143905

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                                                 16/00609/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 16/00609/B Applicant : Mr David & Mrs Shirley Price Proposal : Alterations to rear yard to create a vehicular access and off road parking Site Address : Hillcliff Bay View Road Port St. Mary Isle Of Man IM9 5AP

Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken : 19.07.2016 Site Visit : 19.07.2016 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

THE SITE

1.1 The application site is the existing curtilage of Hillcliff, Bay View Road, Port St Mary. An existing 3 storey terrace property which fronts onto Bay View Road and backs onto The Lhargan. The Lhargan is a narrow and sloping road that connects Bay View Road with the A31 Howe Road.

1.2 The rear yard of the existing property has a steps and a ramp up to meet the road level and an outside toilet and storage structure near the boundary wall. The boundary stone wall at the rear property has an existing gateway access onto the Lhargan, the stone wall is approx. 11.5m in length and the majority of it stands at a height of approx. 1.5m but it does step up in parts to a height of 2m.

THE PROPOSAL

2.1 The application seeks approval for the removal of 5.5m of the rear boundary wall and to remove the existing outside toilet and storage structure to create a hardstanding platform within the rear yard which will provide an area for 2 off road parking spaces.

2.2 To gain suitable visibility splays the remaining boundary wall will be lowered to 900mm allowing the drivers of vehicles parked in the spaces to see over for visibility of on-coming vehicles.

2.3 The platform area will stretch across the entire width of the rear building and slope from the road towards the rear elevation of Hillcliff, the retaining wall will sit 1m high with a hand rail above and to be 800mm from the rear elevation of the building.

PLANNING HISTORY

3.1 There have been 4 previous planning application for the site, but none that are considered materially relevant in the assessment of this application.

PLANNING STATUS

4.1 The site lies within an area designated on Area Plan for the South 2013 as 'Predominantly Residential'. As such, the following policies of the Strategic Plan are considered relevant:

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                                                 16/00609/B
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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; e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea; g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways.

4.2 The site also lies within the proposed Conservation Area for the village, although there is no specific reference to this building in the Character Appraisal supporting the Conservation Area designation.

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Port St. Mary Commissioners have stated that they have no objection to the application (16/06/16).

5.2 Department of Infrastructure initially required Section 109 from the applicant (22/06/16), however following the submission of additional information the department have since indicated that "Following receipt of amended plans Highways Services do not oppose the application" (18/08/16).

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The proposal seeks approval for the creation of two off road parking spaces by creating a area of raised hardstanding in the rear yard that can accommodate to 2 parked vehicles. The vehicles will be expected to reverse park within the site as there is no provision for turning or manoeuvring, this will then allow for a forward movement to exit which will enable the driver to see over the remaining lowered 900mm boundary wall for visibility.

6.2 Along the streetscene there have been various approaches to the finish of the boundaries where the rears of the properties along Bay View Road meet The Lhargan. Some have retained the rear boundary wall and therefore rely on on-street parking where as others have removed the boundary wall to create off road parking, and some have erected single garages set back slightly from the Lhargan to provide space for off road parking. The proposal for Hillcliff will reduce the demand for on-street parking spaces.

6.3 The proposed parking area retains part of the boundary wall which will help preserve the essence of separation between the houses on The Lhargan and those of Bay View Road who back on to the Lhargan.

6.4 The removal of the existing outdoor toilet and storage is not seen as a considerable loss as following a site visit it was evident that these were not in regular use and looked to be of poor state and disrepair.

6.5 Since the initial submission of the application concerns were raised to the DOI regardng the visibilty splays of the proposed parking area. Following which the agent of the application was in regular discussion with DOI and a solution for the visibility splay was agreed and implemented, and as such the DOI then indicated that there were happy with the visibility splay provided and therefore did not oppose the application.

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                                                 16/00609/B
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6.6 Overall it is expected that there shall be no adverse effect to the character of the surrounding area or to the amenity of the neighbouring properties. In fact it is anticipated that it shall benefit the area by reducing the demand of local on street parking and create less cluttered roads in the surrounding area.

8.0 PARTY STATUS

8.1 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 (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: 19.08.2016

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 site and location plan drawings number 2 and 3 date stamped and received 25/05/16 and proposed drawings numbered 1A and 5 date stamped and received 04/08/16.

I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Interim Director of Planning and Building Control in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 22.08.2016

Determining officer

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                                                 16/00609/B
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Signed : J CHANCE

Jennifer Chance

Interim Director of Planning and Building Control

Customer note

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