Planning Officer Report

Planning Officer Report And Recommendations {{table:21875}} {{table:21874}}

Officer's Report

The Application Site

1. The application site is the residential curtilage of a two storey semi-detached dwelling with a hipped roof on Port-E-Chee Avenue in Douglas. The dwelling has a brick paved driveway to the side and front of the dwelling, with some garden space to the front and rear. The side of the driveway borders another driveway, which belongs to the neighbouring similar two storey semi-dwelling on the same residential highway.

The Proposal

1. The application seeks retrospective planning approval for the widening of the vehicular access and widening of driveway using brick paviers. In order to widen the vehicular access, the applicant has removed approximately 4 metres of fencing along the front boundary. The driveway to the front of the front elevation has now been extended to have a width of 6.5 metres.

Planning History

1. The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning applications.

Planning Policy

1. The application site falls within an area designated for Predominantly Residential use in the Douglas (North) Local Plan 1998. There are no policies that accompany the local plan, which are considered specifically material to the assessment of the planning application.

1. The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 contains one policy that is considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application. General Policy 2 states:

"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".

Representations

1. Douglas Borough Council has no objection to the proposal.
2. The Highways Division do not oppose the proposal subject to the applicant contacting the Network Operations Section of the Department of Infrastructure prior to carrying-out any works within the highway, including the installation of dropped kerbs.

Assessment

1. The proposed widening of the vehicular access has no adverse impact on the appearance of the street scene and subsequently is not considered to be adverse to public amenity. The increased width of the driveway will allow of improved vehicular access to the site, and the increased width of the driveway will enable more than the minimum number of two car parking spaces to be provided within the curtilage of the site. Although some garden area has been lost as a result of the increased driveway area, it is considered adequate levels of general residential amenity can still be provided to the residents of the property. As such, the proposal complies with the relevant provisions of General Policy 2 in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007.

Recommendation

1. It is recommended that the planning application be approved.

Party Status

1. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should be afforded interested party status:

The local authority, Douglas Borough Council are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.

1. It is considered that the following parties that made representations to the planning application should not be afforded interested party status:

The Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division is now part of the Department of Infrastructure of which the planning authority is part. As such, the Highways and Traffic Division cannot be afforded party status in this instance.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision: Permitted

Date of Recommendation: 17.09.2012

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal

• : Notes attached to refusals

C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

C 2. This approval relates to the widening of vehicular access to front elevation and creation of wider driveway to front elevation, as shown in the 1:1000 scale Location Plan and 1:200 Site Plan, both received on 13th August 2012.

I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control / Development Control Manager/ Senior Planning Officer.

Decision Made : Permitted Date : 18.9.12

Determining officer (delete as appropriate)

Signed : _________________________ Anthony Holmes Senior Planning Officer

Signed : _________________________ Michael Gallagher Director of Planning and Building Control

Signed : _________________________ Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer

Signed : _________________________ Jennifer Chance Development Control Manager