DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No.: 20/00714/B Applicant: Antony Moore Proposal: Creation of hardstanding for additional off road parking Site Address: 44 Farmhill Meadows Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 2LL Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.08.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

Whilst the works will increase the amount of hard surfacing beyond what is advised in the Residential Design Guidance, given the character of the surrounding properties and the amount of hard surfacing that is already in front of many properties in the area, what is proposed here is not considered objectionable and the application is considered to accord with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the drawings and information all received on 7th July, 2020. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of an existing dwelling which is situated at the head of a cul de sac in the built up part of Farmhill housing estate. - 1.2 The dwelling is a semi detached house which has a grassed lawn in the front with an angled driveway to the side. - 1.3 The neighbourhood comprises dwellings with driveways arranged fairly regularly along the main part of the road although some driveways are wider than others, although in the head of the cul de sac the driveways are more angled and less uniform. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the creation of a second driveway angled as a mirror image of the existing with a triangle of grass in between and a thin line around the side and top. - 2.2 The applicant explained in pre-application discussions that parking at the head of the cul de sac is difficult and other driveways have already been widened. PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Douglas Local Plan as Predominantly Residential as it is on the draft Area Plan for the East. - 3.2 As such, the following parts of the Strategic Plan are relevant:

General Policy 2: "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;
• (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space;
• (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways".

3.3 The Department has recently published the Residential Design Guidance (March 2019) which provides advice on the design of new houses and extensions to existing property as well as how to assess the impact of such development on the living conditions of those in adjacent residential property. PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 Planning approval was granted for the conversion of the garage to additional living accommodation under 06/00773/B and a conservatory was added under 01/00336/B. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council have no objection to the application (27.08.20).

5.2 Highway Services have no highway interest in the application (04.08.20). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue in this case is whether the introduction of additional hard standing will have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the area. It is relevant that the RDG

advises that no more than half of the garden area should be hard surfaced and in this case more than half will be occupied by hard surfacing and at times, a parked vehicle. It is also relevant that other properties in the area have enlarged driveways so the character of the area is already formed by areas of hard standing wider than is proposed here.

CONCLUSION

7.1 Whilst the works will increase the amount of hard surfacing beyond what is advised in the Residential Design Guidance, given the character of the surrounding properties and the amount of hard surfacing that is already in front of many properties in the area, what is proposed here is not considered objectionable and the application is considered to accord with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan. 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 in Article 4(2) 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: 17.08.2020 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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