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24/00616/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 24/00616/B Applicant : Mr Cosmo Currey Proposal : Rear extension, steps/new access, renovation of windows/front door, upgrading of front elevation to original stone, and additional use as tourist accommodation. Site Address : 32 Queen Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1PA
Planning Officer: Graham Northern Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level :
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 08.07.2024 __
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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed alterations and rear extension are considered acceptable in terms of their form, mass and design which preserves the overall Conservation Area and as such complies with Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Act. The proposal complies with Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Act (1999), Environment Policy 35 and General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This approval relates to the following drawings: Drawing 01P REV 1 Site Location Plan, received 15.07.24 Drawing 03P REV 1 Proposed Elevations Section, received 15.07.24 __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
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It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the following properties should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 6(4):
Queen Street Mission Trustees Castletown Silver Band Hall Queen Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1PA __
Officer’s Report
THE APPLICATION SITE
1.1 The application site is within the curtilage of 32 Queen Street, which is an mid terrace, two storey property situated to the Northern side of Queen Street. To the rear of the property is a lane which leads to parking spaces, rear access to properties in Queen Street and Scarlett Road and some garages.
1.2 The property has a pitched roof, a chimney stack on each of the party walls, painted render walls and single glazed casement windows.
THE PROPOSAL
2.1 The planning application seeks approval for the following;
2.2 Originally the proposals sought to extend the first floor out to the rear by 4.93 metres. The applicant has amended the plans and reduced the size of the extension to 3.93 metres a 1 metre reduction.
PLANNING HISTORY
3.1 There is one previous application which is relevant to the assessment of this application which was permitted under 21/00921/B which was for an extension to the property, to completely enclose the rear yard.
PLANNING POLICY
4.1 The site is within area defined as Predominantly Residential on Map 5 of the Area Plan for the South 2013, and within the town's Conservation Area where Planning Policy Statement 1/01 requires development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area and to take into account in any decision, the special character of the area. The site is not prone
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to flood risk, although the road serving the application property and its neighbours is considered to have medium likelihood of surface water flood risk. The site is also not within a Registered Tree Area, and there are no protected trees on site. As such, the following Strategic Plan policies are relevant:
4.2 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; and (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; (m) takes account of community and personal safety and security in the design of buildings and the spaces around them; and (n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption.
4.3 Strategic Policy 4: Proposals for development must: (a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings(1), Conservation Areas(2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest;
4.4 Environment Policy 35: 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.
4.5 Environment Policy 34 expresses a preference for the use of traditional materials in the maintenance, extension or alteration of pre-1920 buildings. 4.6 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S18 Designation of conservation areas 4.7 Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Planning Act (1999) states, "(4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act".
4.8 Planning Policy Statement 1/01 "POLICY CA/2: SPECIAL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area, will be a material consideration when assessing the application. Where a development is proposed for land which, although not within the boundaries of the conservation area, would affect its context or setting, or views into or out of the area; such issues should be given special consideration where the character or appearance of a conservation area may be affected". 4.9 Also relevant tis the Residential Design Guide (2021) which offers advice on the design and in relation to visual impact and the impact on neighbours.
REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 The following representations can be found in full online;
5.2 Highway Services have considered the proposal and state " no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking, as the site is in a sustainable location in Castletown centre.." (31.05.24)
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5.3 No comments have been received from Castletown Commissioners at the time of writing this report. 5.4 Queen Street Mission Trustees have written in to confirm they have no objections.
ASSESSMENT
6.1 The issues in this case are whether the proposed works would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area and secondly, whether they would have an adverse impact on neighbouring amenity. Conservation Area 6.2 Due to the proposed works being in a Conservation Area it is necessary to test the application under section 18(4) of the Town and Country Act (1999), on whether the works preserve or enhance the Conservation Area. 6.3 The only proposed change to the front elevation through this application are the replacement windows and front door and these alterations as stated are like for like in nature and as such are considered to preserve the Conservation Area. 6.4 With the above in mind the all the works will pass the Section 18(4) test by preserving the Conservation Area. 6.5 The other alterations are to the rear and an extension has already been permitted under application reference 21/00921/B in which these proposals do have some similarities with regard to the additional built form proposed. In the previous application the officer report acknowledged less desirable extensions in the rear street scene stating, "Besides, the proposed works would be a significant improvement over similar first floor rear extensions that have been carried out within this rear lane. Thus, it is considered that the works would have a neutral impact on the character and appearance of the dwelling and Conservation Area." 6.6 The change of use and boundary/ landscaping alterations are not considered to impact adversely on the Conservation Area. Neighbouring Amenity 6.7 Permission was granted previously for a rear first floor extension which had a pitched roof with the lower eaves level to each neighbouring side, which is similar to what is proposed in this application. 6.8 The neighbour at No 34 has a similar pitched roof extension with the first floor facilitating a bathroom and en suite to the rear, and additionally a external staircase from the yard up to the rear lane which is at first floor level. 6.9 The neighbour at No 30 has permission to be used for tourism use, with the property being used in a similar manner to what is proposed in this application. 6.10 No 30 has a rear ground floor lean to extension used as a kitchen which has rear windows on to the rear yard. Due to the lean to roof no upper floor windows are present and the single bedroom only has outlook to the front. 6.11 Given the above it is not considered the proposals would impact adversely on neighbouring amenity and no objections have been received from neighbours to raise any impact. As such the proposals are considered to accord with general policy 2.
CONCLUSION
6.12 The proposed alterations and rear extension is deemed acceptable in terms of their form, mass and design which preserves the overall Conservation Area and as such complies with Section 18(4) of the Town and Country Act (1999), Environment Policy 35 and General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.
INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
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(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 the Acting Head of Development Management 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 : 18.07.2024
Determining officer
Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan
Acting Head of Development Management
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