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17/00404/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 17/00404/B Applicant : Mr Phil Donnelly Proposal : Erection of a single storey conservatory on the south east facing balcony Site Address : Bridge Cottage Bridge Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1AX
Case Officer : Miss Lucy Kinrade Photo Taken : 27.10.2017 Site Visit : 27.10.2017 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of Bridge Cottage, Bridge Street, Castletown an existing two storey cottage sitting within the Castletown Conservation Area. Bridge Cottage joins directly with Bridge House and sits on the corner where Bridge Street meets the pedestrian footbridge over the harbour to The Quay.
1.2 The existing property has a stone finish on both the front elevation and the gable elevation facing the harbour. The rear elevation is smooth rendered and painted white. On the gable elevation there are also two windows which have recently been replaced under PA 14/00305/B with white UPVC windows which match the glazing bar pattern of the existing windows before them.
1.3 On the rear elevation there is a large sliding sash window and a set of double timber framed doors both with Georgian glazing bar pattern and nearest the boundary with Bridge Cottage there is an existing glazed polycarbonate sun room that faces over the harbour and a rear 6m long x 2.5m wide terrace area running along the rear of the property.
1.4 The application site is within the Castletown Conservation Area.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks approval for the erection of a new lean to white coloured PVC conservatory 6m x 2.5m which will fill the external rear terrace and attach to the rear of the existing property.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 There have been three recent previous planning applications that are considered materially relevant in the assessment of the current application.
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17/00404/B
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3.2 In each instance the installation of fenestration and doors on the existing property with like for like replacements was considered to preserve the character of the Conservation Area and approved accordingly.
3.3 The existing conservatory is included within an historic previous planning application PA 00/00600/B for the conversion of the existing office building to a residential dwelling. The glass structure was conditioned to be of painted timber construction only.
4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES 4.1 The application site is within an area zoned as "Predominantly Residential" on Map 5 of the Area Plan for the South 2013. The site is also within the Castletown Conservation Area. Given the nature of the application it is appropriate to consider Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Environment Policy 35
"Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Castletown Commissioners have no provided comments on the application.
5.2 The Department of Infrastructure have indicated that there is no highways interest in the current application (03/05/2017).
5.3 Fisheries Department of DEFA have indicated that they have no concerns with the proposal (27/04/2017).
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The application seeks approval for the erection of a new white UPVC conservatory at the rear of the existing dwelling; the main issue to consider in the assessment of the application is the impact upon the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and the impact of the proposal on the existing building.
6.2 While the property has a small existing glazed structure on the rear it is not considered that this contributes to the character of the existing property or to the character of the surrounding Conservation Area. The proposal here is to erect a new larger conservatory which would essentially act as an extension of the existing in terms of its design and form and to infill the existing open aired rear external terrace area to provide additional living accommodation to the main house.
6.3 The new conservatory would join directly with the rear elevation and therefore blocking views of an existing window and set of doors which are considered to significantly contribute to the character of the Castletown Conservation Area.
6.4 Although the proposal would not be visible from Bridge Street it would be visible from the adjacent public highway and properties which run along The Quay. The erection of a new white PVC conservatory here and the consequential loss of the existing historic fenestration features of Bridge House would adversely affect the visual appearance of the existing property and would not be considered to neither preserve nor enhance the character of the designated Conservation Area in line with EP35.
7.0 RECOMMENDATION 7.1 For the above reasons the application is not considered to comply with Environmental Policy 35 and neither preserves nor enhances the character of the Castletown Conservation Area and is therefore recommended for refusal.
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17/00404/B
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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: 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 , in this case, Department of Infrastructure Highway Services and o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture Fisheries are part of the same Department as is the planning authority and as such should not be afforded interested person status under the Order.
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:
Refused Date of Recommendation: 20.06.2017
R 1. The proposed development fails to preserve or enhance the Castletown Conservation Area and consequently fails to meet the needs of Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
This refusal relates to drawing numbers 0805/PP/01, 0805/PP/02, 0805/PP/03 and associated photographs date stamped and received 07/04/2017.
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 : Refused Date: 21.06.2017
Determining officer
Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett
Senior Planning Officer
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