Officer Report

Application No.: 15/01344/B Applicant: Mr James David Owen & Miss Celine Broughton Proposal: Alterations and extension to dwelling Site Address: Braeside Lower Foxdale Isle Of Man IM4 3AZ Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Photo Taken: 06.01.2016 Site Visit: 06.01.2016 Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of "Braeside", which is a semi-detached, partone-storey and part two-storey dwelling located on the western side of the main road running through Lower Foxdale. The land slopes downwards in a westerly direction away from the highway such that the two storey element is to the rear and, given the extent of the slope, is also quite significant. To the rear the dwelling has been the subject of alterations that have resulted in a disordered appearance with a balcony terrace atop three archways running along the rear of the property, while an unusual strange flat-roofed projection providing the kitchen is also really quite apparent. None of these is visible from the highway. - 1.2 Also within the site is a detached garage that could accommodate one small car but that contributes little to the visual quality of the site or the streetscene in which it is really quite prominent. - 1.3 Attached to Braeside is the dwelling known as "Oldswinford", while to the northwest lies the "Old Mill" - both are residential dwellings, and both have windows overlooking the application site. In the case of the Old Mill, the garden of which extends to the rear of Braeside to the latter's south and the former's west, there are a significant number of facing windows. The distance between those properties is 32m at the nearest. There is a garage at the south end of the site, which is attached to the dwelling known as "Rivendell Lodge".

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the removal of the balcony terrace and archways below

• as well as the associated flat-roofed projection, as well as the erection of a double garage attached to the dwelling via a single storey utility room. A new balcony terrace is proposed, which would be accessed off the utility room - this would be trapezium-shaped in plan and therefore of a much different shape to the existing, rectangular terrace; it would also be notably smaller. It would be surrounded by a wall approximately 1.15m high. There is also a ground floor terrace that would sit
• at ground level.

2.2 Window and door alterations at the ground floor are also proposed to the rear elevation, while replacement windows throughout the dwelling are shown on the drawings - although these replacement lights benefit from permitted development rights. The frames would be white uPVC. A Juliet balcony is shown on one of the new windows that would be present on the wall in place of the flat-roofed projection.

2.3 Also proposed is the re-rendering and re-tiling of the property; the new garage and utility room would have similar finishes while the walling to provide the walls for the balcony are shown as stone. The existing red-coloured, diamond-shaped asbestos roof tiles would be replaced with rosemary tiles, while the render would be dashed. - 2.4 Various alterations and clarification regarding the internal arrangement of the property is also proposed, though these dot not require planning approval. The alterations proposed would result in a three-bedroom dwelling and with what appears to be an improved circulation space internally that would provide for a pair of lounges with kitchen and dining room central. The agent indicates that the layout at present is such that it is difficult to accurately label certain rooms.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The site itself has not been the subject of any applications considered to be of direct material relevance to the determination of this application. It is interesting to note from the planning history of the area, though, that the single garage associated with Braeside appears, in the late 1990s, to have been within the curtilage of the dwelling to the south ("Riverside Lodge"). It is not known when ownership transferred from the one property to another but, given there would be no specific change of use with such a transfer, this would not in itself require the submission of a planning application in any case.

4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES - 4.1 The application site is within an area zoned as Area of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance identified on the 1982 Development Plan. Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider Environment Policy 2 and Housing Policy 15 of the Strategic Plan, while the provisions of General Policy 2 in respect of design and highway safety are also relevant.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Neither Highway Services of the Department of Infrastructure nor Patrick Commissioners object to the proposal, their comments being received 21.12.2015 and 13.01.2016 respectively (the Commissioners initially deferred making comment on 24.12.2015).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 Housing Policy 15 allows for extensions and alterations to dwellings located on land not zoned for development where such proposals would not increase the visual impact of the dwelling. It is also important to consider whether or not the proposal would have highway safety impacts. - 6.2 The existing dwelling's front elevation is fairly neatly proportioned and, although not representing vernacular, is not in itself inappropriate for the streetscene. The flat-roofed garage is perhaps more unfortunate, while the rear elevation (even though less visible than the front) is particularly unfortunate in its mixture of style, periods and also the flat-roofed projection. The proposed alterations would remove all the inappropriate elements and replace these with some of better proportion. The new garage would site neatly alongside, while the utility room extension is appropriately subordinate. All the physical alterations proposed are considered to represent a fairly significant and therefore welcome improvement to the existing situation and, while the window proportions to the rear elevation remain a little unusual, the provisions of Housing Policy 15 - and Environment Policy 2 - remain well met by the proposal. - 6.3 It is not considered that the alterations proposed will result in any significant loss of light or privacy in the neighbouring dwellings given the separation distances involved and also the fact that no properties exist directly to the rear. While the proposed first floor balcony might encourage additional use relative to the existing balcony, and there are a number of windows in Oldswinford

• and the nearby Old Mill that face south towards the site, it is noted that the proposed terrace would sit some 14.5m from the nearest property and would also have a 1.15m-high wall providing some important screening between the two properties. The fact that the new balcony is fairly similar in size and position is such that any impact on the living conditions of those residing at the adjacent Riverside Lodge will be satisfactorily limited, not least since the main part of the building at the boundary is a garage / utility room.
• 6.4 Turning to highway safety impacts, the proposed garage would be wider than the existing and enable greater visibility for both entering and exiting. While at 5m from the highway there may be some manoeuvring into the garage that takes place on the highway itself, this is considered to be insufficient reason to refuse the application. It is also noted that 6m is generally the distance generally between a garage and a highway in order to prevent such on-highway manoeuvring, so the 1m discrepancy is not significant in this respect.
• 6.5 Through its being a double garage there is a greater possibility for vehicle movements than the current one-car garage would allow, and this is a little unfortunate, but equally the existing garage's distance from the highway (3.6m) is such that the proposal overall is considered to represent something of an improvement over the existing situation. The judgement that the visual appearance of the new garage is also a notable improvement over the existing, in addition to the lack of objection from Highway Services, is sufficient to conclude that the proposal is acceptable in terms of parts (h) and (i) of General Policy 2.
• 6.6 Requiring the garage be made available for the parking of private motor vehicle(s) by condition would not be inappropriate. It was considered as to whether or not a condition could be attached requiring the garage to be made so available prior to the occupation of Braeside, but it needs to be remembered that Braeside is an existing dwelling and could be occupied at any time.

7.0 RECOMMENDATION - 7.1 In view of the favourable conclusions reached in respect of the key issues, it is recommended that the application be approved subject to the condition discussed.

8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS - 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• o 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;
• o Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material;
• o The Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; and
• o 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: 19.01.2016

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.

• C 2. The garage hereby approved shall at all times be made available for the parking of private motor car(s) and shall be retained available for such use. Reason: To provide adequate off-street parking.

This approval relates to drawings 103B, 104 and 203J all received on 11th December, 2015.

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: 19.01.2016 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer

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.