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18/00869/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 18/00869/B Applicant : Mr Peter Bruce Proposal : Alterations and extensions to property Site Address : Strathallan House Formerly Calvary House Strathallan Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM2 4PN
Head of Development Management: Miss Jennifer Chance Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.01.2019 __
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.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
The drawing/plans that this application refers to are: 16TS043-01; HLK17/0107 drawing 3; HLK/17/0107 drawing 4; HLK/17/0107/ drawing 5; HLK/18/0110 drawing 1; HLK/18/0110 drawing 2. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
In this case the residents of 7 Strathallan Park are considered to comply with criteria B, C1 and D of the Operational Policy on Interested Person Status and as such it is recommended that they are awarded it. __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of a detached residential dwelling. The site is significantly higher at its northern end to its southern end such that the existing dwelling is split
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18/00869/B Page 2 of 4
level appearing as 3-4 storeys from the rear (south elevation) and as a 1-2 storey building from the northern elevation. Some parts of the house are effectively underground. The house is of an unusual design with a number of different roof slopes and protruding elevations. The house is best understood by referring to the application drawings. The floor plans indicate the building may have been split into 3-4 residential units, although there is no planning record for this.
1.2 To the south of the red-line application site is an area outlined in blue denoting additional land in the ownership of the applicant. On the ground the two areas appear to form a single existing residential unit, however the land to the south has approval in principle for a further dwelling (17/00769/A) - see below.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is alterations and extensions to the property made up by various elements.
2.2 Firstly the gable to the north west of the building is to be widened by 1.5m to accommodate the relocation of stairs from the living room of the annexe. A new window would be inserted into the northern elevation from a kitchenette on level 4. The removal of a small store room would expose an existing bathroom window and a new window to a utility room would be inserted on level 3.
2.3 To the rear of the house facing south a new room would be built at level 3, replacing what is currently a roof terrace. This new living room would be sandwiched between an existing lounge and bedroom.
2.4 To the east of the dwelling a new garage would be provided at level 1 with a roof terrace over it at level 2. The northern and eastern elevation of the garage would be made up of a retaining wall where it would be dug into the ground. A number of trees would need to be removed at this point.
2.5 A new extension on the eastern elevation measuring about 2m x 2m would provide for a lift shaft serving levels 1-3.
2.6 The external stairs to the rear of the property would be removed and new ones reconstructed allowing for additional space to be used as a patio on level 3. New external steps would also lead from the roof terrace over the garage to the garden around to the rear.
2.7 New and much larger windows would be inserted into the rear elevation. To the eastern elevation a new and larger staircase window would be provided, although a bedroom window would be removed. Large patios windows serving a gym/games room would replace windows, a door and canopy that currently lead from a living room/study.
2.8 There would also be a number of internal alterations including changes to room layout and landscaping works are proposed to the rear.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies just within Douglas Local Plan 1998 and has a designation of Open Space Private Woodland.
3.2 Although the existing land use does not accord with the land-use zoning the principles within General Policy 2 are material planning matters that should be taken into account in determining any application. They seek to ensure that amongst other matters that developments respect the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping; do not affect adversely the townscape; protected wildlife or locally important habitats, including watercourses; do not affect adversely public views of the sea; incorporates where possible existing topography; do not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; have satisfactory amenity standards; and is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption.
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18/00869/B Page 3 of 4
4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 In 1990 approval was given to convert and extend a former café to provide living accommodation.
4.2 Last year approval in principle was granted for the erection of a dwelling and garage on land within the area denoted in blue on the application under application 17/00769/A. Details of the siting and means of access were included, but design, external appearance, internal layout and landscaping were reserved for later approval. Such details will need to be provided as part of a reserved matters application.
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Douglas Corporation (18.9.18). No objection.
5.2 Highway Services (24.9.18). Do not oppose the application.
5.3 DEFA Fisheries: (6.9.18). The pond shown on the map has been empty for sometime and does not connect to a watercourse. Fisheries therefore has no comment to make on the application.
5.4 Residents of 7 Strathallan Park (comments received 5&7 September 2018). Wish to have interested person status . They live directly behind property. They are concerned about the height of extension and the new garage and roof terrace and what impact that would have on privacy in their own garden. They comment that a precedent has been set by 2 properties that have had their views protected and that Strathallan Road is busy with cruise buses.
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The main issues for consideration in the determination of this application is the impact of the development on the street scene and on neighbouring amenity.
6.2 The existing building is largely hidden from view when stood within Strathallan Road, save for the two storey element that sits at level 4. The proportions of the building from this view are somewhat odd and it is suggested that the proposed extension to the front is likely to be an improvement, or certainly no worse, than the existing from a visual amenity perspective.
6.3 The building is more apparent when driving from south to north up Summerhill Road. The proposed extensions may not be visible from the street scene at this point given the positioning of the wall and the height of the new lounge and garage, but the change in fenestration would be very obvious. Whether this would be an improvement or not is, in this instance, a matter of opinion as the existing windows do not contribute to the aesthetic quality of the building. The change will result in a building that looks more modern than it does at present. It is not considered that there would be an adverse impact on the street scene.
6.4 In terms of impact on neighbouring amenity, the only change that would be visible from no.7 Strathallan Park would be the widened gable fronting Strathallan Road, and the new kitchen window and utility window. The windows would be 15m from the garden of 7 Strathallan Park and @ 20m from the nearest part of the house. It is not considered that either of these would result in an undue level of overlooking given the distance between properties, the rooms which they serve and for those on level 3, the intervening wall. Both the proposed garage and its roof terrace would be set below the level of Strathallan Road and will not be visible from Strathallan Park, nor would anyone on the roof terrace be able to overlook the residents of 7 Strathallan Park. There is no proposed alteration to the access to the site which is off Summerhill Road.
6.5 The four trees to be removed are relatively small and again, not readily visible from the street scene. They provide for some level of screening between the application site and the neighbouring property Cliff Cottage Bungalow. The increase in overlooking would be from Cliff Cottage Bungalow rather than the other way around, but in any event this would be minimal and not such that would warrant refusal.
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18/00869/B Page 4 of 4
6.6 It is understood that the applicant has contacted the objectors to explain in detail the proposals, however no further correspondence has been received.
6.7 The relationship of the application dwelling following its extensions and alterations on the proposed new dwelling cannot be fully assessed given that it has only received approval in principle for its siting and access. Therefore it is not yet known what the design of the building or any positioning of windows would be. It is pertinent that the site is currently in the same ownership and consequently the proposed design is in the control of the current applicant. There is nothing to indicate that an acceptable development could be accommodated.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposal is considered acceptable in accordance with the designation within the Local Area Plan and the appropriate policies within the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
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.
8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot 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 : 03.01.2019
Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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