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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 17/00804/B Applicant : Mr David Casement Proposal : Alterations and erection of an extension to provide a swimming pool and associated accommodation (amendment to PA 16/01333/B) Site Address : Upper Cronk Farm Bride Road Andreas Isle Of Man IM7 4EY

Case Officer : Mr Chris Balmer Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 29.08.2017 __

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. No site clearance, preparatory work or development shall be commenced until a hard and soft landscaping scheme has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department. Such a scheme shall include details of what trees are to be retained.

All hard and soft landscaping works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details. The works shall be carried out within the first planting season following the completion of the development. Any trees or plants indicated on the approved scheme which, within a period of five years from the date of planting, die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced during the next planting season with other trees or plants of a species and size to be first approved in writing by the Department. All hard landscape works shall be permanently retained in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure the provision of an appropriate landscape setting to the development.

C 3. No site works or clearance shall be commenced until protective fences which conform with British Standard 5837:2012 (or any British Standard revoking and re-enacting British Standard 5837:2012 with or without modification) have been erected around the existing trees as shown on drawing 3 REV A. Unless and until the development has been completed these

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fences shall not be removed and the protected areas are to be kept clear of any building, plant equipment, material, debris and trenching, with the existing ground levels maintained, and there shall be no entry to those areas except for approved arboricultural or landscape works.

Reason: To safeguard the areas to be landscaped and the existing trees and planting to be retained within the site.

C 4. Notwithstanding the details submitted in the application, the proposed extension shall be fitted with non-reflective glazing and which shall be retained as such.

Reason: To reduce the visual impact of the building on the surrounding countryside.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

Drawings reference numbers 1 REV A, 2 REV A, 3 REV A and 4 REV A all received on 28th July 2017.

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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None

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Officer’s Report

THE APPLICATION IS BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AS THE EXTENSIONS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE ABOVE THE GENERALLY PERMITTED 50% THRESHOLD.

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is Upper Cronk Farm, Bride Road, Andreas. Originally the site accommodated a traditional 2 storey cottage (apx 114sqm) and associated barns, it was then extended in the 1990s with addition of a two storey extension and two single storey extensions, (now apx 290sqm). There are also two barns, part of the barn attached to the house is a study. The pattern of development follows a simple linear plan form based around an open courtyard.

1.2 The site is situated in relatively remote open countryside to the north east of Andreas village. It is situated to the north side of the road in an elevated position, set back from the road and is accessed via a lane off Bride Road (A17).

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks planning approval for the alterations and erection of an extension to provide a swimming pool and associated accommodation (amendment to PA 16/01333/B).

2.2 The proposed pool extension has two related elements. The first element is a rectangular extension which replaces an existing single storey building. The new extension has a similar footprint to the existing building. It is rectangular with a width of 13.4 metres, a depth of 6 metres and a ridge height of 4.8 metres. The extension is mainly made up of larch/cedar cladding and glazing to walls and a nature slate roof or similar. The roof of this extension would not be attached to the two storey barn to the northwest. The previously approved scheme included the pitched roof of the extension running into the side of the two storey roof (Condition 4 of the last approval was attached for this reason). However, this roof aspect has been removed.

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2.3 The second element is an extension with a cruciform footprint attached centrally to the rectangular extension. It has an overall depth of 10m and overall width of 10.7m and a maximum height of 4.7m with a proposed floor area of 157sqm. It is an oak framed building predominantly glazed with dark grey/blue natural slate roof. The footprint of this aspect is in a more central position than the previously approved scheme, between the existing dwelling and the two storey barn. This also moves the extension away from the two mature trees which are proposed to be retrained.

2.4 The overall extensions have a footprint of 157sqm. The main differences between this application and the previously approved application is the removal of all the original single storey building (previously incorporated into the scheme) and replaced with a new build. This results in the new total floor area of 157sqm, compared to the previous 120sqm.

2.5 The new scheme also includes the cladding of the existing conservatory and the gable end wall of the two storey gable facing aspect of the main dwelling house all with a larch/cedar cladding. A glazed first floor balcony is also proposed to the same two storey gable end of the main dwelling house.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The site has the following relevant history:

16/01333/B - Alterations and erection of an extension to provide a swimming pool and associated accommodation - APPROVED subject to the following condtions:

"C 3. No site works or clearance, preparatory work or development shall be commenced until a scheme for the protection of retained trees and landscaping (tree protection plan), including protective fences, and the appropriate working methods are prepared which conform with British Standard 5837:2012 (or any British Standard revoking and re-enacting British Standard 5837:2012 with or without modification). Unless and until the development has been completed these fences shall not be removed and the protected areas are to be kept clear of any building, plant equipment, material, debris and trenching, with the existing ground levels maintained, and there shall be no entry to those areas except for approved arboricultural or landscape works. These measures shall be carried out as described and approved. No alterations or variations to the approved tree protection scheme or working methods shall be made without prior written consent of the Department.

