DEC Office Report

Application No.: 19/00658/B Applicant: Kobus Limited Proposal: Window / door alterations to premises and erection of side extension to provide tourist living accommodation Site Address: Church Farmhouse Great Meadow Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 4EB Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Expected Decision Level: Planning Committee Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 17.07.2019 _________________________________________________________________

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.

• C 2. The accommodation hereby approved must be used as part of the overall residential unit of Church Farmhouse and may be used either as permanent residential or tourist accommodation.

Reason: to control the development of new units of accommodation in the countryside and to clarify the extent of the approval.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This approval relates to drawings SC1534 P/10-00, SC1534 P/10-01, SC1534 P/10-02, SC1534 P/10-03, SC1534 P/10-10A, SC1534 P/10-11A, SC1534 P/10-12A, SC1534 P/12- 01, SC1534 P/12-11/A and LS-01 all received on 5th June, 2019.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE AT THE DIRECTION OF THE HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

THE SITE

1.1 The site is the curtilage of Church Farmhouse which lies on the eastern side of the A3 opposite Great Meadow mansion house and grounds. The site accommodates the main house which sits centrally in the site along with a detached garage and greenhouse to the east. - 1.2 The house is a stone faced dwelling, described by the applicant as late Victorian/Edwardian and it has a single storey, stone, hipped roofed annex along with a stone, two storey annex on the rear. THE PROPOSAL

2.1 This application seeks to address the reasons for refusal raised in the earlier application referred to below although an appeal against that decision has been made. This appeal is due to be heard on 24.07.19. - 2.2 The scheme proposes to remove existing stone outbuildings alongside and attached to the main house and the erection in their place of an extension which will accommodate two ensuite bedrooms one which will be an accessible unit and the other a standard bedroom. Both will be accessed using the existing rear access: the accessible unit will also have access out through a set of patio doors. - 2.3 Unlike the previous scheme, this aims to minimise the impact of the extensions, breaking up the visual form into different elements which are not dissimilar to the existing outbuildings, using lean-to roofing and a combination of timber cladding with stonework and metal fascia. - 2.4 Two new windows will be introduced on the first floor of the western elevation, finished and constructed to match the existing in this wall, along with patio doors in the ground floor. - 2.5 The property is proposed to be used for either residential or tourist accommodation.

PLANNING POLICY

3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South (2013) as not for a particular purpose. Great Meadow opposite is identified as Existing Low Density Housing in Parkland. The site lies within an area of Undulating Lowland Plain on the Landscape Character Appraisal.

3.2 There is therefore a presumption against development here as set out in General Policy 3, Environment Policies 1 and 2 of the Strategic Plan. - 3.3 There are policies relating to the Landscape Character Appraisal relating to the landscape character type which is applicable here, as follows:

3.10 Implications of the Landscape Character Assessment Landscape Type - Undulating Lowland Plain and Rugged Coast Landscape Area - F7 (Castletown and Ballasalla), F8 (Poyll Vaaish and Scarlett Peninsula) and E10 (Castletown Bay)

• i. The broader setting of Castletown is provided by Castletown Bay, which is formed by the Langness Peninsula on the east and by Scarlett to the west, and by the gently sloping agricultural land rising towards South Barrule. This certainly merits protection, both for its own sake in terms of landscape, and as the historic context of the Town.

• ii. To maintain and improve the approaches to the Town. The more immediate setting for the old town - the residential developments around the edge, and, to the north-east, industrial development - is in some places and in some respects disappointing as they do not seem to reflect the local style and scale of development. Refurbishment, and in some instances new development, should provide opportunities to improve the built environment alongside the approaches to the Town.
• iii. Retention of the green space which serves to separate Castletown from the industrial development to the north (see Green Gap Proposal 3). Castletown and Ballasalla (F7) The overall strategy is to conserve the character, quality and distinctiveness of this open area that contributes to the setting of Castletown and Ballasalla, to enhance the river field pattern and to conserve the aquatic habitat corridor of the Silverburn.

Key Views Open and panoramic views out to sea and over Langness' rocky shoreline beyond the Airport.

Key views to the prominent landmarks of Castle Rushen and King William's College.

