DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 19/00676/B Applicant: Mr Christopher & Mrs Sonia Kelly Proposal: Conversion and extension of existing single garage to provide additional living accommodation ancillary to existing property (retrospective amendment to approved PA 18/00882/B) Site Address: Cronk Breck Bernahara Road Andreas Isle Of Man IM7 3HH Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 22.07.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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. The extension hereby approved shall not be occupied at any time other than for purposes incidental and ancillary to the residential use of the dwelling known as Cronk Breck, Bernahara Road as identified on the approved plans, and shall only be occupied by staff directly employed on the site, or by the residents of the main dwelling.

Reason: To ensure proper control of the development and to avoid any future undesirable fragmentation of the curtilage.

• C 3. All external facing and roofing materials to be used shall match those of the existing building in respect of type and colour. Reason: in the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This permission relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped as received on the 11th June 2019:

• o CK24J18/Y - Existing approved and proposed south elevations and floor plans
• o CK24J18/2 - Proposed elevations, existing elevations, proposed sections, proposed roof plan.
• o Location Plan
• o Site Plan _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of 'Cronk Breck', Bernahara Road. The site is situated in open countryside to the north east of St. Jude's and south of Andreas village. There are two other properties in the vicinity; Ballachurry Farm and Birds Croft. - 1.2 The buildings and the site generally are well hidden from view, the top of the house is partly visible from the surrounding highways through some vegetation. - 1.3 The main dwelling feature a number of car ports to the east, and a small garage adjoined to these ports, with a workshop and store further again to the east. The presence of several of these outbuildings creates a partially enclosed complex.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The proposal is the conversion of single garage via an extension to create a onebedroomed residential apartment for domestic staff. - 2.2 The walls would be rendered and finished white to match the main dwelling on the site, with the roof finished in slate also to match. Windows are proposed to be timber sliding sash, finished in grey to match the main dwelling, with 100mm wide external banding. The eastern elevation is proposed to feature 5 high-level windows, and the west elevation 3 windows to match the main dwelling. Sliding glazed doors are proposed for the south elevation. - 2.3 Additional floor space of around 125 sq. metres would be added, with the staff accommodation adjoined to the main dwelling structure via a car port. The additional living accommodation would include a kitchen/dining area and lounge as well as the en-suite bedroom. - 2.4 This application is identical to a previously approved proposal (18/00882/B) with the exception of an alteration to the proposed double glazed door to the south elevation providing 600mm wide glazed side panels at either side of the door.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The following previous planning applications are considered specifically material to the current proposal: - 3.2 The main dwelling on the site was approved under 09/01011/B and 10/00216/B and further alterations and extensions approved under 12/01362/B, 12/01363/B, 13/00311/B, 14/01002B and 15/00820/B. The car ports and storage buildings were approved under 13/00306B, and 14/00638/B. An application for a temporary access track and building was refused under PA 12/00582/B.

3.3 PA 16/00963/B for the erection of a replacement helicopter hangar and extensions was approved by the Planning Committee at its meeting of 11th October, 2016 subject to conditions including the removal of the containers once the existing hangar is available for such use. 16/01144/B was a retrospective application for the construction of a drainage lake which was approved. - 3.4 As noted in 2.4 of this report, previous planning approval was granted for a similar proposal to the current one (19/00882/B). Approval was granted on 29th October 2018 following a the decision by the Planning Committee.

- 4.0 PLANNING POLICY

4.1 In terms of land use designation the application site is not designated for any site specific purpose under the Isle of Man Planning Scheme (Development Plan) Provisional Order 1982. - 4.2 The Isle Of Man Strategic Plan 2016 sets out a number of strategic plan which relate to this proposal. Strategic Policy 2 states: "New development will be located primarily within our existing towns and villages, or, where appropriate, in sustainable urban extensions(2) of these towns and villages. Development will be permitted in the countryside only in the exceptional circumstances identified in paragraph 6.3." - 4.3 As referenced by Strategic Policy 2, it important to consider General Policy 3 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 in assessing this application. General Policy 3 (GP2) states; "Development will not be permitted outside of those areas which are zoned for development on the appropriate Area Plan with the exception of:

• (a) essential housing for agricultural workers who have to live close to their place of work; (Housing Policies 7, 8, 9 and 10);
• (b) conversion of redundant rural buildings which are of architectural, historic, or social value and interest; (Housing Policy 11);
• (c) previously developed land(1) which contains a significant amount of building; where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environment; and where the development proposed would result in improvements to the landscape or wider environment;
• (d) the replacement of existing rural dwellings; (Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14);
• (e) location-dependent development in connection with the working of minerals or the provision of necessary services;
• (f) building and engineering operations which are essential for the conduct of agriculture or forestry;
• (g) development recognised to be of overriding national need in land use planning terms and for which there is no reasonable and acceptable alternative; and
• (h) buildings or works required for interpretation of the countryside, its wildlife or heritage."

4.4 Housing Policy 4 outlines general policy in respect of the location of new housing. "New housing will be located primarily within our existing towns and villages, or, where appropriate, in sustainable urban extensions(1) of these towns and villages where identified in adopted Area Plans: otherwise new housing will be permitted in the countryside only in the following exceptional circumstances:

• (a) essential housing for agricultural workers in accordance with Housing Policies 7, 8, 9 and 10;
• (b) conversion of redundant rural buildings in accordance with Housing Policy 11; and
• (c) the replacement of existing rural dwellings and abandoned dwellings in accordance with Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14."

4.5 Housing Policy 11 sets out what is acceptable in terms of the conversion or rural buildings into dwellings. "Conversion of existing rural buildings into dwellings may be permitted, but only where:

• (a) redundancy for the original use can be established;
• (b) the building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation;
• (c) the building is of architectural, historic, or social interest;
• (d) the building is large enough to form a satisfactory dwelling, either as it stands or with modest, subordinate extension which does not affect adversely the character or interest of the building;
• (e) residential use would not be incompatible with adjoining established uses or, where appropriate, land-use zonings on the area plan; and
• (f) the building is or can be provided with satisfactory services without unreasonable public expenditure. Such conversion must:

• (a) where practicable and desirable, re-establish the original appearance of the building; and
• (b) use the same materials as those in the existing building. Permission will not be given for the rebuilding of ruins or the erection of replacement buildings of similar, or even identical, form. Further extension of converted rural buildings will not usually be permitted, since this would lead to loss or reduction of the original interest and character."

4.6 Environment Policy 1 states: "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." - 4.7 Finally, Transport Policy 7 must be considered as the proposal includes the removal of garage space and amplification of residential use on the site. It states; "The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards." These standards would require a total minimum of 3 car parking spaces on the site.

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Andreas Parish Commissioners have no objections to the application (06.07.19). - 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The main issues of consideration with this application have been assessed in the planning report for 18/00882/B. The principle of the propose extension and its use, as well as its impact on visual amenity, parking and the environment were considered acceptable on balance. The only matter to be assessed here is the door alteration.

6.2 The addition of door lights to the side of the approved south facing door on the extension is considered a relatively minor addition. It would not alter the footprint of the currently approved building, or the use. Overlooking risk would not likely increase given both the lack of neighbouring dwellings to the south, and the size of the existing approved patio door. Overall, the alterations are considered acceptable from a visual perspective. - 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 For the reasons outlined in the above assessment, the proposal is recommended for approval. - 8.0 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:

• 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 can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 22.07.2019 Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett Principal Planner

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