Reason: To safeguard the areas to be landscaped and the existing trees and planting to be retained within the site.

C 4. Prior to the commencement of any work a method statement, carried out by a suitably qualified structural engineer showing details of how the proposed roof alterations shall be carried out, including the means of marrying the proposed new roof with the existing/remaining barn, shall be submitted to and approved by the Department. The work shall be carried out in accordance with the approved method statement.

Reason: To ensure the development is carried out without harming the physical or aesthetic integrity of the barn."

92/01436/B - Alterations and extensions - APPROVED. This application was submitted to overcome earlier refusal and has been implemented.

92/00930/B - Extensions - REFUSED ON REVIEW.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY

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4.1 In terms of land use designation part of the site is woodland and the remainder is not designated for any site specific purpose under the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Provisional Order 1982 and as such is considered to be open countryside.

4.2 The following policies in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 are considered relevant.

4.3 Environment Policy 1: The countryside and its ecology will be protected for its own sake. For the purposes of this policy, the countryside comprises all land which is outside the settlements defined in Appendix 3 at A.3.6 or which is not designated for future development on an Area Plan. Development which would adversely affect the countryside will not be permitted unless there is an over-riding national need in land use planning terms which outweighs the requirement to protect these areas and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative.

4.4 Environment Policy 3: Development will not be permitted where it would result in the unacceptable loss of or damage to woodland areas, especially ancient, natural and semi-natural woodlands, which have public amenity or conservation value.

4.5 Housing Policy 15: 'The extension or alteration of existing traditionally styled properties in the countryside will normally only be approved where these respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property. Only exceptionally will permission be granted for extensions which measure more than 50% of the existing building in terms of floor space (measured externally).'

4.6 General Policy 2 is not strictly relevant to this application because the site is on un-zoned land and is situated in open countryside. However, the following parts of General Policy 2 are important planning principles which are relevant to consideration of the application:

General Policy 2 states: '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; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;

4.7 Policy 3 of Planning Circular 3/91: GUIDE TO THE DESIGN OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE is considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application and states: "The shape of small and medium sized new dwellings should follow the size and pattern of traditional farmhouses. They should be rectangular in plan and simple in form. Extensions to existing buildings should maintain the character of the original form."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highways Division - no highways implications. 18.08.2017.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The site is situated in the countryside where development is strictly controlled. However, the Strategic Plan makes provision for extensions to houses in the countryside (both traditionally styled properties and non-traditional) subject to certain criteria. These include assessment of the visual impact of the development and whether they respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property.

6.2 It is important that where an existing building is altered or extended it does not detract from the overall amenity of the countryside. Care must therefore be taken to control the size

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and form of extensions to property in the countryside. In the case of traditional properties, the proportion and form of the building is sensitively balanced and extensions of inappropriate size or proportions will not be acceptable where these destroy the existing character of the property.

6.3 In this case, it is considered that significant planning weight can be attached to the fact that very similar sized, designed and finished extensions and alterations to the dwelling have recently been approved. The changes prroposed within the current application (as listed in the proposed section & shown on submitted drawings) are relatively modest and do not represent a significant change.

6.3 Housing Policy 15 states that extensions shall only be permitted on traditional styled properties such as the application site where they '...respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property.' Generally people are directed to Circular 3/91 which gives advice on the design of residential development in the countryside.

6.4 In terms of size, the proposal would be an increase from the approved floor area of 120sqm to 157sqm. This is due to the fact that this new scheme does not include the reuse of part of the existing single storey barn and instead proposals to replace it with a new build of a similar size. Due to this the overall mass and footprint of the new application is very similar to what has recently been approved. Overall, the new scheme represents a 54% increase over the existing floor area of the dwelling (290sqm). The previously approved scheme equated to a 40% increase. However, as indicated above the visual impact of this increase would not be noticeable either from distance public views or within the site itself.

6.5 The additional of timber cladding to the existing conservatory and elevation changes including a balcony to the two storey gable end of the existing dwelling are all considered of benefit and would provide a more joined up appearance with the new extensions and the existing property.

6.6 The drawings include tree protection zone which provides the required comfort that the development can be undertaken without damaging the trees within the site. A condition should be attached which requires the tree protection fencing been erected prior to any other works commencing and retained thereafter till the works are completed.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 Overall, it is considered the alterations proposed do not represent a significant change from the recently approved scheme, and arguably are of benefit, given the detachment of the roof of the extension to the two storey barn and with the cosmetic changes to parts of the existing property. It is therefore considered that the proposal complies with Housing Policy 15 and be appropriate form of development to the property and the surrounding countryside.

7.2 On the basis of the above it is recommended that the application is approved.

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.

8.2 The decision maker must determine:

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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. __

I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.

Decision Made : Permitted

Committee Meeting Date: 18.09.2017

Signed : C BALMER Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).

Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below

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