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25/90699/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 25/90699/B Applicant : Mr And Ms Rikki Dunnage And Nicole Thacker Proposal : Replacement of existing detached garage and rear lean-to with single story extension to existing dwelling Site Address : 51 Sunningdale Drive Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 1EL
Senior Planning Officer: Mrs Louise Phillips Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 09.09.2025 __
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.
C 2. All external facing and roofing materials to be used on the development hereby approved shall be as stated on Drawing Number 1730-2 unless details of alternative materials are first submitted to and approved in writing by the Department.
Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.
C 3. The driveway space shown for the parking of vehicles on Drawing No 1730-2 shall at all times be made available for the parking of private motor vehicles and shall be retained for this purpose.
Reason: To provide adequate off-street parking.
N 1. The applicants are advised that allowing surface water runoff onto a public highway would contravene Section 58 of the Highway Act 1986 and guidance contained in section 11.3.11 of the Manual for Manx Roads.
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25/90699/B
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This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed development would cause no significant harm to the character and appearance of the site or wider area, or to the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers; and the application property would continue to have adequate parking space. The proposal would therefore comply with the relevant policies of the Development Plan.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This approval relates to the following drawings:
o Location Plan o 1730-2, As Proposed
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Right to Appeal
It is recommended that the following organisations should NOT be given the Right to Appeal:
o Onchan District Commissioners: No objection. o Highways Drainage, DoI: No objection subject to conditions which have been applied. __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE
1.1 The application relates to a semi-detached house on the north-west side of Sunningdale Drive, Onchan. It has its own driveway to the side adjacent to No 53, and there is a single, detached garage at the end of it set back from the road. The property has a single storey lean- to element at the rear which is set away from the boundary with the adjoining house, No 49.
1.2 At present, the semi-detached pair, Nos 49 and 51, have a fairly symmetrical appearance when viewed from the road - hipped roof buildings with bay windows, a driveway to the side and a garage set back from the highway. This pattern of development is repeated along the road, although the detailed design of the houses and garages does vary.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL
2.1 The proposed development is a single storey extension to the rear of the property to provide an open plan kitchen/family room/snug and a utility room. It would replace both the existing single storey lean-to and the detached garage and occupy the full width of the rear elevation, extending into the driveway/garage area to the side of the building.
2.2 The extension would comprise a new lean-to element across the back of the house, measuring approximately 8.4m wide x 3.3m deep x 3.4m high; and there would be a projecting element with a shallow pitched roof and gable end measuring approximately 4.6m wide x 9.4m deep in total x 3.2m high at the ridge. The lean-to would come close to the boundary with the adjoining property, No 49, but the existing garden wall and fence would be retained. The deeper projecting element would be set away from No 49, by a little over 4m.
2.3 The extension would be finished in a combination of dark colour wall cladding and painted render and have a dark colour metal sheet roof with three rooflights. The windows and doors would be in dark uPVC.
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2.4 Following the construction of the new extension, two car parking spaces would remain on the driveway.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY
Site Specific 3.1 The site is not within a Conservation Area and there are no Registered Buildings, Registered Trees or Registered Tree Areas in the vicinity. The site is not at risk of flooding.
Area Plan for the East 2020 3.2 The site is within a predominantly residential area.
Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 3.3 Strategic Policies 3(b) and 5 concern the protection of local character and the environment.
3.4 General Policy 2 provides that development in accordance with land use zoning and other relevant proposals and policies of the Development Plan will normally be permitted subject to certain criteria, including those below which are relevant to this proposal. The development should:
(b) respect the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (g) not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; and (h) provide satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space.
3.5 Transport Policy 7 requires new development to meet current parking standards.
4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS
4.1 Residential Design Guide and Manual for Manx Roads.
5.0 PLANNING HISTORY
5.1 17/00427/B: Alterations and raising of roof to rear extension. Permitted 07/07/17.
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS
6.1 Onchan District Commissioners "...recommend that the application be approved for planning purposes only" (30/7/25).
6.2 Forestry, Amenity and Lands (DEFA) "...There are no registered trees impacted and no other trees of note. As such we have no objection to the current proposal on arboricultural grounds" (29/7/25).
6.3 Highways Drainage (DoI) "Allowing surface water runoff onto a public highway would contravene Section 58 of the Highway Act 1986 and guidance contained in section 11.3.11 of the Manual for Manx Roads... As no details are shown the Applicant should demonstrate compliance with the clause above i.e. do not discharge any surface water onto the highway" (6/8/25).
