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                                                 17/00631/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 17/00631/B Applicant : Amanda Michelle Shimmin Proposal : Alterations in connection with widening of driveway and creation of additional off street parking Site Address : Hilltop 39 Westminster Drive Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 4EJ

Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Photo Taken : 17.07.2017 Site Visit : 17.07.2017 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is an almost triangular-shaped parcel of land that comprises the residential curtilage of 'Hilltop', 39 Westminster Drive, which is an end-terrace dwelling located adjacent to Ballakermeen High School in Douglas. The dwelling has a detached garage and driveway access thereto, with a small front garden to the northeast and larger, also almost triangular, side garden to the southwest of this access. The dwelling is bounded at its frontage from the highway by a dwarf wall with well-maintained hedging above; the side garden, meanwhile, is bounded by a much larger hedge. Neither area of garden, therefore, is particularly visible from the highway even if the dwelling itself is prominent.

1.2 There are other dwellings along Westminster Drive that have off-road parking, some by original design and others following the grant of planning approval to that end.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Full planning approval is sought for a widened highway access at the dwelling, which would remove part of the front wall and gate as well as the existing front garden. The land would then be paved and the drawings indicate that it would provide parking for three cars although it is not shown how these would be arranged. The application form states that the length of wall removed would be 2.05m in length but the scaled plans are clear that the full length is 3.8m: a submitted photograph suggests that the 2.05m measurement given excludes the front gate, but this gate is not 1.75m in width and so the discrepancy is not easily understood. It is, however, clear from the application what is proposed (namely: that just over 5m of the front wall will be retained, with the existing gate and wall alongside removed), and it is further considered that the details are sufficient on which to make an assessment and recommendation.

2.2 A supporting letter with the application explains that by doing this they will be exchanging one on-street parking space for one off-street parking space and so this might suggest a there is no net gain from the proposal. However, the applicant now has children old enough to drive and who, being on a provisional licence, are unable to obtain a parking disc. Moreover, they note that when events take place at Ballakermeen High School this can result in people parking close to their existing access and this makes parking on their driveway more difficult. They explain that the section of wall they want to remove is possibly slightly larger than they need but reflects a contractor's suggestion.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY

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                                                 17/00631/B
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3.1 Those approvals issued for the widening of existing / creation of new accesses come under reference numbers 09/01676/B, 99/01219/B and 99/01691/B.

4.0 THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 4.1 The application site is located within an area of "Predominantly Residential Use" zoned on the Douglas Local Plan.

4.2 General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is considered relevant and states in part:

"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; (f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; (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."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Douglas Borough Council offered no objection to the application on 4th July 2017, and a day later Highway Services of the DoI similarly offered no objection - in so doing, noting that the reasoning behind the need has been demonstrated.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The applicant is, on the face of it, right that the proposal results in no net change with regards parking provision in the area. However, there is a clear benefit to the applicant and her family to having additional off-road parking, especially so close to Ballakermeen High School and on a stretch of road that becomes subject to extreme parking demands (and becomes congested) at drop-off and pick-up times during weekdays and also during evening events. The comments of Highway Services are noted and there is no reason to object to the application on highway safety or parking provision grounds.

6.2 There is often a tension between the creation of off-street parking and the removal of boundary treatment - a poorly considered proposal can accidentally result in a street taking on the appearance of something akin to a car park.

6.3 The few off-street accesses that do exist in the area do not dominate the frontages of the dwellings or the streetscene. The loss of the entire front garden is certainly to be lamented, but the retention of the majority of the boundary wall and also the high hedging to the side garden helps retain the key features of the dwelling within the streetscene. Moreover, the front garden is already quite obscured and although it will be obvious that it is not a garden when cars are parked on it, the overall effect is not considered to affect the existing streetscene in a materially harmful manner.

7.0 RECOMMENDATION 7.1 It is recommended that the application be approved for the reasons set out above.

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:

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                                                 17/00631/B
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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 Highway Services of the Department of Infrastructure, and o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 18.07.2017

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.

The development hereby approved relates to the four 1:200 scale plans and a pair of photographs, all date-stamped as having been received 12th June 2017.

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: 18.07.2017

Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett

Senior Planning Officer

Customer note

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