177264

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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 18/01265/B Applicant : Elliot Construction Ltd Proposal : Conversion of existing building to form 6 self contained apartments (comprising amendments to 06/01427/B) Site Address : Glenville House Ballure Road Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 1ND

Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Photo Taken :

Site Visit : 19.12.2018 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 16.01.2019 __

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.

C 2. Prior to the occupation of either apartment within the rear outrigger the rear corner windows as shown on drawings 02 and 03 are required to be completed and retained thereafter.

Reason: In the interest of residential amenities of future occupants.

C 3. Prior to the occupation of either apartment within the rear outrigger the existing windows within the rear elevation of the rear outrigger are required to be blocked up as shown on drawings 02 and 03 and retained thereafter.

Reason: In the interest of neighbouring residential amenities.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawings reference numbers 01, 02, 03 and 04 all received on 28th November 2018.

__ Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

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Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The property Glenville House, Ballure Road, Ramsey, is part of a row of four storey terraced properties located on the western side of Ballure Road. The existing properties usage was until recently as a single dwelling with a total of 11 bedrooms.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks approval for conversion of existing building to form 6 self-contained apartments (comprising amendments to 06/01427/B).

2.2 The ground floor would accommodate a single apartment, while the first and second floors would accommodate two apartments and the third floor would accommodate a single apartment.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The following previous planning applications are considered relevant in the assessment and determination of this application;

3.2 Conversion of dwelling into four self-contained apartments - 06/01427/B -APPROVED

3.3 Installation of uPVC sliding sash windows to replace existing - 02/00588/B - APPROVED

4.0 DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES 4.1 In terms of local plan policy, the site is located within an area designated as Predominantly Residential Use under the Ramsey Local Plan (No. 2) Order 1998, Map No. 2 (South). The site is not located within a Conservation Area, nor a Registered Building.

4.2 The relevant planning policies from the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 are:

4.3 Strategic Policy 1 states: "Development should make the best use of resources by: (a) optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and under-used land and buildings, and re-using scarce indigenous building materials; (b) ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs for access, landscaping, open space(1) and amenity standards; and (c) being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services."

4.4 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."

4.5 Strategic Policy 10 states: "New development should be located and designed such as to promote a more integrated transport network with the aim to: (a) minimise journeys, especially by private car; (b) make best use of public transport; (c) not adversely affect highway safety for all users, and (d) encourage pedestrian movement"

4.6 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: a) Is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief; 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; d) Does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses;

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e) Does not affect adversely public views of the sea; f) Incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; g) Does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; h) Provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; i) Does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; j) Can be provided with all necessary services; k) Does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan; l) Is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding; m) Takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and n) Is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

4.7 Housing Policy 17 states; "The conversion of buildings into flats will generally be permitted in residential areas provided that: (a) adequate space can be provided for clothes-drying, refuse storage, general amenity, and, if practical, car-parking; (b) the flats created will have a pleasant clear outlook, particularly from the principal rooms and (c) if possible, this involves the creation of parking on site or as part of an overall traffic management strategy for the area."

4.8 Transport Policy 1 states: "New development should, where possible, be located close to existing public transport facilities and routes, including pedestrian, cycle and rail routes."

4.9 Transport Policy 7 states: "The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards.

The current standards are set out in Appendix 7."

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 No comments received.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 As stated earlier in this report, the application site is located within a wider area of land that is designated as predominantly residential use under the Ramsey Local Plan. Given that the use of the proposed development would be residential, it is concluded that there is no issue with the general principle behind the proposal. Material planning weight should also be attached that a similar scheme (06/01427/B) has been approved at the site for conversion into four apartments. However, the purpose of this planning application is to examine the site specific impacts of the proposed development, namely given the increase from four apartments to six.

6.2 It is considered the remaining issues are; potential impact the impact on private amenity of future occupants; potential impact on-street parking in the area and potential impact upon neighbouring amenities.

