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17/00859/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 17/00859/B Applicant : Mr Sean Dowling Proposal : Alterations and extension to dwelling Site Address : Dun Aisling Mount Rule Douglas Isle Of Man IM4 4HP
Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Photo Taken : 05.09.2017 Site Visit : 05.09.2017 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 19.09.2017 __
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 protection measures and construction methods detailed in the Tree Survey and Report submitted with the application (date-stamped as having been received 11th August 2017) shall be adhered to in full. No tree shown as being retained on Drawing 6 (date-stamped as having been received 11th August 2017) shall be cut down, uprooted or wilfully destroyed during the development phase and thereafter within 5 years from the completion date, except as may be permitted by prior approval in writing from the Department.
Reason: In the interest of protecting the well-treed setting for the dwelling, given the land's zoning.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
The development hereby approved relates to Drawings 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, and to the Manx Roots Tree Survey and Report, all date-stamped as having been received 11th August 2017.
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
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None. __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE
1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of a detached dwelling known as 'Dun Aisling'. The dwelling is situated on the A22 Strang to Crosby highway, from which its side elevation is visible albeit screened by mature trees within the dwelling's garden. The existing triple garage, which sits forward (east) of the dwelling, also screens it a little, particularly from the east.
1.2 Dun Aisling is a substantial dwelling of a classical architectural style complete with slated, hipped roof and single storey sun room on the western elevation. The dwelling is fully rendered with prominent render band details throughout around the windows and doors, along with timber doors and windows in a sliding sash appearance. The main pedestrian entrance is on the eastern elevation beneath a portico. The dwelling is almost symmetrical but for the aforementioned sun room, which sits behind the front elevation on the southern (highway- facing) side. The sun room has a flat roof complete with roof lantern.
2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICATION
2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the erection of an extension to the sun room (and adjacent kitchen) that would form what is described as a garden room. The existing sun room would essentially be subsumed within this and would become the dining room. The extension would also have a flat roof and would retain the parapet walling and coping details of the existing sun room along with the render finish. It would also have bi-folding doors in the garden-facing elevations, the other elevation proposed to have a window to match the existing.
2.2 The agent explains that the floor area increase would be roughly 10%.
2.3 Also submitted with this application is a tree survey and report. This shows that protective fencing would be installed along the southern boundary of the site while works on the extension progress; an arboricultural method statement is also included, which explains how the trees will be protected during those works. One beech tree, which is poor in form, is recommended for removal to trunk level.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY
3.1 The dwelling was built in line with PA 12/00438/B, which represented a smaller design approach to that approved two years earlier (PA 10/01512/B). The approved 2010 scheme included a flat above the triple garage. No condition was attached to the approval notice requiring this to be used in association with the dwelling, although it was stated within the application that this would be the case. In the event, however, the 2010 scheme has since expired as it is very evident that it is the 2012 scheme that has been implemented.
3.2 There is also an application, submitted concurrently, seeking approval for the addition of dormer windows and the inclusion of a games room above the detached triple garage. That application (PA 17/00860/B) remains undetermined.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY
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17/00859/B Page 3 of 4
4.1 The site falls within an area zoned as Existing Low Density Housing in Parkland (LDHP) on the Braddan Parish District Local Plan.
4.2 As such, the extension proposed falls to be assessed against General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan. (Housing Policy 15 may provide some useful guidance, but the land is zoned for the purpose for which it is currently used and accordingly General Policy 2 carries the most material weight for this proposal.)
4.3 Planning Circular 8/89 also applies as per paragraph 1.3.4 of the Strategic Plan. This Circular basically requires that development within areas zoned as LDHP must comprise substantial dwellings of a high quality; existing trees should be retained.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Both Highway Services of the DoI and Braddan Commissioners offered no objection to the application, the former on 14.09.2017 and the latter a day earlier.
6.0 ASSESSMENT
6.1 The existing dwelling already has an asymmetrical appearance and therefore the continuation of this form will respect this character. The new extension is not judged to be overly large in actual or proportional terms. The use of the flat roof is understood, though not particularly ideal from an aesthetic or maintenance point of view: however, equally, it does reflect the Georgian leanings of the dwelling and the use of key, refined and prominent design features is to be welcomed in helping the extension sit comfortably alongside the existing dwelling.
6.2 The loss of garden and the sole beech tree is to be lamented to some degree since Circular 8/89 requires dwellings such as this to be set in large, open grounds even while they are heavily treed. The existing garden for Dun Aisling is not large and therefore its slight reduction might be said to be at odds with the general expectation of that Circular: however, in this case, the proportional changes are not judged to be unduly harmful against what remains an otherwise green and well-treed backdrop and boundary.
7.0 RECOMMENDATION
7.1 The development proposed is not concluded to be in such discord with the policies against which it has been assessed as to warrant the application's refusal. It is accordingly recommended for approval.
7.2 A condition is required with respect to ensuring the adequate protection of the southern boundary trees.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 Article 6(4), 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; (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure, and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
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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 in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.
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I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.
Decision Made : Permitted Date : 22.09.2017 Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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