179600

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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 19/00085/B Applicant : Department of Infrastructure Proposal : Installation of replacement front door and rear patio door Site Address : 3 Victoria Road Castletown Isle of Man IM9 1EP

Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 04.03.2019 __

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 information received on 28th January, 2019.

__

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

none __

Officer’s Report

THE SITE 1.1 The site is the curtilage of 3, Victoria Road a mid terraced property which backs onto the Silverburn to the south of Alexandra Bridge. The property is a two storey dwelling with accommodation in the roofspace served by two rooflights. The property is one of a terrace of four - 1, 3, 5 and 7.

1.2 Number 5 has decorative mouldings around the top of the ground and first floor windows which are fitted with sliding sash windows, the attic dormer having smaller version of these

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lower windows. Number 7 does not have these features. Numbers 1 and 3 are plainer properties: number 1 has two full floors of accommodation and attic accommodation served by two eaves level pitched roofed dormers. Number 3 has no dormers and has three windows across the first floor compared with two for number 1. Numbers 1 and 3 have panelled doors with a semi circular light at the top of the door, number 3 having a rectangular fanlight above: numbers 5 and 7 have solid panelled doors and both have rectangular fanlights above. Number 1's front door is pretty much level with the footway alongside: number 3's is slightly elevated by a small step and numbers 5 and 7 are elevated more with two steps between the front door and the footway.

1.3 The rear of the properties are all very different from each with less care having been given to architectural details. All of the properties have balconies - those on numbers 1 and 3 being at ground floor level and that for number 7 being at first floor level. Number 3 also has a first floor level balcony.

1.4 Numbers 1, 3 and 5 are at risk of flooding, number 5 actually having experienced flooding with the other two being at risk due to their proximity to the Silverburn and from flood water entering the front from water coming onto Victoria Road.

THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the replacement of the front door and the rear patio doors on the ground floor level balcony. The application aims to make cost effective and practical flood protection efforts to help mitigate the impact of flooding, focusing on assessing ways of making the property more flood resistant using proprietary measures available through reputable suppliers. Some of these efforts relate to internal works - raising the height of shelving, sockets, fuse boxes etc. Others are outside and comprise:

the replacement of the patio doors on the ground floor level rear balcony, matching the existing and the replacement of the front door in the same style and colour but with two additional glazed panels in the upper part of the window and undivided patterned glazing in the glazed elements.

PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within the Castletown Conservation Area and within an area of Residential land use.

3.2 Development within a Conservation Area is required to preserve or enhance the Area in accordance with EP35 of the Strategic Plan and PPS 1/01. Planning Circular 1/98 provides guidance on the replacement of windows as follows:

"Buildings in Conservation Areas If the original windows are in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is impracticable, replacement windows which would be readily visible from a public thoroughfare MUST HAVE THE SAME method of opening as the originals. Whatever the material used in their construction, the windows MUST HAVE THE SAME pattern and section of glazing bars and the same frame sections as the original windows.

Windows not readily visible from a public thoroughfare must have the same or similar pattern of glazing bars as the originals, but not necessarily the original method of opening, whatever the material used in the construction."

3.3 Environment Policy 34 requires that "In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre- 1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred."

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3.4 General Policy 2 requires that: "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:

(c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape and (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality".

PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The property has been the subject of a number of applications for alterations and extensions, none of which is relevant to the current proposal.

REPRESENTATIONS 5.1

ASSESSMENT 6.1 The issues in this case are whether the proposed replacement elements have any adverse impact on the character or appearance of the property taking into consideration the location of the property within a Conservation Area.

6.2 Some of the elements to be replaced are not particularly visible: the elements at the rear are not generally visible at any close range and in any case replicate the existing doors which sit on a modern balcony.

6.3 The front door is similar to the existing which is not traditional in terms of the inclusion of the semi-circular glazed light. The use of patterned glass detracts a little from the character of the property but not so much that the overall character of the area will be compromised. The glass is capable of being replaced by plain glass and is not irreversible.

CONCLUSION 7.1 The works will have a neutral impact on the character and appearance of the property and the Conservation Area and any slight adverse impact from the patterned glass is outweighed by the benefit to the property from the additional flood mitigation measures brought about by the new elements.

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.

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Decision Made : Permitted

Date : 11.03.2019

Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER

Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

Customer note

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