Loading document...
==== PAGE 1 ====
23/01102/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 23/01102/B Applicant : Mr Tomasz Dziardziel Proposal : Creation of additional vehicular access & driveway Site Address : Corner Stones 5 Howe Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 2AP
Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level :
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 21.02.2024 __
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 driveway has no impact on parking provision or character of the area.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This approval relates to the documents, location plan and drawing no. 1679.10, 1679.11 which have been received on 18th October 2023. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE
==== PAGE 2 ====
23/01102/B Page 2 of 4
1.1 The site is the Cornerstones, 5 Howe Road, Onchan, a detached dwelling located on the north of the corner of Links View and Howe Road.
1.2 The house has a lawn fronts both road. The existing access is on Links View. There is a terrace with railings on the elevation facing Howe Road.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The proposal is the hardening of area on the northeast boundary of the front garden to create an additional driveway. The driveway is approx. 5.8m wide and is next to the driveway of 7 Howe Road.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 There is no previous applications considered materially relevant to this application.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY Site Specific 4.1 The site is within an area designated as Predominantly Residential in the Area Plan for the East.
Strategic Policy 4.2 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: o General Policy 2 (b), (c), (g), (h)
PPS and NPD 4.3 No Planning Policy Statement or National Policy Directive is applicable to this application.
5.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS Strategy and Guidance 5.1 The Residential Design Guide (July 2021) contains the following guidance that are considered particularly of material relevance to the assessment of this current planning application: o Section 6.3 Front Gardens and Driveways
5.2 Manual for Manx Roads provides best practise and technical details of how to ensure highways are accessible, safe, inclusive and serviceable.
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS 6.1 Onchan District Commissioners does not object to this application (15.11.2023).
6.2 DoI Highway Services oppose this application (09.11.2023). The comment states that the proposal would create a second access for a single property, which is against Manual for Manx Road. The comment also states that there is no objection of the technical design of the driveway, beside the drainage system. The comment also points out that the new driveway lacks clear pedestrian access.
6.3 DoI Highway Drainage write in (01.11.2023) to inform the applicant that no surface water should be discharged onto a public highway.
7.0 ASSESSMENT 7.1 The main consideration for this application are the principle of the development, its impact on the character and street scene of the area and on highway safety.
Principle of the Development
==== PAGE 3 ====
23/01102/B Page 3 of 4
7.2 As the development is to increase parking spaces, the foundation of such development is the net increase of parking spaces for the street as a whole, as indicated in the RDG. This means after the development, the sum of the number of parking spaces created off-street and the number of parking spaces remaining on-street should be more than the number of existing parking spaces available on street.
7.3 The road is available for parking. The proposal is to remove approx. 5.8m section available for parallel parking space, which could lead to the removal of one on-street parking space. In the meantime, it is to be noticed that the road is residential and the most frequent use are its residents, including occupiers of the application site.
7.4 The proposal will create one additional parking spaces. The proposed parking space, along with the driveway, satisfy the recommendation in the Manual for Manx Roads. Therefore, it is considered that there is no increase in total number of parking spaces available on Howe Road.
7.5 In the meantime, given the residential nature of the road, it is considered that this one loss of on-road parking is unlikely to have a negative impact on the parking provision of the area. Therefore, it is considered that there is no impact on parking provision of the area.
7.6 The next test is whether over 50% of the existing front lawn/landscaped garden will be lost. The existing and proposed walkway are not counted into the calculation. After the proposal, the lawn still counts for over 50% of the existing front garden. It is also to be noted that the additional parking space is for the use of the applicant only.
Visual Amenities 7.7 RDG also states that for the replacement of the front garden with a parking space, there is a need to weigh the benefit created to the applicant against the impact of the changed surface on the property and its surroundings. Such replacement should only be allowed when there is little negative impact, or the benefits overwhelm the negative impacts created as "front gardens provide an important physical boundary between a dwelling and the public realm".
7.8 The most important consideration for such a proposal is whether it will shift the boundary of the public realm. If so, whether such a shift is acceptable? For this application, this transition is clear: road - pavement - garden - dwelling. While the remaining garden length is reduced, the remaining width is still sufficient separation between public and private space. Therefore, it is considered that there is no negative impact on the character and street scene of the area.
Highway Safety 7.9 Highway Services objects to the proposal as it creates a second access to a single property. In this instance, the site sits next to two roads and site visits shows this junction has good visibility. The existing driveway and the proposed driveway are on different roads. After careful consideration, it is considered that the impact on highway safety is within an acceptable level.
Planning Balance Assessment 7.10 Highway Services has suggested extension to existing driveway or closing the existing driveway would be a better proposal in highway safety perspective. However, either option would reduce the amount of grass area at the corner of the site and have a bigger visual impact compared to the existing proposal.
7.11 The applicant has stated that the new driveway is to help an occupier with mobility issue and the existing driveway is too steep for them to access. It is considered that the impact on highway safety is not sufficient reason for recommending refusal to this application.
==== PAGE 4 ====
23/01102/B Page 4 of 4
8.0 CONCLUSION 8.1 The proposed driveway does not have an impact on parking provision of the area and has no negative impact on the character of the area. The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan and the Residential Design Guide July 2021. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.
9.0 INTEREST PERSON STATUS 9.1 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 which the subject of the application is situated; and (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.
9.2 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 above who should be given Interested Person Status. __
I can confirm that this decision has been made by the Acting 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 : 22.02.2024
Determining officer Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan
Acting Head of Development Management
Customer note
This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.
Copyright in submitted documents remains with their authors. Request removal