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20/00508/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 20/00508/B Applicant : Manx Utilities Authority Proposal : Installation of a heat pump Site Address : 30 Princes Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 1BD
Planning Officer: Mrs Vanessa Porter Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Refused Date of Recommendation: 14.08.2020 __
Reasons for Refusal
R : Reasons for Refusal O : Notes attached to reasons
R 1. The proposed air source heat pump will emit a noise level above the recommended 42dB(A) which is considered to be a tolerable sound pressure from a single unit. By reasoning of the air source hear pumps noise level and its position within a block of terraced properties, and especially No.32 Princes Street, it is considered that the proposed air source heat pump does not comply with General Policy 2 (g) in respect of its adverse noise impact. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
THE APPLICATION SITE
1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of 30 Princes Street, Douglas which is situated to the north west side of Princes Street. The property is a three storey mid terraced dwelling, with a small yard to the rear which backs onto a lane which goes from the south west end of Princes Terrace to the north east end.
THE PROPOSAL
2.1 The current planning application seeks approval for the installation of an air source heat pump which is to be situated within the rear yard on a raised concreate block. The proposed unit will measure 1020mm wide x 1350mm high and 360mm deep.
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2.2 Noise levels provided by the product specification submitted for the application indicate that the noise emitted by the unit (at normal heating levels and tested to British Standards) would have: o Sound pressure level at 1m (dBA) = 53 o Sound power level (dBA) = 67.5
PLANNING HISTORY
3.1 The previous planning application is not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application.
PLANNING POLICY
4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Predominantly Residential on the Douglas Local Plan 1998, Map 1. Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider General Policy 2, Paragraph 12.2.8 and Environment Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic plan 2016.
4.2 General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 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 and (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."
4.3 Paragraph 12.2.8 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 states, "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. Accordingly:
4.4 Energy Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 states, "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.
REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Highway Services have No Highways Interest in this application (09.06.20).
5.2 Douglas Corporation have considered the proposal and have no objection (08.06.20).
ASSESSMENT
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6.1 The key issue to consider in the assessment of this planning application is the potential impact on the neighbouring amenity particularly with regards to any noise impact.
6.2 When looking at the proposal to install a heat pump this will accord with General Policy 2 (n) in respect of non-renewable energy consumption and the general support in the Strategic Plan for the installation of renewable energy installations set out in Energy Policy 4 as such an EIA isn't required with the application.
6.3 The heat pump itself with regards to the rear of the property is large and will be raised up on a concrete plinth, with the only view available from the window opposite. The rear yard is quite small and it is unlikely due to the sizing that the rear yard would be used as additional space. Views from a public perspective will not be achievable from the rear lane due to a substantially sized wall and gate which block views into the rear of No.30 Princes Street.
6.4 As such whilst the heat pump itself is acceptable with regards to the character and appearance of the area and the property and accords with General Policy 2, it is necessary to assess whether there would be any impact on the neighbouring amenity due to noise levels.
6.5 When looking at potential noise impact, the sound pressure level of the proposed heat pump is expected to be between 53-67.5 dBA. When putting this into retrospect similar noise generated by light traffic comes in at 50dBA, 60sBA is noise impact of a normal conversation or a washing machine. Whilst everyone is different most people will not be annoyed by activities with LAeg levels below 55dB, however sound pressure levels during the evening and night should be 5-10 dB lower than during the day.
6.6 During the night an air source heat pump could potentially be a noise nuisance, especially due to background noise levels being lower. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has guidance for noise and the disturbance it can cause and states that both continuous and intermittent noise can lead to sleep disturbances and the more intense the background noise the, the more disturbing is its effect on sleep with the measurable effects on sleep starting at a background noise level of about 30 dB LAeq.
6.7 The WHO guidelines further state that, "In dwellings, the critical effects of noise are on sleep, annoyance and speech interference. To avoid sleep disturbance, indoor guideline values for bedrooms are 30 dB LAeq for continuous noise and 45 dB LAmax for single sound events. Lower levels may be annoying, depending on the nature of the noise source... At night, sound pressure levels at the outside façades of the living spaces should not exceed 45 dB LAeq and 60 dB LAmax, so that people may sleep with bedroom windows open. These values have been obtained by assuming that the noise reduction from outside to inside with the window partly open is 15 dB."
6.8 With the above in mind and looking at the application site, the dwelling is situated in a small terrace against a cluster of other residential dwellings and offices and shops to the rear. Whilst there is no guidance or standards within the Isle of Man Legislation that cover noise level matters from equipment such as air source hear pump, recent Permitted Development has been approved and as such an applicant can install an air source heat pump without formal planning permission if the unit does not result in an noise level exceeding 42 dB LAeq 5 mins. This is the same as the permitted development within England and Scotland.
6.9 The Permitted Development Amendment Order 2020 states, "LAeq 5 mins means the A weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level over 5 minutes when measured at 1 metre external to the centre point of any relevant door or window to any neighbouring building as measured perpendicular to the plane of the relevant door or window." To better understand what the LAeq 5 mins for the neighbouring property would be guidance was sought from the English and Scottish Permitted Development which must comply with the conditions within the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Planning Standards (MCS020).
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6.10 Due to the dwelling being situated within a terraced property, the neighbouring dwelling's bedroom (No.32 Princes Street) is relatively close to the air source hear pump, which with the proposed air source heat pump has a sound pressure level at 1m of 53dB(A), and a sound power level of 67.5 dB(A) being over what is the recommended, the applicant was asked to fill in the calculations on the MSC planning standards for air source heat pumps to see whether the neighbours could potentially be affected by the noise of the heat pump.
6.11 Both the applicants MCS calculations and the officers calculations have come up with a number higher than 42dBA, with the applicant getting 44.3dB(A) and the officer getting 46.7dB(A) both of which are above the recommended guidance from WHO.
6.12 Whilst it could be noted that air source heat pumps prior to now have been installed which are over the recommended 42dB(A), the air source heat pump here is situated relatively close to the neighbouring properties which are within a terrace and it is necessary to protect neighbouring residential amenity on the noise that is emitted.
CONCLUSION
7.1 The proposed air source heat pump will emit a noise level above the recommended 42dB(A) which is considered to be a tolerable sound pressure from a single unit. By reasoning of the air source hear pumps noise level and its position within a block of terraced properties, and especially No.32 Princes Street, it is considered that the proposed air source heat pump does not comply with General Policy 2 (g) in respect of its adverse noise impact.
INTERESTED 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 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 a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Refused Date: 08.09.2020
Determining officer Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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