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                                      20/01159/B                                     Page  1  of  3

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 20/01159/B Applicant : Ms Elizabeth Marie Lambden Proposal : Installation of replacement windows Site Address : 8 Windsor Terrace Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 3LT

Technical Officer: Mr Thomas Sinden Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.11.2020 __

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. The proposal meets the tests of General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, as the character of the Conservation Area is being preserved, and is therefore judged to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the information received on 7th October 2020. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is an end terrace property on Windsor Terrace, within the Windsor Road Conservation Area. The properties are unusual in nature, as their principle elevation faces East, overlooking Douglas Bay, while the road facing elevation, which includes the principle entrance door, is in a form normally found on a rear elevation. The properties are finished in painted render with natural slate pitched roofs, casement windows in a mixture of painted timber and

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uPVC, and painted timber front doors with a large glazed panel in their upper section. The Character Appraisal for the Conservation Area states that Windsor Terrace was substantially complete by 1849, but that the Northern half of Windsor Terrace was built at a much later date and in a completely different manner.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application proposes to replace four existing timber casement windows with uPVC units in the same style and with the same method of opening. All of the windows are at ground floor level, with three on the rear (East) elevation and one on the side (gable) elevation.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site is sited within the Windsor Road Conservation Area where Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 require development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area and to take into account in any decision, the special character of the area.

3.2 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; and (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality.

3.3 Planning Circular 1/98 provides advice on the replacement of windows and suggests in Conservation Areas the method of opening is more important than the frame material but the original method of opening should be replicated where the originals are in place.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The electronic database holds no planning history for the property.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division have stated that there is no highways interest in the application (23.10.2020).

5.2 Douglas Borough Council have stated that they have no objections to the proposals (26.10.2020).

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issue here is whether the proposed replacement windows would preserve or enhance the character of the Conservation Area taking into account the special character of the area.

6.2 The proposed replacement windows are all to be the same style and method of opening as those they are replacing, with the material proposed to change from painted timber to uPVC. The advice on replacement windows in Conservation Areas within Planning Circular 1/98 suggests that the method of opening is more important than the material. In this instance, it is also worth noting that the windows on the first floor (belonging to a separate dwelling, number 9) are uPVC casement units, and that the replacements at ground floor level that are the subject of this application would therefore match the windows directly above. Given that the proposals accord with the advice in Planning Circular 1/98, and that the windows will match those on the upper floor of the property, it is judged that the character of the Conservation Area is being preserved.

7.0 CONCLUSION

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7.1 It is judged that the proposal meets the tests of General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, as the character of the Conservation Area is being preserved. It is therefore recommended that the application be approved.

8.0 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: 17.11.2020

Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

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 online services/customers and archive records.