DEC Officer Report

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Application No.: 24/00611/GB Applicant: Mr Alexander Burnett Proposal: Replacement roof to the single storey side extension, erection of decking, the installation of an air source heat pump and the creation of two doors in existing window openings (retrospective) Site Address: 2 Victoria Terrace Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4EU Technical Officer: Thomas Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 24.06.2024

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The proposals are judged to pass the statutory test within section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the building's architectural and historic special interest is being preserved. The proposals are also judged to be in accordance with Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 32 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016, together with Policies RB/3 and RB/5 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 as the building's special interest is being protected and preserved. It is further judged that given the condition of the property prior to the works being undertaken, the application meets the tests of General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the proposals respect the site and surrounding and do not affect adversely the character of the surrounding townscape. The application is therefore considered to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to drawings 01, 02, 03 received 24th May 2024. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site (no 2) forms part of the Registered Building Victoria Terrace (RB 187) which is a row of six pairs of semi-detached houses. Designed in a neo classical style by John Robinson in 1843 the pairs have twin front doors set in shared pedimented porches that are faced directly on to the pavement. The buildings have hipped roofs with deep eaves; their interlocking side entrance pillars and railings along with the varied later side additions give the impression the buildings forming a single terrace. The properties follow the contour of the road and are stepped in pairs to reflect this, which gives rise to some of the properties having half and full basements and others not. The Buildings have long gardens which run through to the rear access lane Victoria Place, with some of the properties having garages or sheds others with parking spaces in front of walls, with no's 1 and 2 having more substantial buildings facing onto Victoria place including a small dwelling house.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 This application seeks approval for a replacement roof, erection of decking, the installation of an air source heat pump and the creation of two doors in existing window openings. The application is retrospective, and follows a recent registered building consent application (24/00155/CON).

3.0 PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS - 3.1 The site is designated in the Area Plan for the East as predominantly residential. The property is not located within a Conservation Area, and is not located within a flood risk area. - 3.2 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions

(3) In considering —

• (a) whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting, or
• (b) whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the relevant Department shall have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses.

3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016

General Policy 2 Strategic Policy 4 Infrastructure Policy 5 Environment Policy 32 & 34 Community Policy 7, 10 & 11.

3.3 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man

POLICY RB/3 POLICY RB/5

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 19/00483/GB and 19/00484/CON - Installation of replacement windows - 4.2 24/00155/CON - Registered building consent for alterations to single storey side extension, works to roof, internal works, creation of rear doorways and works to staircases (all retrospective) - RB187.

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

Copies of representations received can be viewed on the government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Douglas Borough Council had stated that they have no objections to the proposals (10.6.2024). - 5.2 The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division have stated that there is no highways interest in the application (31.5.2024).

6.0 ASSESSMENT Statutory Test - Section 16 (b) of The Town and Country Planning Act 1999 - 6.1 The works proposed within this registered building consent application are all retrospective. The Department's Principal Registered Buildings Officer, when still in post, visited the site to view the works now applied for together with the Assistant Registered Buildings Officer and one of the Department's Enforcement Officers. The applicant and their agent have provided photographs of the condition of the property prior to the works being undertaken. - 6.2 Section 16 of the Act requires that when considering whether to grant registered building consent, the Department must "have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses." As described in section 1.1, the property forms part of a terrace of 12 properties protected under a single registration (RB 187). The properties were registered as a terrace constructed in 1843 in a neo-classical style, with pedimented porches, distinctive entrance pillars and railings on their front elevation, and a distinctive form featuring hipped roofs with deep eaves. The existing condition of the building is a key consideration when assessing the retrospective works within this application. Of the elements replaced as part of these works, photographic evidence has shown that only the existing staircase from ground to first floor and the roof structure dated from the building's construction. The windows, roof finish, side extension, and internal joinery are all elements that have been replaced during the 20th century. Both the roof structure and the existing staircase balustrade were found to be in need of replacement at the time that the applicant took occupancy of the property. The roof structure, together with the roof finish, has been replaced in a like for like manner in terms of form and materials, and this intervention is therefore judged to preserve the building's architectural interest. The cills of the ground floor rear windows have been lowered to floor level in order to create twin French windows. Although this operation has resulted in a loss of historic fabric, as the sections of wall removed were historic, it is the case that consent has been granted elsewhere on the terrace for the creation of doorways in these openings on the basis that the action did not impact the property's architectural special interest. With this in mind, it is considered that the same judgement should apply to the creation of rear doors on this property. - 6.3 Overall, the building's overall form and the elements of architectural special interest noted in the reasons for registration are being preserved, and as such the proposals within this application are considered to pass the statutory test. Policy Tests - 6.4 Replacement roof to the single storey side extension. On visiting Victoria Terrace, it is apparent that a significant variety of sizes, forms, styles and materials exist in respect of the side extensions on each dwelling. Two storey and single storey examples are present, as are pitched roofs, flat roofs, roof lights, windows, solid roofs and clear polycarbonate roofs. The side extension at no.2 (the application site) is set back from the pavement, on the line of the main building. The large gated pillars on the pavement line

