3 July 2024 · Delegated - Principal Planner (Chris Balmer)
2 Amulree, Glen Road, Laxey, Isle Of Man, IM4 7aj
The proposal involves demolishing non-original features including a porch, flat-roofed outbuilding, lean-to glass greenhouse, and parts of the South-West elevation wall (including windows) on a two-storey semi-detached dwellinghouse in the Laxey Conservation Area.
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The officer applied great weight to preserving and enhancing the Laxey Conservation Area per Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, alongside Environment Policies 35 and 39 and PPS 1…
Environment Policy 7
Requires special care near watercourses to avoid harm, including no development within 8m normally, risk assessments, and pollution measures. Assessed against demolition risks of dust/rubble entering tributary of River Laxey; satisfied by 'Works within 9m of a watercourse' document submitted 02.07.2024, despite being within 9m.
Environment Policy 35
Permits only development preserving or enhancing Conservation Area character. Some harm from porch and window loss acknowledged, but limited visibility and replacement extension benefits meant overall preservation/enhancement achieved when weighed in planning balance.
Environmental Policy 39
Presumption in favour of retaining positive contributors to Conservation Area; considers condition, repair costs, retention efforts, and replacement merits. Applied to porch (harm from loss as replicated feature), outbuilding (neutral due to flat roof), lean-to (no contribution); outweighed by extension.
General Policy 2
Protects habitats including via good practice. Condition requires bat checks outside hibernation to comply with GP2(d).
CA/6 Demolition in Conservation Areas
Presumption to retain positive contributors in Conservation Areas; merits of replacement development considered. Officer noted general presumption against demolition but approved due to low harm and extension benefits.
Time limit
The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent. Reason: To comply with paragraph 2(2)(a) of schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented registered building consents.
Bat protection
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: In accordance with good practice to protect habitat in accordance with General Policy 2(d) of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Watercourse protection
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.
No objections
Satisfied not to request a Bat Survey prior to determination. Checks for bats required prior to work on flat roofed outbuilding.
DEFA Ecosystem Policy Officer raised bat presence concerns regarding the outbuilding demolition but did not request a full ecological assessment, advising pre-works checks and timing restrictions; Garff Commissioners had no objections.
Key concern: potential bat roosting in outbuilding
DEFA Ecosystem Policy Officer
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 around the building prior to any work taking place; 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; the demolition of the outbuilding must be undertaken outside of the bat hibernation period and so should not take place between October - March
Garff Commissioners
No ObjectionThere were no objections to this proposal.