3.4 The Strategic Plan has advice on tourist accommodation as follows:

• 4.4.4 The development of tourism should be fostered by making appropriate use of the Island's natural attractions, our built heritage and our vintage transport systems. Accordingly:

Strategic Policy 8: Tourist development proposals will generally be permitted where they make use of existing built fabric of interest and quality, where they do not affect adversely environmental, agricultural, or highway interests and where they enable enjoyment of our natural and manmade attractions.

• 4.4.5 This policy reflects the general restriction on new development outside defined development zones. Tourist proposals in the countryside will normally be required to meet the above criteria.

Environment Policy 16: The use of existing rural buildings for new purposes such as tourist, or small-scale industrial/commercial use may be permitted where:

• a) it is demonstrated that the building is no longer required for its original purpose and where the building is substantially intact and structurally capable of renovation;
• b) the reuse of the building will result in the preservation of fabric which is of historic, architectural, or social interest or is otherwise of visual attraction;
• c) it is demonstrated that the building could accommodate the new use without requiring extension or adverse change to appearance or character;
• d) there would not be unacceptable implications in terms of traffic generation; a) conversion does not lead to dispersal of activity on such a scale as to prejudice the vitality and viability of existing town and village services; and f) the use of existing buildings involves significant levels of redevelopment to accommodate the new use, the benefits secured by the proposal in terms of impact on the environment and the rural economy shall outweigh the continued impact of retaining the existing buildings on site.

9.5.3 It is considered that the Island's primary assets to tourists and visitors alike are its unique historical landscape, culture and heritage, as well as a wide range of specialist events and attractions. Many activities and facilities providing for the Island's tourists require no permanent development: the TT Races, for example which attract by far the most significant number of tourists to the Island of any event held here, require little but the Grandstand on

Glencrutchery Road and a small number of modest marshals' shelters around the Course. Tourism can, however require the erection of built structures - holiday accommodation being the most frequently requested form of new development required in association with the tourism industry. It is important that a balance be struck between the needs of tourism and the protection of these assets, and that tourism development should be sustainable in accordance with the objectives of this plan. There is no special reason why less demanding policies should be applied to tourism development than for other types of development in the countryside, and larger scale schemes may have to be the subject of an environmental impact assessment before planning permission is granted, as with any other form of large scale development.

• Business Policy 11: Tourism development must be in accordance with the sustainable development objectives of this plan; policies and designations which seek to protect the countryside from development will be applied to tourist development with as much weight as they are to other types of development. Within the rural areas there may be situations where existing rural buildings could be used for tourist use and Environment Policy 16 sets out the circumstances where this may be permitted.
• Business Policy 12: Permission will generally be given for the conversion of redundant buildings in the countryside to tourist use providing that the development complies with the policies set out in paragraph 8.10 Housing Policy 11.

Housing Policy 15 provides advice on the extension of traditionally designed properties as follows:

The extension or alteration of existing traditionally styled properties in the countryside will normally only be approved where these respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property. Only exceptionally will permission be granted for extensions which measure more than 50% of the existing building in terms of floor space (measured externally).

• Business Policy 13 generally allows the use of existing residential property as tourist accommodation. PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The site has been the subject of a number of applications for alterations and extensions to the main house, the erection of the garage (97/00215/B) and creation of farm access lane. Most recently an application was approved to use the house as self catering accommodation

• (18/00259/C. It should be noted that this was an application for the additional use of the property for this purpose, with the original use as a dwelling still remaining. Most recently, the site was the subject of an application for conversion of the existing garage to tourist accommodation, the erection of a new car port and the extension of the house to provide a self contained tourist unit. This application was refused for reasons relating to the principle of the creation of new self contained units of accommodation and also the design of the extension
• (19/00254/B).

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 There are no representations on file at the time of writing. It is worth noting that no objections were received to the previous application which was for more significant works. ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The scheme is considered to be more sympathetic to the existing dwelling which is historically and architecturally interesting, through the use of broken form which is not dissimilar in character to what is currently on site. The use of muted materials which are not dissimilar in colour to the existing stonework will also help the new fabric sit comfortably next to the house without trying to compete with it. The new accommodation will not be selfcontained but will complement the existing range of accommodation within the dwelling, with some internal alterations (which would not require planning approval).

• CONCLUSION
• 7.1 The works are considered to address the previous reasons for refusal and satisfy Housing Policy 15 and the application is supported. 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 confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.

Decision Made : …Permitted……….... Committee Meeting Date:…12.08.2019 S CORLETT Presenting Officer

Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).

Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below

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