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Application No.: 23/01356/GB Applicant: Mr Roger & Mrs Michelle Davies Proposal: Proposed widening of vehicle entrances and driveway re- alignment (in association with RB consent PA 23/01357/CON) Site Address: Crofton The Crofts Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1LW Technical Officer: Mr Thomas Sinden Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 10.01.2024
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.
The proposals meet the tests of Section 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, and the tests of General Policy 2, Strategic Policy 4, Environment Policy 32 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan 2016, as the special interest of the Registered Building and Conservation Area are being preserved and protected, and the proposals respect the character of the surrounding townscape. It is therefore judged that the application is acceptable.
This decision relates to drawings 01, 02, 03 and 04, tree information drawings B294-LS-01, TI081123, OTP-081123 and TS-271023, together with the other supporting information submitted on 18th November 2023.
_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons
None _____________________________________________________________________________
1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is Crofton, The Crofts (RB 261), Castletown. The property was built sometime between 1850 and 1861, for an advocate named John Moore Jeffcott. The house is constructed in local Limestone, has a distinctive and unusual design, and retains much of its historic detailing.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval to widen the two existing entrance gates on the Crofts boundary. It is proposed that this widening would involve moving one of each of the pillars, with related alterations to the boundary wall and its painted metalwork, and fixing the existing entrance gate to the pillar in its widened location. The gates would not be altered in themselves, and are intended to be fixed in the open position. The application is concurrent with registered building consent application 23/01357/CON.
3.0 PLANNING POLICY. - 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South 2013 as predominantly residential, and within the Castletown Conservation Area. The site is not in an area at risk of flooding. - 3.2 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999 S16 Registered buildings: supplementary provisions
3.3 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016
General Policy 2 Strategic Policy 4 Environment Policy 32 Environment Policy 35
3.4 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 Policy and Guidance Notes for the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man
Proposal: Approval in principle to demolish existing building and erect dwelling with garage, Plot of land adjacent to Crofton, The Crofts, Castletown
Reference Number: 90/00998/A Status: Permitted Proposal: Approval in principle for external alterations, Crofton, The Crofts, Castletown.
Reference Number: 90/01560/B Status: Permitted Proposal: Alterations to dwelling, conversion of coach house to flat & double garage and rebuilding store, Crofton, The Crofts, Castletown.
Reference Number: 92/00439/B Status: Permitted Proposal: Construction of garden room, Crofton, The Crofts, Castletown.
Reference Number: 05/01332/B Status: Permitted Proposal: Installation of an electric meter box to side elevation (Conservation Area)
Proposal: Registered Building consent for installation of replacement window and new roof light to garden store - RB 261
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 5.1 The D.O.I. Highways Division have stated that they find the application to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking. A S109 highway agreement will be required for the widened dropped kerb accesses. (24.11.2023).
6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The pertinent issue to be assessed by this application is the impact of the proposed alterations on the special interest of the registered building and the special character of the conservation area. It is considered that the proposals meet the tests of Section 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 - 6.2 The boundary wall and gates of Crofton are contemporary with the property, and are judged to make a significant positive contribution to the property's setting, and to the character of this part of the Castletown Conservation Area. The justification put forward by the applicant and their agent for the proposed alterations relates to the practicality of the entrances for modern vehicles. Both entrances are 2.5m wide currently, with the pillars sited directly at the back of the pavement line. With the width of the roadway along this part of the Crofts, the width and position of the entrances does cause issues both in terms of safely entering the property and safely exiting in terms of adequate visibility for vehicles. The solution proposed within this application is to widen each entrance by the width of one section of the wrought iron fencing, approximately 1.2m. When viewed from outside the site, the internal pillars of each entrance are proposed to be moved, while the external pillars would remain in their existing position. The existing gates that are attached to the internal pillars would be reattached to the pillars once they are reconstructed in their revised positions. Although this will result in the gates not meeting when in the closed position, the gates have been in their open position for many years and it is intended for them to remain in the open position. When visiting the site to review the proposals with the applicants and their agent, it is apparent that the narrow nature of the existing entrances is resulting in damage to the pillar's historic fabric. It is considered that the proposed alterations have been well considered, and that the solution put forward will cause minimal harm to the historic fabric. With the damage that has been caused to the pillars in their current position, the wider entrances may in fact assist to protect the historic fabric and avoid damage by vehicles. With these factors in mind, the proposed alterations are judged to preserve the special character of the registered building, conservation area and surrounding townscape.
7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 It is judged that the proposals meet the tests of Section 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, and the tests of General Policy 2, Strategic Policy 4, Environment Policy 32 and Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan 2016, as the special interest of the Registered Building and Conservation Area are being preserved and protected, and the
proposals respect the character of the surrounding townscape. It is therefore recommended that the application be approved.
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:
8.2 The decision maker must determine:
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 : 11.01.2024 Determining officer
Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management
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