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| Application No.: | 14/00473/B |
| Applicant: | Brandywine Ltd |
| Proposal: | Erection of a dwelling with attached garage and vehicular access |
| Site Address: | Field 410891 |
| Adjacent To Surby Mount & Victoria Lodge | |
| Surby Road | |
| Surby | |
| Port Erin | |
| Isle Of Man |
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE DUE TO THE HISTORY OF THE SITE AND THE NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN RECEIVED
1.1 The site is part of field number 410891 which lies to the north of Surby Road (B47). The field in its entirety stretches from the highway north and upward towards and as far as the residential curtilage of Surby Mount, an existing dwelling which looks down upon the application site. The boundary between the field and the curtilage of Surby Mount has been changed such that the existing property now has more land than previously. The application site is part of an area which has permission in principle, and which is recognised in the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013, as being suitable for the erection of a single dwelling, both subject to conditions.
1.2 The field rises up from south to north by approximately 1 in 12.
1.3 To the east of the site is an existing dwelling, Meadow View, which is a traditional Manx cottage with a footprint of 8m by 9m. This has a frontage to the highway of around 13m and a depth of around 26m. There are trees along the boundary of West View with the application site. To the west of the site is another existing property, Victoria Lodge which is a more modern property with a two storey block with accommodation above a garage and a large single storey section to the east. This has a length of 27m. To the north is Surby Mount, an existing two storey property which has traditional elements but has modern windows and a projecting large porch. Across the road to the south is an open field which is not designated for development, to the east of which sit what look like three properties - Homesea and The Homestead which are opposite the south eastern corner of the site and Thie ny Chibbyr which is opposite West View. These three properties (Homesea, Thie ny Chibbyr and The Homestead) are actually one - Thie ny Chibbyr.
1.4 The principal vantage points from where the proposed development will have a perceivable public impact are directly alongside the site on Surby Road and from a distance from the Ballafesson and Church Roads on the outskirts of Port Erin. From here the panorama of the landscape is such that Surby appears as a compact settlement split into two parts,
| Case Officer : | Miss S E Corlett |
| Photo Taken : | 11.06.2014 |
| Site Visit : | 11.06.2014 |
| Expected Decision Level : | Planning Committee |
separated by the open space between Surby Road and Garth Avenue. The two parts are visually connected by a linear strip of housing on the northern side of Surby Road most of which has traditional proportions and profiles. From both of these vantage points, Surby Mount is clearly visible which suggests that any property on the lower part of the field would also be similarly conspicuous.
1.5 Work has commenced upon the creation of the access approved under PA 13/91302. A van was on site at the time of the site visit, the level of the roadside wall had been reduced and a yellow metal container deposited close to the roadside trees at the south eastern side of the site.
2.1 Proposed is the erection of a dwelling on the site. The dwelling has an attached garage: the frontage of the house alone is 13.2m with a single storey conservatory on the western gable which adds a further 4m and a garage on the eastern gable which adds a further 7.5m but set back from the front of the house by 3.4m. A rear extension projects from the rear elevation of the property, adding a further element which is 8.8m by 5.6m. The dwelling is two storey, the conservatory and garage are single storey and the rear extension is two storey but has a ridge which is 1m lower than the main ridge. The dwelling has an external ground level 1.8m higher than the road level in front of the site and 2m lower than the ground level at the rear. The dwelling will be 8.4m at closest to the rear boundary and 12.5m from the highway at the front.
2.2 The dwelling will be finished in plain render with plastic framed windows and a natural slate roof. The windows are designed around the vertically proportioned sliding sash style but arranged on the first floor of the front elevation as having side lights of half the width of the main window and on the ground floor of the front elevation will be arranged as a three sided bay with flat parapet roof. There is no front porch but a round headed doorway in which is a set of double doors.
2.3 The site would be served by a new soakaway and connected to the main foul sewer. The access into the site would comprise a 4.8m wide entrance at its narrowest, which is 2.6m into the site, with visibility splays of 2m by 36m provided. This access differs from that approved under PA 13/91302 which was 3.4m at its narrowest and proceeded only 400mm into the site. This has now been regularised and the access is as approved previously.