• prevent the side extension from being visible. Although the materials and roof lantern are not traditional, the side extensions along the terrace do not contribute to the special interest. In addition to this, the side extension as now exists is not visible from the street, and as such it is considered that the building's special historic and architectural interest is preserved by this element of the works.
• 6.5 Works to main roof. Photographic evidence provided by the applicant as part of an enforcement query has demonstrated that the property's rainwater goods were not historic, and were in a grey UPVC material. In addition to this, the roof lights, roof structure, roof finish and soffits and fascias are all shown to be in a very poor condition. As the roof structure and finish have been replaced in a like for like manner in terms of form and materials, these elements are considered to be appropriate. Although modern materials have been used, the replacement roof lights and rainwater goods are considered to be an enhancement when compared to the existing elements known to be in place at the time that the applicant took occupancy of the property. The replacement fascias and soffits have been installed in a style that matches those in place on no.1 (the other property in this pair of semi-detached dwellings). Although the materials used are modern (UPVC), this element of the property now matches the adjacent property, and are judged to preserve the property's special interest when compared to the condition of the elements previously in place.
• 6.6 Creation of doorways in existing openings. This application includes lowering the cills of the ground floor rear windows to floor level in order to create twin French windows providing access to the rear decking area. This operation includes the removal of a section of historic wall below each existing window cill. Elsewhere on the terrace, no.5 obtained consent in 2022 to erect a ground floor extension that involved the creation of a doorway in one the rear ground floor window openings. Although the creation of twin French windows and the use of modern materials are not strictly in accordance with the terrace's historic design principles, the alteration is considered to be very modest, and as it does not harm the form or neo-classical elements mentioned in the registration documents, this element is considered to preserve the building's special architectural and historic special interest.
• 6.7 The application proposes to install an air source heat pump to the side of the main house, in front of the side extension but set back from the gates by approximately 3.5 metres. The property is separated from the adjacent dwelling (no.3 Victoria Terrace) by a substantial historic masonry wall, and as such it is judged that no adverse impact will result to the adjacent property from a noise point of view. As the heat pump will not be visible from the street, given the substantial boundary wall, pillars and boarded timber gates, it is also judged that there will be no adverse impact on the character of the surrounding townscape.
• 6.8 The application proposes to install decking immediately adjacent to the rear elevation, at ground floor level, with sections to allow light down to the lower ground floor windows. The external rear ground level varies along the terrace as the natural topography interacts with the stepped ground levels of the houses. Various rear extensions, and indeed one instance of an additional dwelling, have been permitted in the rear gardens of the registered terrace. With this in mind, the introduction of decking is not judged to have any significant adverse impact on the building's setting in comparison to other permitted works along the terrace. In addition to this, the features noted within 6.2 as contributing to the terrace's special interest are not judged to be impacted by the introduction of decking in the manner proposed. Finally, the decking will not be visible from outside of the site ither than from the rear first floor windows of the two adjacent properties. With this in mind, the decking is not considered to have any negative impact on the character of the surrounding townscape.

6.9 Overall, given the condition and external appearance of the property prior to the works being undertaken, it is considered that the proposals will not adversely affect the character of the surrounding townscape. - 6.10 Given the nature and scale of the proposals, the application is judged to comply with Community Policies 7, 10 and 11 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016. CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposals are considered to pass the statutory test within section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 as the building's architectural and historic special interest is being preserved. The proposals are also judged to be in accordance with Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 32 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016, together with Policies RB/3 and RB/5 of Planning Policy Statement 1/01 as the building's special interest is being protected and preserved. It is further judged that given the condition of the property prior to the works being undertaken, the application meets the tests of General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the proposals respect the site and surrounding and do not affect adversely the character of the surrounding townscape. It is therefore recommended that the application is approved. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSONS STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:

• (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf);
• (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
• (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material;
• (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
• (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.

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 above who should be given Interested Person Status

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner in accordance with the authority afforded to that Officer by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Officer has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.

Decision Made : Permitted Date: 27.06.2024 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

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