DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/01273/B Applicant: Mr Edward Forbes Proposal: Installation of replacement windows Site Address: 6 Kingswood Grove Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 3LX Technical Officer: Mr Thomas Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.12.2020 _________________________________________________________________

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 complies with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, Planning Circular 1/98 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, and is therefore judged to be acceptable. Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to drawing 409-01 received on 2nd November 2020. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is 6 Kingswood Grove, a mid-terrace property within the Windsor Road Conservation Area. The property forms part of a late 19th century terrace with three storeys below eaves level (with a fourth storey within the roof space), slate pitched roofs, painted smooth render wall finish, masonry chimney stacks on the party walls, sliding sash windows in

• a regular pattern, and painted timber doors with fanlights above. The properties are set back from the highway with front gardens enclosed by dwarf walls and painted metal railings.
• 1.2 The windows currently in the property are painted timber two over two sliding sash units on both the front and rear elevations. The property has a third floor front facing sliding sash dormer window that has glazed cheeks.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application proposes to replace the existing windows with double glazed uPVC sliding sash units on the front elevation and double glazed uPVC top opening casement units on the rear elevation. The front facing sliding sash dormer window is proposed to be replaced with a double glazed casement window, with non-opening double glazed dormer cheeks.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the East 2020 as predominantly residential and 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 Also, General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is relevant: 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.

3.4 Environment Policy 34 expresses a preference for the use of traditional materials in the maintenance, extension or alteration of pre-1920 buildings. - 3.5 Planning Circular 1/98 provides guidance on the replacement of windows and in Conservation Areas states that whatever the frame material, the method of opening on windows visible by the public must replicate the original.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 There are numerous applications on the property related to alteration of the building's use, both to office accommodation and back to residential use. Previous to this, applications 85/00693/B and 91/01539/B permitted internal and external alterations, and renovation and upgrades respectively.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council have stated that they have no objections to the application (26.11.2020). - 5.2 The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division have stated there is no highways interest in the application (27.11.2020).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue here is whether the proposed works preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area in which the property sits taking into account the special character of the area. - 6.2 On the front facing, Kingswood Grove, elevation the application proposes to replace the existing timber framed siding sash units with uPVC framed double glazed sliding sash units.

• Whilst the material is not traditional as preferred by Environment Policy 34, the front elevation windows meet the guidance in Planning Circular 1/98 as the opening method is being replicated. It is judged that the character of the Conservation is being preserved and therefore that the front elevation windows are acceptable.
• 6.3 On the rear elevation, the application proposes to replace the existing timber framed sliding sash units with uPVC double glazed casement units. This is a change in style and material from those currently in place. Environment Policy 34 prefers traditional materials and Planning Circular 1/98 requires for the opening method to be replicated where windows are visible by members of the public. The rear elevation is only visible from the rear lane that gives access to the back of 15 properties in total, 8 on Kingswood Grove and 7 on Osborne Grove. With this in mind, it is judged that this elevation does not class as one readily visible by members of the public, and therefore that the guidance in Planning Circular 1/98 regarding method of opening need not apply. As the rear windows are not visible from anywhere other than the rear lane, it is judged that the character of the Conservation Area is being preserved and that the rear windows are acceptable.
• 6.4 The application also proposes to replace the front facing timber sliding sash dormer window with a casement opening uPVC window, together with replacement of the fixed glazed dormer cheeks. Whilst the opening method is not the same, the dormer is not readily visible from street level, and therefore that the guidance in Planning Circular 1/98 regarding method of opening need not apply. With this in mind, the replacement dormer windows are judged to be acceptable.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 It is concluded that the proposal complies with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, Planning Circular 1/98 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01, and is therefore recommended for approval. Although the frame materials are not traditional, as required by Environment Policy 34, they are considered appropriate in this case given the context of the site and that the general impact would be to preserve the character and appearance of the area.

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 and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 15.12.2020 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.