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23/01237/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 23/01237/B Applicant : Mr & Mrs Roger & Michelle Davies Proposal : Conversion of existing Garage into Home Gym Site Address : Crofton Mews The Crofts Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LW
Planning Officer: Mr Toby Cowell Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.01.2024 __
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.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed works to the existing building are considered to be acceptable insofar as providing additional habitable accommodation in the form of a home gym, without detriment to the character and appearance of the wider Conservation Area, whilst ensuring that sufficient off-street parking would remain within the site. The proposals are deemed compliant with General Policy 2, Environment Policies 35 and 42 and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan (2016).
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following drawings and documents;
01 - site plan and existing plans and elevations 02 - proposed floorplan and elevations Supporting statement Received 25.10.23 __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
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23/01237/B Page 2 of 4
None __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site relates to a two-storey stone building to the immediate north of the large detached property of Crofton and its associated residential curtilage. The principle building within the site contains a residential flat at first floor with ground-floor garage space for 2 vehicles. A first-floor terrace notably extends around the front elevation of the building with an external set of stairs on the north-eastern flank elevation providing access to the residential unit. The site further contains a garden store building at the very rear, whilst benefitting from its own vehicular access off The Croft and associated hardstanding to the front of the building.
1.2 The building and site is under the ownership of Crofton and is understood to effectively serve as additional parking, garaging and storage for the owners, whilst further including a first-floor flat which is understood to effectively operate as additional ad-hoc accommodation in connection with Crofton for use by family members and guests. That being said, the building and its associated curtilage are understood to technically comprise a separate property in their own right.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Planning permission is sought for the conversion of the ground-floor garaging to a home gym to be used by the occupants of Crofton, together with the removal of garage doors on the front and rear elevation and replacement with glazed timber windows including timber panelling on the lower sections.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The site and wider Crofton Estate, which includes the large detached property and associated curtilage of Crofton to the immediate south of which forms under the same ownership of the application site benefits from an extension planning history, which relates to various works to the principle dwelling of Crofton and alterations to the vehicular access and roadside boundary treatments in relation to Crofton Mews.
3.2 Of particular note in the site's history however is the approval in principle granted for the demolition of the existing building and erection of a dwelling with garage on the plot of land adjacent to Crofton (PA 85/00663/A), which subsequently became Crofton Mews.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as 'predominantly residential' in the Area Plan for the South and within the settlement boundary of Castletown. The site falls within the Castletown Conservation Area, with the front/historic section of the adjacent property of Crofton comprising a Registered Building (no. 261).
4.2 The following policies from the 2016 Strategic Plan are considered pertinent in the assessment of this application;
Strategic Policy 2 Priority for new development to identified towns and villages 3 To respect the character of our towns and villages 5 Design and visual impact
Spatial Policy 2 Development in the Service Centres
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General Policy 2 General Development Considerations
Environment Policy 35 Development in Conservation Areas 42 Designed to respect the character and identity of the locality
Transport Policy 4 Highways safety 7 Parking
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Castletown Commissioners - no response received at the time of writing.
5.2 Highways Services - No highways interest. (03.11.23)
5.3 Registered Buildings Officer - no response received at the time of writing.
5.4 Manx National Heritage - no response received at the time of writing.
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposals relate to the conversion of existing internal garage space into a home gym to be used by the occupants of Crofton. On the basis that sufficient off-street parking would be available both within the curtilages of the application site (Crofton Mews) and Crofton itself, the principle of conversion if not objected to. Likewise, no concerns have been raised by Highway Services in this regard.
6.2 From a visual standpoint, the only external alterations relate to the replacement of the existing garage doors with glazed timber windows and associated panelling for the lower sections. Such alterations are considered to amount to a visual improvement and integrate well with the existing building. Therefore, no concerns are raised over the impact upon the character and appearance of the streetscene or the wider Conservation Area.
6.3 On this basis, the proposals are considered to be acceptable and thus compliance with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The proposed works to the existing building are considered to be acceptable insofar as providing additional habitable accommodation in the form of a home gym, without detriment to the character and appearance of the wider Conservation Area, whilst ensuring that sufficient off-street parking would remain within the site. The proposals are deemed compliant with General Policy 2, Environment Policies 35 and 42 and Transport Policies 4 and 7 of the Strategic Plan (2016), and therefore recommended for approval.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019, the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure; (d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and
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(g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.
8.2
The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed in Article 6(4) who should be given Interested Person Status. __
I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Head of Development Management 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
Decision Made : Permitted Date : 30.01.2024
Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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