DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/00563/B Applicant: Miss Fiona Clark-Wilson Proposal: Erection of a rear extension Site Address: 29 Pairk Beg Port Erin Isle Of Man IM9 6NQ Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 19.08.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

• C 2. The extension hereby approved shall not be occupied at any time other than for purposes incidental to the residential use of the dwelling at 29 Pairk Beg and shall not be occupied as an independent dwelling unit.

Reason: To ensure proper control of the development and to avoid any future undesirable fragmentation of the curtilage.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. Overall and on balance, the application is considered to accord with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan and the RDG 2019.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This permission relates to Drawing No. 1890-01 and 1890-02 date stamped and received on 1 June 2020. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

THE SITE

1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of No. 29 Pairk Beg in Port Erin, a single storey detached dwelling located on the south western side of Pairk Beg which ends in a cul de sac. The dwelling has two attached garages on the left of the front elevation as you approach the property from the highway. There are large flat roof dormers on the front elevation and rear elevations of the dwelling; features which are common within the street scene as a significant proportion of the dwellings within the cul de sac have flat roof dormers on the principal elevation. - 1.2 Pairk Beg is characterised by single storey detached dwellings of similar form and appearance. There are a number of noticeable variations amongst the dwellings including differences in front porch layouts and forms, dormer windows and front garden and driveway layouts and size of front gardens. - 1.3 The garden of this property is significantly large when compared to the rear gardens of the properties within the close. This rear garden is completely enclosed by a 1.8m timber fence and hedges which serve as boundary markers between the application site and the abutting dwellings. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 This current planning application seeks approval for erection of a rear extension to the dwelling. The proposed flat roofed single storey extension would be erected at the rear of the existing attached garages, and will measure 7.2m x 7.2m. It will be 3.3m high; 100mm taller than the existing garage that it would extend from. - 2.2 The extension would be finished in dash and render to match the main dwellinghouse, while its flat roof would have Glass fibre finish. Its windows and the back door on the east elevation would be made of double glazed white UPVC material. A 3.6m x 2.1m white aluminium framed bi-fold doors would be installed on the west elevation with access to the existing paved area at the rear of the dwelling. The new lounge within the new extension would have a 2.4m x 1200 white UPVC glazed lantern over it (the roof lantern will project 600mm above the flat roof of the extension.

PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The application site lies within an area zoned as Predominantly Residential under the Area Plan for the South 2013.

3.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains one policy that is considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application:

• 3.3.1 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;

• (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks;
• (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; (j) can be provided with all necessary services; (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

• 3.3.2 Paragraph 8.12.1 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 states:

"As a general policy, in built up areas not controlled by Conservation Area or Registered Building policies, there will be a general presumption in favour of extensions to existing property where such extensions would not have an adverse impact on either adjacent property or the surrounding area in general."

3.4 Sections of the Residential Design Guide 2019 will also be considered in the assessment of the 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. The extension should normally incorporate any design/interesting features of the existing dwelling (with windows and doors replicating the design, proportions and materials of the original building, and being in line with the existing openings) unless a deliberate design decision has been made to adopt a different approach.

3.4.1 Section 4.2: Single storey rear extension

• 4.2.1 In relation to single storey extensions to the rear of the dwelling, generally the main issues relate to potential loss of light and/or overbearing impact upon the outlook of neighbouring properties. Extensions to terraced or semi-detached properties can have the potential for the greatest concern. With either type of property the depth (i.e. rear projection) of an extension and the position (near the shared boundary) are key in ensuring any such extension does not impinge on the amenities of neighbouring properties.

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning applications.

REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Representation from the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division confirms that there is no highways interest in the letter dated 23 June 2020.

5.2 Port Erin Commissioners have stated that they support the application in a letter dated 14 July 2020. ASSESSMENT - 6.1 Given the level and nature of development proposed, the main issues to consider in the assessment of the application are the impact of the proposed extension and alteration on the character and appearance of the existing dwelling and streetscene and whether there would be any impacts on neighbouring living conditions as a result of the development.

6.2 Impact on the character and appearance of the dwelling and street scene

• 6.2.1 The extension proposed is not judged to have an adverse impact upon the appearance of the application site dwelling. This is hinged on the fact that the overall design, scale and finish of the extension is considered to respect the site and application dwelling which is modern, although of a simple architectural style. Whilst the Residential Design Guide is not supportive of flat roofed extensions as expressed within paragraph 3.2.2 of the RDG 2019, the fact that the proposed extension would be joined to a flat roofed garage makes the flat roofed extension more appropriate.

• 6.2.2 With regard to impacts on the street scene, it is considered that the proposed extension would not be visible from the street scene as it would be completely concealed from public views seeing it is at the rear of the dwelling and at a position where the site orientation and existing boundary treatments would constrain views to the work area. There would be slight views of the 100mm step up at the rear of the garage roof, but the roof lantern would be completely screened from public view. Based on the foregoing, it is not considered that the extension would have a detrimental impact on the street scene or impinge on the appearance of the locality.
• 6.3 Impact on neighbouring dwellings

• 6.3.1 The rear extension would be erected 1m from the existing rear boundary that has a height of approximately 1.8 metres. As a result just about 1.5 metre of the proposed extension would protrude above the boundary. There are no windows on the rear elevation of the extension which is close to the boundary with Thie Bane on Bay View Road (which is on the south elevation), and the elevation with windows would be 7m from the closest fence (on the boundary with with No. 30 Pairk Beg) and at a position that would not offer any views above the 1.8m fence at this boundary. It is also considered that the window on this nearest neighbouring dwelling would be at least 16m away from the proposed window and at an orientation that would not create any privacy concerns for the neighbouring dwelling. The bathroom window on this elevation is also obscured.
• 6.3.2 As well, the French doors on the west elevation will not introduce any form of overlooking to neighbouring dwellings. These will be 16m from the nearest boundary and there is a 1.8m timber fence and hedge on this boundary (with No. 28 Pairk Beg) which would diminish any possibility of overlooking the neighbouring dwelling.
• 6.3.3 On the balance, it is considered that the extension proposed would not create any privacy concerns or impact upon the current outlook to a scale that would warrant refusal of the application given the existing situation.

RECOMMENDATION

7.1 Overall, it is considered the proposal would comply with the relevant policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and is therefore recommended for approval. 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 : Permitted Date: 25.08.2020 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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