Officer Report

Application No.: 16/01100/B Applicant: Mr Matthew Murfitt Proposal: Conversion of building into 3 self contained apartments. Site Address: 12 Market Street Peel Isle Of Man IM5 1AD Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: 24.10.2016 Site Visit: 24.10.2016 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is a three storey building situated on the eastern side of Market Street half way between the right hand bend in the road and the Market Place. The building has a commercial shop front with recessed door to the side of a large shop window opening and with vertically proportioned window openings in the floors above. The property is currently in very poor repair with all of the window openings boarded up in plywood and internally the building has been gutted, There are metal joists spanning the front of the building above ground floor level. - 1.2 The building was used as a shop on the ground floor with one living unit above. The two were interconnected but could have been separated. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the renovation of the building, and its use as three flats - one per floor. Each flat would have one bedroom. Two of the flats would have access to a small rear store. - 2.2 There is no on-site parking. - 2.3 The applicant explains in an accompanying letter that the premises were used as a book shop up until a few years ago but this proved to be unviable. They explain that they do not expect any increase in car parking levels as a result of the proposal given the single person occupancy of the units and would be similar to the existing. In addition they note that there are two public car parks available in the vicinity and a bus route very close by. They believe that the proposal will enhance the Conservation Area. - 2.4 Physical changes to the building include the replacement of the existing front windows with plastic framed sliding sashes and the replacement of the existing shop window on the ground floor with a pair of sliding sashes together with the alteration of an existing ground floor aperture at the rear, replacing it with a window to match those above (bottom opening half and half casement). PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Peel Local Plan of 1989 as Mixed Use and within the town's Conservation Area. The Local Plan provides the following advice which is relevant to the consideration of the current proposal:

Commercial/retail POLICY: WITHIN THE CONSERVATION AREA FUTURE ALTERATIONS TO THE FACADES OR SHOP FRONTS OF RETAIL PREMISES WILL BE CLOSELY CONTROLLED IN ORDER TO AVOID THE

FURTHER LOSS OF ORIGINAL FEATURES WHICH CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE CHARACTER OF THE OLD TOWN.

Residential: POLICY 5.2 THE REFURBISHMENT AND AMALGAMATION OF PROPERTIES WITHIN THE TOWN WILL BE ENCOURAGED.

POLICY 5.4 A POLICY OF REFURBISHMENT AND AMALGAMATION OF EXISTING PROPERTIES IN THE CONSERVATION AREA WILL APPLY IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE RETENTION OF HISTORIC AREAS BY THE ALTERNATIVE USE OF BUILDINGS IN THESE AREAS.

3.2 Car parking is recommended at a ratio of 1.5 spaces per unit. This has been superseded by the Strategic Plan which recommends one space per one bedroomed flat but with the following discretion:

"These standards may be relaxed where development: a) would secure the re-use of a Registered Building or a building of architectural or historic interest; or b) would result in the preservation of a sensitive streetscape, or c) is otherwise of benefit to the character of a Conservation Area d) is within a reasonable distance of an existing or proposed bus route and it can be demonstrated a reduced level of parking will not result in unacceptable on street parking in the locality" (A.7.6).

3.3 Housing Policy 17 of the Strategic Plan provides guidance on the conversion of buildings to flats as follows: The conversion of buildings into flats will generally be permitted in residential areas provided that:

• (a) adequate space can be provided for clothes-drying, refuse storage, general amenity, and, if practical, car-parking;
• (b) the flats created will have a pleasant clear outlook, particularly from the principal rooms and
• (c) if possible, this involves the creation of parking on site or as part of an overall traffic management strategy for the area. REPRESENTATIONS

4.1 Highway Services make the following comments: The proposal is to convert an existing mixed use building to 3 no 1 bedroom apartments.

The building has no off-road parking provision, is in a conservation area and is currently in a very poor state of repair. There are public car parks nearby.

Highway Services does not oppose this application (24.10.16).

4.2 Peel Town Commissioners raise no objection (17.10.16). PLANNING HISTORY

5.1 Permission was granted for the change of use from a shop to a cafe under 87/00522/B. ASSESSMENT - 6.1 There are no policies within the local or Strategic Plan which presume against the loss of ground floor retail space to residential. As such, the issues in this case are whether the proposed changes to the building, particularly the loss of the shopfront to a pair of sliding sash windows, is acceptable, having regard to the Conservation Area requirement for development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area, and also, whether the flats offer sufficient amenities to those who would live there.

6.2 The building is in poor repair, with scaffolding currently around the frontage and clear repair work being undertaken on the gable. The property is similar to others in the streetscene, with

• limited front outlook or light due to the narrowness of the street. Due to the site having no rear yard area to speak of there is also limited amenity space or outlook over land owned by the applicant, at the rear. The rear appears similarly shaded due to the height of the existing buildings however there is an open, green space beyond to the east over which the higher flats could look.
• 6.3 Town centre living often offers limited amenities in terms of gardens and private space and this is no exception. The other properties in the street appear to be single dwellings or commercial premises with living accommodation above. If the limited amount of space and outlook is acceptable for individual properties, it follows that simply because there are a greater number of smaller units experiencing the same environment, that this is similarly acceptable. Peel's close knit road layout and relatively high density of buildings results in many buildings having similar levels of amenity space. There is, however, compensatory space available alongside the Market Square and along the promenade for occupants in the town and in this case, the level of amenity space available to occupants of the building, is not considered unacceptable.
• 6.4 The occupation of the building as a single dwelling would result in a requirement for two on-site parking spaces. As proposed there would be a requirement for three - one per flat. However, given the nature of the flats it is, perhaps more likely that the occupants would not have their own car and the site is well placed for public transport and town centre amenities, employment and services. As such, it is not considered that the absence of parking space is unacceptable here. That being said, it is not acceptable on its own to simply say that there are nearby car parks without a survey of the availability of spaces therein and an analysis of any parking restrictions there compared with the need generated by the proposed units of accommodation.

PARTY STATUS

7.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested;
• (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material, in this case Highway Services and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

With effect from 1 June 2015, the Transfer of Planning & Building Control Functions Order 2015 amends the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 to give effect to the meaning of the word 'Department' to be the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture unless otherwise directed by that Order.

Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 01.11.2016 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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.

This approval relates to drawings 1, 2, 3 and 4 all received on 23rd September, 2016.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Senior Planning Officer in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 04.11.2016 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer

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