Officer Report

Application No.: 17/00933/B Applicant: Julian & Maree Harper Proposal: Replacement of existing rear windows with white uPVC windows Site Address: 14 Derby Square Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 3LS Case Officer : Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.10.2017 _________________________________________________________________

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.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the drawings received on 31st August, 2017. _______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE SITE

1.1 The site is the curtilage of an existing mid-terraced property which sits on the eastern side of Derby Square, backing onto a lane which abuts the Villa Marina Gardens. The property has interesting windows in the front elevation: sliding sash with Georgian six pane arrangements in the upper lights and the lower lights each have a single horizontal central bar. Some of the surrounding properties have retained this original style of glazing, others have been replaced with more modern sliding sashes without glazing bars. - 1.2 The rear is less interesting and less consistent. The ground floor has full length windows with the apertures sub-divided into six. The two floors above follow suit other than within the projecting two storey annex which has patio doors and a single horizontal fanlight above. This also has a small balcony with black metal decorative railings around it. The top floor, which is served by a flat roofed dormer matching one on the property to the right, has a large aperture subdivided into four sections with opening lights in the top. There is also a small, higher level window alongside to the right. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Proposed is the replacement of the windows in the rear, which are all uPVC framed, with new, uPVC framed windows without so many glazing bars and a large lower three quarters proportion single light and the remaining top quarter subdivided into two. PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Douglas Local Plan of 1998 as Predominantly Residential. The site also lies within the Windsor Road Conservation Area.

3.2 In such areas there is a requirement for development to preserve or enhance (Environment Policy 35). Additional advice is available in Planning Circular 1/98 where it states in respect of buildings within Conservation Areas:

"Windows not readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the same or similar pattern of glazing bars as the originals, but not necessarily the original method of opening, whatever the material used in the construction."

3.3 The Conservation Area Appraisal discusses generally rear lanes, describing them as having a confusing mixture of building types and heights and recommends some form of unified approach to upgrading them.

PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 Planning approval was granted for the replacement of the rear windows with something similar to what is now proposed, under 10/00638/B but was not implemented. REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 Douglas Borough Council indicate that they do not object to the application (21.09.17). ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The issue is whether the use of a slightly different glazing style in the rear would be harmful to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. In considering this, it is relevant to consider the advice provided in Planning Circular 1/98 which makes a clear distinction between the front and rear of properties within CAs, considering that the latter are less important.

6.2 In this case, the rear lane is a real mix of properties in terms of their heights, proximity to the lane, inclusion of parking, balconies and a variety of window styles and sizes. As such, the

windows that are proposed would not be out of keeping and it is considered that there would be no harm to the CA character or appearance by what is proposed.

CONCLUSION

7.1 The application is considered to accord with the relevant planning policies and is supported. 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 Planning Committee must determine:

• * whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and
• * whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status.

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 : 06.10.2017 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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