middle of each panel. There is a wide white ledge at the bottom.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal is a retrospective application for the installation of replacement windows to the rear elevation. The window replaced is on the ground floor. - 2.2 The replacement window is a white uPVC top-hung casement window with a slim frame and no glazing bar. The panel is equally divided between top and bottom.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There is no previous application considered materially relevant to this application.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Laxey and Lonan Local Plan of 2005 as predominantly residential use. The site also lies within the Douglas Conservation Area. - 4.2 The following Strategic Plan policies are considered relevant: General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35. - 4.3 General Policy 2 states: "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; (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

4.4 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."

4.6 Planning Policy Statement 1/01 (Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man) - Policy CA/2, (Conservation Areas); "When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area will be a material consideration when assessing the application." - 4.7 Planning Circular 1/98: The Alteration and Replacement of Windows Set states: Category b) Buildings in a Conservation Area "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."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection on this application (31/01/2020). - 5.2 DoI Highway Services state there is no highway interests involved. (28/01/2020)

5.3 The applicant commented (17/01/2020) in response to our inquiry and state the rerendering done under the window was to repair the damage caused by the "existing" window and the size of the window did not change.

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The key issue to consider in the assessment of this application is whether the replacement windows would meet the test set out in Environment Policy 35 and other policies mentioned above in either preserving or enhancing the Conservation Area. - 6.2 While the Planning Circular 1/98 states replacement windows should be a replica of the original windows in design as much as possible, the main focus can be summarized into three points:

• O windows visible from a public highway have higher priorities than other windows; O opening method of a window is more important than other design features; O patterns and frame are less important if not visible;

6.5 This window is at the rear of the property and there is no clear public vantage towards this window so it does not have any impact on the character of the Conservation Area. - 6.6 The installation of replacement uPVC windows to the property is considered to have no impact on, therefore, preserves the character of the Conservation Area.

7.0 RECOMMENDATION - 7.1 The proposal is considered to comply with GP2 and EP35 of the Strategic Plan, Policy CA/2 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and category b of Policy 1/98. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.

8.0 INTEREST PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land which the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

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 above 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 : 13.03.2020 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 onlineservices/customers and archive records.