174360

==== PAGE 1 ====

                                      19/01022/CON                                     Page  1  of  3

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 19/01022/CON Applicant : Mr Peter Bergquist Proposal : Registered Building Consent for the demolition of rear extension and wall (in connection with application 19/01021/B) Site Address : 16 Albert Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 2QA

Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.10.2019 __

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

C 1. The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent.

Reason: To comply with paragraph 2(2)(a) of schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented registered building consents.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to drawings 100, 101, 102, 104 and 105 all received on 12th September, 2019. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

THE SITE 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of 16, Albert Street, a two storey Victorian property very similar to the other nine in the terrace which stretches from the rear of the properties fronting onto Buck's Road and to the rear of Murray House.

1.2 The property has a projecting bay window at ground floor level on the front elevation and a two storey outrigger which extends across half of the rear yard and all the way to the rear

==== PAGE 2 ====

                                      19/01022/CON                                     Page  2  of  3

lane. Some of the properties in the terrace have a similar arrangement but some have had the rear outrigger reduced in length and some - 4, 8, 14, 18 and 20 - now have vehicular parking in this space.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 A contemporaneous application, 19/01021/B, proposes the conversion of the building from a boarding house to a single dwelling. Planning approval is not required for this change of use but as the works involve demolition and alterations to the building itself, planning approval is required. As the works involve the demolition of part of the structure and the site lies within a Conservation Area, Registered Building consent is also required and that is what is being applied for in this application.

2.2 The demolition involves the removal of 4.4m of the rear outrigger up to the point of an existing chimney which is to be lowered in height to just above ridge level of the outrigger.

PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site is designated on the Douglas Local Plan of 1988 as

The draft Area Plan for the East designates the site as Mixed Use with the following written commentary:

"9.8.4 Mixed Use Area 4 This is the business district of Douglas and is characterised by offices, many serving financial institutions. Athol Street is notably the core of this area and is representative of the economic well-being of the Island. There is a smattering of food and drink uses supporting the area. The primary office frontage along Athol Street is notated by the hatched line on Map 5."

"Town Centre - Mixed Use Proposal 4 There will be a presumption in favour of offices and financial and professional services along Athol Street. Within the area but outside of Athol Street, offices, financial and professional services, food and drink and some residential uses will also be acceptable. Uses which conflict with these will generally not be supported."

3.2 The site is within the Windsor Road Conservation Area. As such, there is a presumption for the Department to seek preservation or enhancement whilst determining applications for development (Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01). Demolition in a CA is specifically addressed in the PPS as follows:

POLICY CA/6 DEMOLITION "Any building which is located within a conservation area and which is not an exception as provided above, may not be demolished without the consent of the Department. In practice, a planning application for consent to demolish must be lodged with the Department. When considering an application for demolition of a building in a conservation area, the general presumption will be in favour of retaining buildings which make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area. Similar criteria will be applied as those outlined in RB/6 above, when assessing the application to demolish the building, but in less clear cut cases, for example, where a building could be said to detract from the special character of the area, it will be essential for the Department to be able to consider the merits of any proposed new development when determining whether consent should be given for the demolition of an unregistered building in a conservation area.

Account will be taken of the part played in the architectural or historic interest of the area by the building for which demolition is proposed, and in particular of the wider effects of demolition on the building's surroundings and on the conservation area as a whole."

==== PAGE 3 ====

                                      19/01022/CON                                     Page  3  of  3

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 Planning approval was granted for replacement windows under 07/02273/B and alterations to the street were approved under 96/01597/B.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Neither Highway Services nor Douglas Borough Council have any objection to the application (03.10.19 amd 04.10.19).

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The only issue in this case is whether the demolition works will have any adverse impact on the character and appearance of the CA and in considering this, whether the existing building makes a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the area. The CA Character Appraisal makes brief mention of Albert Street, referring to the disciplined formal layout and the importance of the vistas along this, Mona Street and Christian Road to the bay and Finch Road. No mention is made of the rear of the terraces.

6.2 The rear outriggers vary in length, finish and form, some having pitched roofs, others monopitch, some finished in concrete tiles and others slates and there is a variety of windows and chimneys. It is not considered that the rear of the terrace contributes positively to the character of the area nor is it considered that the rear of the terrace, or that of Mona Street or Christian Road for that matter, is a particularly important element of the CA.

6.3 Even so, what is proposed would be similar to other properties in the terrace.

CONCLUSION 7.1 It is not considered that the proposal will result in the loss of fabric of importance and as such the application for RB consent for the demolition of part of the rear outrigger is not considered objectionable.

INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013, the following 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; (c) Manx National Heritage; and (d) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.

__

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: 21.10.2019

Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER

Chris Balmer

Principal Planner

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.