3 July 2024 · Delegated - Principal Planner (Chris Balmer)
2 Amulree, Glen Road, Laxey, Isle Of Man, IM4 7aj
The proposal involves demolishing the existing porch, outbuilding, glasshouse and parts of the south-west elevation of a two-storey semi-detached dwelling in Laxey Conservation Area, replacing them with a wrap-around ground floor extension (including a new porch with dual pitch roof at 3.5m ridge height, flat roof sing…
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The officer applied great weight to preserving/enhancing the Laxey Conservation Area per Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, finding demolition of porch, outbuilding, glasshouse a…
Strategic Policy 3 - To respect the character of our towns and villages
Focuses on visual design of development and impact on character/identity of locality. Assessed proposal's scale/form as subservient and acceptable in mixed-use conservation setting.
Strategic Policy 4
Requires protection/enhancement of Conservation Area fabric/setting. Officer gave great weight per s18(4) TCPA, finding extensions preserve/enhance despite some demolition harm outweighed by modern addition.
Environment Policy 7
Requires special care near watercourses, no development within 8m normally, no harm to water quality/habitats. Proposal abuts Main River/tributary but mitigated by approved method statement (works within 9m).
Environment Policy 22
Prohibits unacceptable harm via pollution, noise, light etc. Addressed via lighting condition to protect habitat.
Environment Policy 34
Prefers traditional materials for pre-1920 buildings. Proposal uses stone/slate to match existing.
Environment Policy 35
Requires Conservation Area development to preserve/enhance character. Modern extensions accepted as not incongruous in mixed setting.
Environmental Policy 39
Presumption to retain positive contributors in Conservation Areas. Demolition features do not cause undue harm in balance.
General Policy 2
Permits development meeting multiple criteria (siting, scale, amenity, highways, habitats, flooding etc.). Proposal meets relevant criteria (a-n) including no adverse amenity/traffic impact, flood mitigation.
Energy Policy 4
Covers alternative energy sources like solar/AHP. Visual harm from panels outweighed by environmental benefits in mixed Conservation Area.
Time limit
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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Bat protection during demolition
Demolition of the porch, outbuilding and sections of the South-West elevation must not be undertaken outside of the bat hibernation period and so should not take place between the 1st of October and the 31st of March in any year. The applicant must make sure that checks for bats are made around the building prior to any work taking place. Should bats, or evidence of bats such as staining or bat droppings be found then any other work that has commenced must stop and advice be obtained from the Ecosystem Policy Team on 01624 651577 or the Manx Bat Group Helpline 07624 366177. Reason: To accord with Environment Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan.
Watercourse protection method
Demolition shall proceed only in accordance with the measures outlined in the document submitted on the 2nd of July 2024, 'Works within 9m of a watercourse'. Reason: For avoidance of doubt and to protect a tributary of the River Laxey in accordance with Environment Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
External lighting approval
Outdoor lighting should be on a sensor and low level to protect habitat in this sensitive location. There shall be no external lighting at the site unless full lighting plan details have been first submitted to and approved in writing by the Planning Department. The details shall be in accordance with the recommendations outlined in the Bat Conservation Trust and Institute of Lighting Professionals Guidance Note 8/23 on Bats and Artificial Lighting (2023) and include such detail as the position of lights, level of illumination and cowl details. Any external lighting shall then only be installed in full accordance with the approved lighting plan. Reason: To accord with Environment Policy 4 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan to protect the adjacent wildlife habitat.
No objection
No objections
Potential for bats noted but no bat survey requested at this time; demolition restrictions and checks required
Do not oppose subject to conditions: additional living space not used as sleeping; flood mitigation measures including escape plan, Section 20 consent, access to flood defence wall
No objection; precautions to prevent harmful materials entering river
Multiple consultees including Highways, Ecology, Flood Risk Management, Inland Fisheries, and Garff Commissioners responded with no objections to application 24/00419/B, subject to specific conditions on bats, flooding, and pollution prevention.
Key concern: property within flood risk zone on corner of main river and tributary
Highway Services HDC
No ObjectionHighway Services HDC does not oppose (DNO) the following applications
Highway Services
for clarification, Highways request details of current parking arrangement provided for the dwelling
Highway Services
No ObjectionHighways Development Control raise no objection to the proposal as it raise no significant road safety or highway network efficiency issues; Recommendation: DNO
Ecosystem Policy Officer DEFA
Conditional No ObjectionThe Ecosystem Policy Team are not requesting an assessment by a suitably qualified ecological consultancy in this instance. However, the applicants must make sure that they undertake checks for bats
Conditions requested: undertake checks for bats around the building prior to any work taking place, in particular before the outbuilding is demolished; demolition of the outbuilding must be undertaken outside of the bat hibernation period and so should not take place between October - March; Should bats, or evidence of bats such as staining or bat droppings be found then the work must stop and advice be obtained from the Ecosystem Policy Team
DEFA Inland Fisheries
Conditional No ObjectionDEFA, fisheries have no objections to this development from a fisheries perspective, provided that there is no adverse effect on the adjacent watercourse
Conditions requested: precautions will be needed to reduce the possibility of harmful materials such as concrete or washings entering the river
Department of Infrastructure Flood Risk Management Division
Conditional No ObjectionDNOC
Conditions requested: The additional living space should not be used as sleeping accommodation; Flood mitigation measures should be employed; A flood escape/action plan should be displayed for the users of the holiday accommodation; A Section 20 Consent form must be completed and sent to FRM for review; Access to the flood defence wall must be maintained so that FRM Officers can regularly inspect the asset
Garff Commissioners
No ObjectionThere were no objections to this proposal
