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19/00250/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 19/00250/B Applicant : Mr Ian Craine Proposal : Replacement of two ground floor windows with a roller shutter door Site Address : 10 Water Street Ramsey Isle of Man IM8 1JP
Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Photo Taken : 09.04.2019 Site Visit : 09.04.2019 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Refused Date of Recommendation: 12.04.2019 __
Reasons for Refusal
R : Reasons for Refusal O : Notes attached to reasons
R 1. The proposal is regarded to be contrary to General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35, Policy R/E/P6 and Circular 1/98 in that it would detract from the character and appearance of the street scene and therefore the wider Conservation Area. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is a two storey property on Water Street in Ramsey, a narrow side street linking Peel Street and Tower Street in the town centre. The access lane of Cannell's Lane runs along the north-western elevation of the property. The building itself is traditional but of no particular architectural merit. There are a number of timber frame windows on the south elevation facing Water Lane which are of standard top opening casement design, as well as a single doorway. The site property is being used to store plastering materials.
1.2 The street generally, whilst being within the Ramsey Conservation Area, is a mix of styles with some stonework and traditional design mixed with car park areas and garages. The frontages along the western end of Water Street near the site feature traditional timber framed windows.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL
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19/00250/B Page 2 of 4
2.1 The proposal is for the replacement of a section of the south elevation of the site property including two ground floor windows, with a modern roller shutter door 2600mm high and 2790mm wide.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 12/01541/B Conversion of exiting building to a dwelling with integral parking, Permitted. This application sought the reuse of the site as a dwelling with the demolition of the Water Street end of the building to accommodate this (the area where the roller door is proposed).
4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The application site is located within an area of "Mixed Use - Town Centre" and within the "Conservation Area" on the Ramsey South Local Plan, 1998. Within the Ramsey Local Plan Written Statement 1998 (Planning Circular 2/99).
4.2 Due to the site location, zoning and the type of proposal, the following policy is relevant for consideration:- "General Policy 2: 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: (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; (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."
4.3 Environment Policy 35 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."
4.4 Ramsey Local Plan 1998 contains the following policy which is relevant to the application - Policy R/E/P6 Terraces states:
"There will be a general presumption in favour of retention of traditional uniform frontages on all pre 1920's buildings in terraces by:
a) retention of traditional doors and windows (size, style, glazing, pattern and section)."
4.5 Where windows are to be replaced in Conservation Areas, Planning Circular 1/98 is a consideration: "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 their construction."
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS
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19/00250/B Page 3 of 4
5.1 No comments or representations received at the time of this report.
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The application site is located within the town centre and within a conservation area identified under the Ramsey Local Plan, 1998. Given the nature of the proposed development it is therefore appropriate to assess the proposal against the policies identified earlier within the report (i.e. General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016).
6.2 The issue to consider here is whether the proposal would harm or detract from the character and appearance of the Ramsey Conservation Area. Water Street connects with the main pedestrian area in Ramsey and whilst the site is some 60 metres west of this area, and Water Street does not retain a uniform traditional appearance, removal of traditional features would still worsen the appearance of the street scene. The works may be regarded as relatively minor, and would no doubt provide a greater degree of convenience to the occupants. However, as noted, the key concern is the appearance of the Conservation Area.
6.3 The two timber framed windows to be removed are not of particular merit in terms of design, and are most likely not the originals. Their replacement with other windows of suitable materials and design would likely be acceptable, however the proposal seeks a roller door which would give the appearance of a garage. Whilst there are car park areas and other elevations facing onto Water Street which do little to contribute to its traditional character, it is felt that this does not mean that any development should be permissible on the street. The proposal would not comply with any of the aforementioned policies and runs contrary to the recent redevelopment of Ramsey Town Centre.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 Whilst this is a relatively small scale proposal, it is regarded to be contrary to General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35, Policy R/E/P6 and Circular 1/98 in that it would detract from the character and appearance of the street scene and therefore the wider Conservation Area. On balance therefore, the application is recommended for refusal.
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; o 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 o 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 : Refused
Date : 18.04.2019
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19/00250/B Page 4 of 4
Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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