2.4 Whilst no streetscene images have been provided, data regarding existing levels has been which indicate that the adjacent properties, Victoria Lodge and West View have ridge levels of 105.45 and 110.49 respectively. The proposed dwelling has a ground floor level of 101.35 and is 8.8m to the ridge, resulting in a ridge level of 110.15 - thus slightly lower than West View and higher than Victoria Lodge. It is not considered that further streetscene drawings are required to illustrate this relationship.
3.1 The site is identified on the Southern Area plan as being suitable for the erection of a single dwelling subject to the following conditions:
3.2 In addition, the proposal must comply with the general development requirements set out in the Strategic Plan as described in General Policy 3:
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:
a) is in accordance with the design brief in the Area Plan where there is such a brief; b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the space around them; c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; d) does not adversely affect the protected wildlife or locally important habitats on the site or adjacent land, including water courses; e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea; f) incorporates where possible existing topography and landscape features, particularly trees and sod banks; 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 adverse effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways; j) can be provided with all necessary services; k) does not prejudice the use or development of adjoining land in accordance with the appropriate Area Plan; l) is not on contaminated land or subject to unreasonable risk of erosion or flooding; 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."
4.1 Planning permission has been granted under PAs 09/00508 and 13/00245 for the principle of a single dwelling on the site, subject to conditions similar to the requirements of the Area Plan. Previously permission was refused for the principle of four dwellings on the site (PA 88/02246 and a single dwelling (PA 88/00696).
4.2 Planning permission was refused on appeal for the erection of a dwelling, under PA 13/91040 for reasons relating to the design and size of the property (described as non-traditional and eye-catching), its impact on the area and on those in Surby View, Victoria Lodge and West View and the potential loss of trees.
4.3 Planning permission has been granted for the creation of an access under PA 13/91302.
5.1 Rushen Parish Commissioners note that whilst the proposed dwelling is quite high, its design is traditional which is more in keeping with the approval in principle. They note that
there are no comparisons with adjacent property. They request that the Department of Infrastructure Drainage Division be content that the attenuation tank will deal adequately with the surface water which has caused problems with this part of Surby Road and note that the applicant will have to install a new sewer and ensure that flows are in the appropriate direction (ie west).
5.2 The owners of Thie ny Chibbyr which lies on the southern side of the road from the site, are concerned that there are no comparative illustrations of the proposed dwelling and appreciate that what is now proposed is more traditional than previous schemes but note that the roof is relatively steep with an integral skylight. They note that Surby Mount is not shown on the plans, and yet lies immediately to the rear (north). They request that if the application is approved that a condition requires the foul drainage connection is made at the south west corner of the site. They also feel that the approved entrance is still unnecessarily close to their driveway and that any new walling and ditches do not encroach out into the highway to ensure that they can still physically manage to get vehicles into their property.
5.3 Department of Infrastructure Highway Services does not oppose the application.
5.4 Manx Utilities Authority (Electricity) seeks consultation regarding the provision of electricity supplies. This is not a material planning consideration.
5.5 The owners of West View note that the plans do not show ridge heights of the proposed dwelling nor street scene elevations of the proposed development. They note that a temporary building has been installed underneath the canopy spread of the trees in the south eastern corner of the site which could represent a potential hazard to the health of these trees which have been identified as of amenity value in previous applications. They believe that the one in ten year soakaway proposed is inadequate but conclude by indicating that they do not object to the application per se and accept that many of the previous issues have been addressed by the applicant.
5.6 The owner of Victoria Lodge expresses concern at the provisions for dealing with surface water and considers that the one in ten year flood measures are not adequate, bearing in mind the previous experience of water flowing through and past the site and in the area generally.
6.1 The principle of the erection of a dwelling on the site is accepted under the provisions of the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 and was reiterated in the planning approval, PA 13/00245. As such, a dwelling would be acceptable on this site provided that the dwelling complies with the requirement for the inclusion of traditional features reflecting the character of the older more vernacular properties in the vicinity, and the drainage and access are acceptable, all as required by the Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 design brief, but this does not obviate the need for the proposal to comply with principles of good planning as set out in General Policy 2, in particular, the need for the dwelling to respect the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the space around them; not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape and not to adversely affect the amenities of local residents or the character of the locality.
