Loading document...
Application No.: 10/00307/B Applicant: Mr William Bregazzi Proposal: Conversion of ground floor shop into living accommodation and installation of windows to replace existing shop front Site Address: 23 Bay View Road Port St. Mary Isle Of Man IM9 5AQ ### Considerations Case Officer: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken: - Site Visit: - Expected Decision Level: Senior Planning Officer ### Written Representations ### Consultations Consultee: Highways Division Notes: Do not oppose Consultee: Port St Mary Commissioners Notes: Consultee: Director Of Environmental Health Notes:** Comments received
The site represents the curtilage of an existing three and a half storey building which fronts onto Bay View Road opposite the site of the recent landslip. The property is one of a terrace of three properties between Gelling's Avenue and the New Baptist Church to the south.
The building has a large sliding sash window at ground floor level to the right of the shop front door and a large plain shop window to the left with a pedestrian door to the right of the sliding sash window. Above the building accommodates arched headed casement widows on the first floor, round headed windows on the second floor and a round headed single window in the roof area. None of the windows fit the shape of the aperture. The building is finished in painted render and the building to the left is virtually identical and that to the right is the same in detail but finished in brick.
The site lies within an area of Worship on the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Order 1982. On the draft Southern Area Plan which was published on 23rd October, 2009 the site is identified as Mixed Use, which more accurately reflects its use. The building is presently or was last used as a shop on the ground floor and living accommodation above.
9 April 2010 10/00307/B Page 1 of 3
No planning applications have been submitted in respect of this property.
Proposed is the conversion of the ground floor to living accommodation, making the property a single residence. Physical alterations to the out side of the property include the removal of the shop front and door and sliding sash window and their replacement by a triple set of sliding sashes and retaining the existing residential entrance. The conversion will provide the residential unit with two additional rooms on the ground floor.
Department of Transport Highways and Traffic Division (now Department of Infrastructure) raise no objection to the application
The Environmental Health Officer (now the Department of the Environment) makes comments relating to the Housing (Flats) Regulations 1982. However the proposal does not create a flat and as such these comments are not relevant.
The physical changes to the building will significantly improve the appearance of the property which is welcome as recent proposals along Bay View Road have tended to involve the installation of aluminium shopfronts and plastic framed windows (PAs 08/01642, 09/0835, 10/0015 and 10/0016).
The draft plan includes advice about the use of properties within Mixed Use areas, as follows: "5.17.1The shops in Port St Mary, strung out sporadically along the main street between the Post Office at one end and The Albert at the other, serve an essentially local need, although the several restaurants attract customers from further afield. The accommodation above the shops is generally used by small businesses as office space, or as apartments. The Port St Mary Local Plan (draft written statement 2001) recognises that the village centre plays a relatively minor role as a retail centre. It would not be beneficial to reserve vacant ground floor shop units for retail use when an alternative use may enhance the vitality of an historic building or the village centre as a whole." and "Retail Policy 2: Within the Port St Mary Mixed Use Area it is recognised that an alternative use to retail in the existing retail units may add to the vitality and viability of the town centre this will be considered as long as this does not result in unreasonable disturbance to residents or other users and the street frontage is protected."
As such, whilst the proposal will result in the loss of a shop unit, Port St. Mary is not recognised as a primary shopping area and the overall viability of the village centre is considered to be more important. In this respect the proposal represents investment in an existing property, with a use which will result in less demand for parking spaces and physical improvements to what is, or could be, an attractive building.
As such, the application is considered to be acceptable.
The local authority is, by virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2005, paragraph 6 (5) (d), considered an "interested person" and as such should be afforded 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.
The Environmental Health Officer's comments are not appropriate to this application and in any case are not material planning considerations
Recommended Decision: Permitted
Date of Recommendation: 09.04.2010
C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.
C 2. This permission relates to the conversion of the existing shop unit to living accommodation as shown in drawings 1003/01, 1003/02, 1003/03 and 1003/04 all received on 8th March, 2010.
I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular No 09/09 Delegation of functions, 10/09 Delegation of Functions (Development Procedure), GC No 11/09 (Advertisements) and GC No 12/09 (Registered Buildings) all to the Senior Planning Officer
Decision Made : Permitted Date : Signed : Senior Planning Officer
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal
View as Markdown