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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Application No.: Applicant: Proposal : Site Address : 14/00193/B Mr Edward Venn Erection of detached timber garage to rear elevation 8 Third Avenue Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 4NA Mr Edmond Riley 05,03,2014 05,03.2014 Officer Delegation Case Officer: Photo Taken : Site Visit: Expected Decision Level: Officer's Report 1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE The application site is the residential curtilage of a two storey, mid-terraced dwelling on Third Avenue, which is situated to the north of the highway and west off School Road in Onchan. The application property has a small front garden and an open yard area to the rear, which has no boundary treatment; the rear yard, in common with all the dwellings of the terrace here, is bounded by a rear access lane that is also within the application site. The front boundary of the site is defined by a concrete wall. A number of dwellings here have a parking space to the front elevation of their dwelling following at least eight approvals for such development since 2003. 1.1 To the north is a factory unit, set slightly lower topographically than the application site, while views west along the access road are of trees and open fields. School Road, given the change in topography, is not as visible from the rear of the application site as might be expected, and disappears from sight altogether perhaps halfway along the frontage of the aforementioned factory site. 1,2 2.0 THE PROPOSAL Full planning approval is sought for the erection of a timber garage within the rear yard area. The garage would be 4.0m wide by 5.6m in depth and with a slate blue, box profile roof cladding. No colour is indicated for the sides or doors. The rear of the garage would have a door for person access as well as a window; again, no finishes are provided as regards this. 2.1 The applicant has verbally advised that the building material proposed reflects his desire to be able to take the garage away once the dwelling, which was observed as being for sale, is sold. 2.2 3,0 PLANNING HISTORY While the application site has not been subject of a previous planning application, it is perhaps worth briefly noting some of the case officer's comments in respect of the most recent approval for the creation of an off-road parking space, which was at 11 Third Avenue and approved on 17th September 2012: 3.1 14/00193/B Page 1 of 4 5 May 2014

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"Whilst the Highways Division's concerns have been understood, it is considered it would be unreasonable to refuse the application on the basis of the size of the proposed parking space, particularly as many similar sized spaces have been approved in recent years and appear to function effectively without compromising road safety." 4.0 PLANNING POLICY The application site falls within an area designated for Predominantly Residential use in the Onchan Local Plan 2000. There are no policies within Planning Circular 1/2000, the written statement that accompanies the Local Plan, which are considered specifically material to the assessment of the planning application. 4.1 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 (in part): "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: 4.2 respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for ail highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space; does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local (b) (c) (g) (h) (i) highways". 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Onchan District Commissioners recommend the application be approved. 5.1 Highway Services comment that the lane to the rear of the application site measures just less than 5 metres, and that 6 metres of manoeuvrability is required in front of a proposed parking space. Taking into account the congested nature of the area with regards on-street parking, and also the fact that other properties have done the same. Highway Services do not object to the application. 5.2 6.0 ASSESSMENT The key issues for this application are considered to be those of highways safety and visual impact. Given the topography here, the proposed garage would be visible from School Road despite the adjacent factory, and also - and more readily - visible from the neighbouring dwellings. The proposed construction materials are considered appropriate and, while the size is quite extensive, it is not judged that this extra mass would in and of itself reduce the visual quality of the area by an undue degree. The rear of Third Avenue does not offer any especial quality of built environment, and the already wide mixture of sheds, outbuildings and generally open nature of the rear of these properties is such as to mean that the proposed shed would not be visually prominent to the detriment of the area. 6.1 Concern from Highway Services is understandable, but also understandable Is that this concern does not translate into a formal objection. The site visit was conducted during the middle of the day, during which time only one safe place to park the officer's vehicle was found. At peak hours, the pressure for parking must, presumably, be greater still. Therefore, the use of the land to the rear is acceptable even If the amount of space provided for manoeuvrability is less than might normally be expected. It is also true, however, that the 6.2 14/00193/B Page 2 of 4 5 May 2014

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open nature of the rear yard of the application site is such that the garage, if installed, would certainly reduce the amount of space available to park a car - it would not, after all, fill the entire yard, which, presently, is empty. There is also concern that the size of the garage is smaller than might normally be expected such that, if it were to be used for storage of household items as garages tend to be to a greater or lesser extent, the available space within might be reduced to a level that would prevent any car from being kept within it. 6.3 7.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is considered that the principle of the garage is acceptable in both use and developmental terms; of concern is that the garage might not be used to store a car and thereby place additional parking pressure on the immediate streetscene. As such, it is considered appropriate to recommend approval to the application but only with a condition stipulating that the garage shall at all times be made available for the parking of private motor car(s) and shall be retained available for such use, 7.1 8,0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8,1 Highway Services is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2013, Article 6(4)(d), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded interested person status. 8.2 The local authority, Onchan District Commissioners, is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2013, Article 6(4)(e), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded interested person status. 14/00193/B Page 3 of 4 5 May 2014

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Recommendation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 05,05.2014 Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal O : Notes attached to refusals C 1. The development hereby approved shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this decision notice. To comply with article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Reason: Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals. C2. The garage hereby approved shall at all times be made available for the parking of private motor car(s) and shall be retained available for such use, Reason: To provide adequate off-street parking. This approval relates to the following plans, date-stamped as having been received 17th February 2014: 00062, 00064 and 00065. I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to Director of Planning and Building Control /Head of Development Management/ Senior Planning Officer. Decision Made: Permitted Date: Determining officer (delete as appropriate) Signed :... Chris Balmer Senior Planning Officer Signed :... Sarah Corlett Senior Planning Officer Signed ;...'r... Michael Gallagher Signed :... Jennifer Chance Director of Planning and Building Control Head of Development Management 14/00193/B Page 4 of 4 5 May 2014