6.4 The following organisations were consulted between 21 and 23 July 2025 but, at the time this report was drafted, no comments had been received:
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o Manx Utilities Authority, Electricity o Highways Services (DoI)
7.0 ASSESSMENT
7.1 The application site is in a location where the proposed development is acceptable in principle, subject to compliance with other relevant criteria. Therefore, the main issues are its effect upon the character and appearance of the site and wider area; its effect upon the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers; and whether adequate parking space would remain.
Character and Appearance 7.2 Sunningdale Drive is composed of semi-detached houses which follow a fairly regular pattern of development as described above. Driveways between the semi-detached pairs with garages at the end are characteristic of the street but, being sited deep within the plots, the garages are not prominent features of the street scene.
7.3 The proposed development would replace the garage and extend into the space between the application site and No 53. It would alter the general design which the property presently shares with its neighbours, but the part which would be visible from the street would be set well back from the frontage so that it would not be particularly noticeable. In the street scene, the extension would appear as a modest addition away from the road and it would have no significant detrimental impact upon either the symmetry of the semi-detached pair or the general pattern of development in the road.
7.4 When viewed from the rear, while the footprint of the extension would be quite large, it would be single storey and would utilise the part of the garden currently occupied by the garage. A reasonable area of garden space would remain and the extension would not look cramped on the plot. The pitched roof would be a positive design feature and the proposed materials would be in keeping with the existing building or be otherwise dark and discreet.
7.5 Overall, the proposed extension would cause no significant harm to the character and appearance of the site or wider area. It would therefore comply with Strategic Policies 3(b) and 5 of the Strategic Plan and with General Policy 2(b) and (c).
Living Conditions 7.6 No 53 Sunningdale Drive, adjacent to the north-east, lies on slightly higher ground than the application site. The wall of the proposed extension would be approximately 4m away from the side elevation of this neighbouring property and the only facing windows would serve the new W.C and utility room. Thus there would be no detrimental overlooking. Whilst the extension would be quite deep on this side, it would be adjacent to the garage of No 53, and this would reduce how much of it would be seen from the house or garden. Similarly, although the extension could cause some shadowing in the late afternoon or evening, this would largely fall on the garage. Consequently it would cause no significant harm in respect of either outlook or loss of light.
7.7 Turning to No 49, the extension would be close to the boundary with this adjoining neighbour, but it is designed to be shallower on this side and to allow space for maintenance of the shared garden wall and fence. The fence would prevent any intrusive overlooking from the facing patio doors and, given the relative orientation of the dwellings, the extension would cause no loss of light for the majority of the day. The extension would change the outlook from the neighbouring property, particularly from the ground floor bay window but, because it would be single storey, it would not be overbearing.
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7.8 Therefore, while the proposal extension would clearly have some effect upon neighbouring occupiers, this would not be significantly detrimental to their living conditions. It would therefore comply with General Policy 2(g) of the Strategic Plan.
Parking 7.9 Appendix 7 of the Strategic Plan requires residential development to have two off-road parking spaces per unit; and the Manual for Manx Roads advises that these should be 5.5m long. The driveway at the application site would provide two such spaces with the proposed extension in place and so there would be adequate parking without the existing garage. Therefore, the requirements of General Policy 2(h) and Transport Policy 7 of the Strategic Plan would be met.
Other Issues 7.10 The Highways Drainage Team has commented that no details are provided to demonstrate that surface water would not be discharged onto the public highway as required by Section 58 of the Highway Act 1986 and guidance contained in the Manual for Manx Roads. However, Drawing No 1730-2 states that a new surface water drainage system would be installed to connect with the existing combined drainage system that serves the dwelling; and that it is not anticipated that the proposal would generate any additional surface water flow because the extension would in part replace existing buildings and be sited within an existing hard paved, non-porus area.
7.11 Consequently, is is sufficient to include a note to advise the applicants of their responsibilities under the Highways Act.
8.0 CONCLUSION
8.1 For the reasons given above, the proposed development would cause no significant harm to the character and appearance of the site or wider area, or to the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers. The application property would also continue to have adequate parking space. The proposal would therefore comply with the relevant policies of the Development Plan and so it is recommended for approval.
9.0 RIGHT TO APPEAL AND RIGHT TO GIVE EVIDENCE
9.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted).
9.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to: o applicant (in all cases); o a Local Authority; Government Department; Manx Utilities; and Manx National Heritage that submit a relevant objection; and o any other person who has made an objection that meets specified criteria.
9.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10.
9.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required): o any appellant or potential appellant (which includes the applicant); o the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the Department of Infrastructure and the local authority for the area; o any other person who has submitted written representations (this can include other Government Departments and Local Authorities); and
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o in the case of a petition, a single representative.
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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 and/or rights to appeal.
Decision Made : Permitted
Date: 10.09.2025
Determining Officer
Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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