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                                      20/00809/B                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 20/00809/B Applicant : Mr Stuart Christian Proposal : Erection of a summer house in association with exiting hot tub area Site Address : Sarasota Ramsey Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7PR

Senior Planning Officer: Mr Jason Singleton Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: __

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 building hereby approved shall not be occupied at any time other than for purposes incidental to the residential use of the dwelling at Sarasota, Ramsey Road, Laxey as identified on the approved plan 387-01 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. The proposal would be an acceptable form of development that would not harm the use and enjoyment of neighbouring properties and would comply with General Policy 2 and the principles of the Residential Design Guide 2019.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawings referenced; 387-01; 378-02; 387-03, all date stamped received on 27 July 2020. __

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of Sarasota, Ramsey Road. Laxey. The property is a detached dwellinghouse located to the South of the Highway, centrally positioned in its own grounds. The rear garden slopes from north to south. The rear boundaries to the site are mature Leylandii trees in excess of 2.0m high.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the erection of a summerhouse to the north east corner of the rear garden. The building would measure a footprint of 35m2, (7m x 5m) with an open plan layout with two elevations being predominately glazed with bi-folding doors. The structure would feature a hip tiled roof with slate to match the dwellinghouse and light grey composite cladding to imitate timber. The northern part of the floor plan would see the inclusion of a w/c and changing room accessed from a separate external door. Part of the proposal would be the erection of a decking platform (1m wide) to the south and west elevation.

2.2 The propose works are solely contained to the rear gardens adjacent to the existing hot-tub.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is within an area recognised as being within predominantly residential use under the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan Order 2005. Policy L/RES/PR/1 states: "Residential development will generally only be approved within the study area in those areas designated as proposed and existing residential. In particular, in the case of Agneash no further dwellings will be approved although, as will be the case in areas zoned as residential, alterations and extensions to existing property may be accepted if such proposals are sympathetic to the character and appearance of both the building to be altered and the surrounding area in general."

3.2 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this application;

3.3 General Policy 2 (GP2) (in part) 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;

3.4 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. This includes specific guidance at section 7.0 on impact on neighbouring properties.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 13/00405/B - Erection of a replacement dwelling and garage (Amendment to PA 12/01081/B). Approved.

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                                      20/00809/B                                     Page  3  of  4

4.2 12/01081/B - Erection of a replacement dwelling. Approved.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Garff Commissioners were contact on 3rd August 2020 inviting comments and at the time of writing no comments had been received. 5.2 Highways Services commented (13/08/20) with no objection.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are; (i) visual impact of the proposed development; (GP2(b) & (c) (ii) the impact upon the amenities (overlooking, loss of light; over bearing impact, privacy and visual amenity) of the neighbouring properties. (GP2(g))

6.2 The application proposes to erect a composite timber clad building to provide additional ancillary space within the curtilage of the property. The building would measure 35m2 in floor area and consists of only an open plan layout with patio / bi-fold doors. Other than a w/c and sink, there does not seem to be any way that the proposed accommodation could be occupied independent of the main dwellinghouse.

(i) the visual impact of the proposed development 6.3 The rear gardens of those of Sarasota back onto the rear gardens of Hazlewood House Ballaragh Road (predominately large two storey detached dwellinghouses). It is only from those residential properties where views of the upper proportions of the roof might be achieved of the proposed summerhouse, above the 2.0m+ high Leylandii. There are no vantage points from the highway were views of the rear gardens or that of the summer house could be achieved.

6.4 The Size of the building would not be considered to be a dominant feature when considering the scale of the rear garden and would leave the vast majority for the owners amenity. The design and finish would be appropriate for this type of use and would replicate a large shed in the rear garden and would be read in that context from any vantage point of the neighbours, or the upper proportions above the trees. This aspect is considered to comply with GP2 (b) & (c).

(ii) the impact upon the amenities 6.5 The proposed summerhouse would be of sufficient distance from the neighbouring properties at the rear so as not to cast any overshadowing onto their properties. Being located to the corner of the garden it is not considered to be harmful in this instance to either of the neighbouring properties to the rear.

6.6 The use of the building would be ancillary to the use of the house and is not considered to result in a statutory noise nuisance over and above the existing use of the garden / dwellinghouse. To reinforce this point it would be plausible to add a restrictive condition to ensure the use was only in conjunction with the dwellinghouse and not for any commercial gain. It is considered that there would be no adverse impact on the living conditions of adjacent neighbours due to the design of the building in accordance with GP2 (g).

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 For the above reasons, it is concluded that the planning application is recommended for approval. The proposal would be an acceptable form of development that would be an acceptable for of development that would not harm the use and enjoyment of neighbouring properties and would comply with General Policy 2 and the principles of the Residential Design Guide 2019.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS

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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 the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 08.09.2020

Determining officer Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

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