179492

==== PAGE 1 ====

                                      19/00598/B                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 19/00598/B Applicant : Garff Parish District Commissioners Proposal : Removal of four windows and replacement with patio doors Site Address : 22 - 25 Cooil Roi Sheltered Housing Complex Glen Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7NX

Planning and Enforcement Assistant: Miss Vanessa Wilson Photo Taken : 11.07.2019 Site Visit : 11.07.2019 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.07.2019 __

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.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 23rd May 2019: o Site and Location Plan o Elevations from Google Earth showing which windows are to be replaced o Window drawing of the French Windows to be installed __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

THE APPLICATION SITE

==== PAGE 2 ====

                                      19/00598/B                                     Page  2  of  4

1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of 22 - 25 Cooi Roi, Sheltered Housing Complex, Glen Road.

1.2 The overall street scene is categorised as mostly housing complexes of different appearances with No. 22-25 Cooil Roi being in the first complex building to the northern end of Glen Road. 22-25 Cooil Roi is a two storey shelter housing complex, substantial in pebble dash with brickwork accents and decorative stone lintels above the lower ground floor level windows.

1.3 Glen Road is adjacent to the Laxey River and is a dead end road ending with the public garden with the Lady Evelyn Water Wheel. There are signs stating that parking is prohibited for non-residents.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to replace the existing larger lower ground windows with French doors sized 1200mm by 2100mm. The proposed patio doors are shown to be taller than the current windows of which the removal of the decorative stone lintels will be removed.

PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The previous planning applications are not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application.

PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Predominantly Residential on the Laxey and Lonan Local Plan 2005, Laxey map. The property also lies within the Laxey and Lonan Conservation Area.

4.2 When looking at the Laxey and Lonan Local Plan 2005 there are two policies that are considered of specific relevance to the assessment of this application, Policy L/RES/PR/1 and Policy L/CRB/PR/4.

4.2.1 Policy L/RES/PR/1 of the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan 2005 states "Residential development will generally only be approved within the study area in those areas designated as proposed and existing residential. In particular, in the case of Agneash no further dwellings will be approved although, as will be the case in areas zoned as residential, alterations and extensions to existing property may be accepted if such proposals are sympathetic to the character and appearance of both the building to be altered and the surrounding area in general."

4.2.2 Policy L/CRB/PR/4 of the Laxey and Lonan Area Plan 2005 states "Where an area is designated as a Conservation Area, special attention must be paid during the consideration of all planning applications within the area, to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act 1991 (12.(4)."

4.2 When looking at strategic plan policy the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains two policies that are considered of specific relevance to the assessment to this application, General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35.

4.2 General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 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;

==== PAGE 3 ====

                                      19/00598/B                                     Page  3  of  4

(d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses; (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."

4.5 Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 states, "Within Conservation Areas, the department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services have No Highways Interest in this application (21.06.2019).

5.2 Garff Commissioners have considered the proposal and have no objection (13.06.19).

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are; (i) the impact of the proposed development on the character of Cooil Roi with regards to the alterations proposed and (ii) whether the alterations proposed preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Laxey and Lonan Conservation Area.

6.2 Character and Appearance

6.2.1 Cooil Roi is a property of no architectural of historic interest with regards to the Conservation Area as a whole. Removing the four lower ground level doors while it will change the appearance of the property, the alteration would be unlikely to have any impact on how the property is viewed as a whole.

6.2.2 The removal of the decorative lintels while a nice addition to the property would not have a negative impact on the property as a whole because there a still several of the decorative lintels in place within the lower ground level windows which are staying in place.

6.2.3 The current windows within Cooil Roi are of white uPVC and as such the replacement of the windows with uPVC French Doors is unlikely to have any impact on the property as a whole.

6.3 Wider Street Scene

6.3.1 The northern end of Glen Road where Cooil Roi is situated on is a dead end road and as such the public vantage point would be visitors of Cooil Roi, misplaced drivers, walkers visiting the Lady Evelyn Water Wheel and people living within the Cooil Roi Complex. The complex itself can also be viewed from across the river from 1 & 2 Captains Hill, Laxey.

==== PAGE 4 ====

                                      19/00598/B                                     Page  4  of  4

6.3.2 Due to the nature of the proposed application it is considered that the replacement of the windows with French doors is unlikely to have any impact on the visual or other amenity from the neighbouring properties.

6.3.3 It is mentioned within the application that a reasoning of the proposed application is to make the unused front grassed area accessible to the tenants of the complex. During my site visit is was noted that there was a couple of benches outside the property and that there was a specific part of the front grassed area which was made into a front garden with flowers and garden accessories. If the alteration of the windows to French doors makes the space more accessible the likelihood of additional areas like this are likely and this is likely to add to the area and create a feature of the front of the property.

CONCLUSION 7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable.

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 : 31.07.2019

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.