POTENTIAL IMPACT THE IMPACT ON PRIVATE AMENITY OF FUTURE OCCUPANTS 6.3 In terms of the impact on private amenity for future occupants, generally the main test is whether each of the flats created will have a pleasant clear outlook, particularly from the principal rooms (living rooms/dining rooms). The four apartments with windows serving principle rooms (i.e. lounges) to the front of the property are considered, once again to have good outlooks. The main issue is whether the two apartments within the rear three storey outrigger have acceptable outlooks. Generally, in such instances the answer is no. However, in this case the applicants have carefully considered/designed this, by way of including a corner window at

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first floor & second floors. What would result are views of the hills to the southwest of the site. Further, these windows would be provided with light throughout the afternoon and evening periods (suns orientation east to west). Accordingly, the outlooks and light are arguably better than those apartments which have windows to the front of the property.

6.4 Bin storage is exists currently to the rear of the property and therefore this aspect complies with the policy.

6.5 Overall, it is considered to provide an acceptable amenity level for future occupants and therefore the proposal from this aspect is acceptable.

POTENTIAL IMPACT ON-STREET PARKING IN THE AREA 6.6 Turning to the impact on highways, the key issue to consider is car parking provision. If this were a new development for a six one bedroom apartments then a total of 6 parking space would be required to be provided on site. The last approved application for four apartments included two, one bedrooms apartments and two, two bedroom apartments, which again equated to a requirement of six spaces. None where proposed. Therefore, it could be argued that the increase from four larger apartments to six studio apartments would not have an increase demand for parking provision.

6.7 This property as well as Heaton Bank, The Lanterns are all in a fairly unique position that no off street parking provisions can be created to the rear due to lack of space available to the properties as well as the rear lane being too narrow for vehicles. The rear outlet could be demolished, however this would result in the properties being significant reduced in size, so therefore it is not consider this as a realistic solution. The property also has no real potential on road parking provisions due to parking restrictions along Ballure Road (double yellow lines of both sides), Walpole Drive is to the north of the property which could possible accommodate some on street parking. According, it is a reasonable consideration that any residents moving into the apartment would need to acknowledge that this is little/no potential for parking close to the site and therefore alternative means of transport would be need to be considered.

6.8 With this in mind it is important to note that the site is on a bus route and is within an 11 minute walk of Ramsey Bus Station. Further it is within a 8 min walk of Parliament Street (shops/services). Consideration should also be given to Strategic Policy 10 which states that new development should be located and designed such as to promote a more integrated transport network with the aim to: (a) minimise journeys, especially by private car; (b) make best use of public transport; (c) not adversely affect highway safety for all users, and (d) encourage pedestrian movement.

It is considered this would comply with this policy

6.9 Overall, it is considered given, the site is within the town centre close to services, shops and employment, close to public transport links; the existing 11 bedroom dwelling and previously approved scheme could also generate a similar parking requirements; and as there has been no objection from neighbours; it is therefore concluded that the lack of off street parking provision in this case is acceptable and would not significantly effect on street parking in the locality.

POTENTIAL IMPACT UPON NEIGHBOURING AMENITIES 6.10 The main issue would be the increase in units and whether this would increases the potential of overlooking, namely form the principle rooms within the rear outrigger to neighbouring properties to the rear. Currently there are a number of windows which look to the neighbouring properties/gardens to the rear of the site. However, these windows serve bedrooms (not primary habitable rooms), while this new proposal would introduce living rooms instead which are primary habitable rooms. However, the proposal includes to removes the existing directly facing windows and replaced with corner windows, which essentially are directly away from the properties to the rear, which in turn will increase the level of privacy.

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6.11 There are no other issues with the proposal which would result in an significant adverse impact to the amenities of neighbouring residents to warrant a refusal..

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 For the reasons outlined above it is considered that the planning application is in accordance with the relevant policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and the Ramsey Local Plan and it is therefore recommended that the planning application be approved.

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 the Head of Development Management in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 18.01.2019

Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

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.