Planning Officer Report

Case Officer: Mr Jamie Leadbeater Photo Taken: Site Visit: Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation

Officer's Report

The Application Site

1. The application site is the residential curtilage of a two storey Victorian terrace dwelling on Victoria Terrace, off Victoria Road, Douglas. It is not located within a Conservation Area. The terrace opposite - number 1-12, Victoria Terrace is Registered (RB 187).

The Proposal

1. Proposed is the installation of replacement windows on front and rear elevations. The replacement windows will be constructed from hardwood timber frames and have half and half style sliding sashes. One exception will be the small window on the ground floor rear elevation that will have a top-hung outward-opening casement - the same as the existing.

Planning History

1. The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning applications.

Planning Policy

1. The application site is designated as for Predominantly Residential use in the Douglas (Central Area) Local Plan 1998. There are no policies that accompany the local plan, which are considered specifically material to the assessment of the planning application.

1. The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains one policy that is considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning 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".

Application No.:	12/00687/B
Applicant:	Mrs Pamela Butterworth
Proposal:	Installation of replacement windows
Site Address:	14 Victoria Terrace Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4EX

1. Planning Circular 1/98 'The alteration and replacement of windows' includes Policy c) which relates to buildings erected before 1921 that largely retain their original character but do not fall within a Conservation Area and is not a Registered Building. The policy states for buildings in urban settings:

"In an individual building, or group of buildings, whose principal elevations are readily visible from a public thoroughfare, if the original windows are in place, it may be possible to repair and renovate them. This can take place without permission, and will be encouraged by the Department. If repair is impracticable, or existing windows are not the originals, the preference will be for replacement windows in the said principal elevations to have the same method of opening as the originals. Whatever the material used in their construction, the windows MUST HAVE the same or similar pattern and section of glazing bars and the same or similar frame sections as the original windows.

Windows not part of the principal elevations and which are not readily visible from a public thoroughfare should preferably 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 their construction"

Representations

1. No representations were received within the statutory consultation period.

Assessment

1. The proposed windows largely replicate the existing window opening-methods and glazing bar patterns, with the exception of the ground floor window on the front elevation that will become a sliding-sash window from the existing top-hung outward opening casement. Consequently, in the case of the proposed replacement ground floor window on the front elevation, it will revert back to the original window design and subsequently enhance the building's original character and appearance on the street-scene. As such, the proposal complies with the relevant provisions of Policy C (i) in Planning Circular 1/98 and General Policy 2 in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 and therefore is considered acceptable.

Recommendation

1. It is recommended that the planning application be approved.

Party Status

1. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should be afforded interested party status:

The local authority, Douglas Borough Council are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision: Permitted

Date of Recommendation: 15.06.2012

Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal

• : Notes attached to refusals

C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

C 2. This approval relates to the installation of replacement windows as shown in the 1:200 scale Site Plan and 1:1000 scale Location Plan, both received on 31 may 2012, and the 1:50 scale Front Elevation and 1:50 scale Rear Elevation drawings, both received on 9 May 2012.

I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control / Development Control Manager/ Senior Planning Officer.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 18/6/12

Determining officer (delete as appropriate)

Signed : _________________________ Anthony Holmes Senior Planning Officer

Signed : _________________________ Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control

Signed : Donowell Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer

Signed : _________________________ Jennifer Chance Development Control Manager