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                                                 15/01247/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 15/01247/B Applicant : Nora Ann Forbes, Countess Of Granard Proposal : Construction of integral garage and formation of new access doors Site Address : Strathallan Cliff Strathallan Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 1NN

Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Photo Taken :

Site Visit : 25.11.2015 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of "Strathallan Cliff", a large, detached dwelling of Georgian appearance located to the south of Strathallan Road in Onchan. The site is bounded to the highway by a large and handsome rendered wall, which appears to be either original to, or appropriately styed to reflect, the existing dwelling. The wall is broken in two places to provide pedestrian access from the dwelling to the highway.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the erection of an attached garage within the curtilage of the property. The garage would be sited to the northeastern corner as something of an infill to this part of the dwelling's footprint, with access provided through an additional breaking of the garden wall. One of the existing pedestrian accesses would be amended slightly to provide an arched door and render detail above. The garage would comfortably provide space for the parking of one motor vehicle, and possibly two smaller vehicles. It would have a flat roof with a small lantern at its southwestern corner tight to the retained dwelling side elevation wall to provide natural light to an internal room that, at present, benefits from a window and without the lantern would lose this benefit. Another, more central lantern is also shown behind the parapet wall.

2.2 The design represents a slight modification from that originally submitted, with curved walls now proposed at the entrance to the garage, along with the more central roof lantern. The amended plan was circulated for information.

2.3 To make way for the garage, a detached and outdoor - and seemingly unused - toilet would be removed; this is not readily discernible from the highway as it appears to be roughly the same height as the existing wall.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning applications that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.

4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES

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                                                 15/01247/B
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4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is located within an area designated as being Predominantly Residential Use in the Onchan Local Plan. The site is not within a Conservation Area and, as such, the general standards expected of new development as set out in General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan apply. The relevant criteria in this instance are those relating to design and highway safety.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services of the Department of infrastructure initially objected to the application on 13/11/2015, commenting that: "The proposed garage does not provide the minimum internal measurements for a double garage of 5 metres x 6 metres. No visibility splays have been shown from the proposed access. splays of 2.4 x 36 metres need to be demonstrated over land within the ownership of the applicant."

This was communicated to the agent, who sought out a meeting to address the concern, which the amended plan also is intended to achieve. Subsequent to this, Highway Services changed their position to one of 'Do Not Oppose' on 25th January 2016:

"Amended plans received garage is set back and provides minimum visibility of 23 metres. with the addition of a traffic mirror the desirable 36 metres can be achieved."

5.2 Onchan District Commissioners offered no objection to either the original or amended scheme; their comments were received on 02.12.15 and 26.01.16.

6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The new garage would sit fairly neatly against the existing dwelling and within the streetscene. Its mass and general positioning would not be out of character with a dwelling of this nature, and the design amendments proposed by the agent are welcomed. The loss of some of the walling is a little unfortunate but the strong frontage presented by the site onto Strathallan Road would largely remain and, since the value of the wall is considered to be in its continuity and enclosing nature, no objection is raised on this ground. The proposal is therefore considered acceptable in design terms in the context of GP2.

6.2 Highway Services have offered no objection to the scheme, which reflects an on-site meeting to address potential visibility issues. While clearly the visibility that can be achieved is not ideal, the installation of a traffic mirror would improve the situation. This could be positioned in such a way as to be fairly unobtrusive on the wall opposite the proposed garage. It is not something that Highway Services has required by condition and so one is not recommended to that effect. The proposal is therefore considered to be acceptable in highway safety terms in the context of parts (h) and (i) of GP2.

7.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

7.1 In view of the favourable findings it is considered that the application should be approved. A condition relating to visibility splays would have little effect as all the land within the visibility splay falls within the public highway in any case.

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;

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o Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considered material, in this case, Department of Infrastructure Highway Services; 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: 04.02.2016

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.

The development hereby approved relates to 1:1000 Location Plan and Drawings S1 and SP1, all three of which were date-stamped as having been received 13th November 2015, as well as Drawing PA2A, date-stamped as having been received 21st January 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: 04.02.2016

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.