6.2 What is now proposed differs significantly from what was proposed and refused under PA 13/91040 in terms of its shape, basic dimensions and the amount of site covered and its proximity to the adjacent dwellings. None of the trees close to or on the boundaries with Victoria Lodge and West View is likely to be affected by this development although no structures or development should be undertaken within the canopy spread area of them and a condition to this effect should be attached to any approval which will also address the concern raised from a neighbour about the contained placed beneath the tree canopy. The width of
the previous dwelling extended to 39m including all garaging whereas what is proposed here extends to a maximum width of just under 25m. The two storey part of the dwelling would be around 10m further from Victoria Lodge than previously proposed and whilst around the same distance from West View, the single storey garaging would be 3m further from the boundary close to that dwelling. The dwelling does not have any of the non-traditional elements of the last proposal, such as a chimney emanating from the eaves rather than the gables, single pane casements and a wide number of different styles of window and large expanses of glazing.
6.3 The dwelling does have more traditional features than previously - vertically proportioned windows, gable end stacks and in this respect will fit better into the landscape and complies with the requirements of the Plan. However, as with many proposals which try to capture a traditional character in a modern dwelling, the proportions are not quite vernacular which leads to a taller property with a different proportion of height to width and also different ratios of window to wall. The inclusion of a Georgian style door is perhaps a little out of keeping and the addition of what is in essence a modern garage on one side is not what one may expect to find on a Manx farmhouse. However, the setting of the site with some truly traditional and other more modern properties does not lead what is proposed to be so out of keeping as to warrant refusal of the application on these grounds. The Area Plan for the South adopted in 2013 does not require that the property follows the guidance of Planning Circular 3/91 but merely acknowledges and uses the traditional characteristics which is what has been done here.
6.4 Whilst issues have, understandably been raised in this application and in previous proposals, regarding surface and foul drainage of the site, there has been no confirmation from IOMWSA that the proposals are unacceptable in this respect and the capacity and design of the soakaway is a matter for the Building Regulations, which will not be adhered to if the drainage is deficient or unacceptable.
6.5 Whilst there have also been concerns that there are no ridge levels to compare the existing and proposed dwellings nor any streetscene elevation, it would be difficult to prepare an accurate drawing which illustrates precisely how the dwellings relate to each other, and which also illustrate a realistic view from any vantage point, due to the alignment of the road, the level of the site in relation to the level of the viewer and the alignment of the houses on each side. Indeed criticism was levelled in the previous application of a streetscene drawing which was prepared but not accepted as accurate. As there have been existing ground and ridge levels provided and measurable drawings provided of the proposed dwelling it is concluded that comparable levels of the existing and proposed dwellings can be ascertained without the need for further drawings.
6.6 The proposed dwelling will have an impact in terms of the view of the hamlet whereby a presently open space will have a new dwelling built upon it and the outlook and context of the neighbouring properties, particularly Surby Mount and also West View and Thie ny Chibbyr will change, it is considered that as approval in principle has been granted for a dwelling on this plot, what is now shown is sited and designed such that this impact will be as little as possible and what is proposed complies with the requirements of the approval in principle and the APS.
7.1 The local authority, Rushen Parish Commissioners are, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2013, paragraph 6 (4) (e), considered "interested persons" and as such should be afforded party status.
7.2 The Highway Authority is granted interested party status under the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2013 paragraph 6 (4) d.
7.3 The residents of Thie ny Chibbyr, West View and Victoria Lodge are immediately adjacent to the site and should be afforded party status.
7.4 Manx Utilities Authority does not raise material planning considerations and as such should not be afforded party status in this case.
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 12.06.2014
C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal
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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Prior to the commencement of any development on site, all trees on site must be protected by the erection of a protective fence erected beneath the dripline of the canopy spread and thereafter during the course of construction, no vehicles may be parked, nor items or containers stored therein nor any excavation undertaken.
REASON: in order to protect the existing trees on site from immediate or long term damage.
This approval relates to Drawings reference 1123/PL31/B, 1123/PL/32C both received on 14th May, 2014.
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to it under the appropriate delegated authority.
Decision Made : _______________ Committee Meeting Date : _23.6.14_
Signed: S. B. O. W. T. Presenting Officer Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason is required. Signing Officer to delete as appropriate
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