DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 23/01284/CON Applicant: Mr Andrew Bradley Proposal: Proposed alterations to form roof terrace with external staircase - Registered Building consent for demolition elements to PA 23/01280/B Site Address: 4 Summerhill Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 4PJ Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Photo Taken: 10.01.2024 Site Visit: 10.01.2024 Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.02.2024

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions C 1. The works hereby granted registered building consent shall be begun before the expiration of four years from the date of this consent.

Reason: To comply with paragraph 2(2)(a) of schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented registered building consents.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.

The proposal meets the statutory tests within Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, as the character of the conservation area is being preserved. The application also meets the tests of Strategic Policy 4 and Environment Policy 35 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the proposed conservation area is being protected and preserved.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the documents and plans received 2 November 2023, and the plans received 5 February 2024. _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the residential curtilage of 4 Summerhill, Douglas, which is an existing three storey Victorian mid-terraced dwelling located on the north-eastern side of Summerhill. The dwelling like its neighbours has a pitched roof finished in slate roof tiles, and flanked by two chimneystacks on both party walls. - 1.2 The dwelling has a pitch roofed two storey rear outrigger on its rear elevation. This rear outrigger projects to the rear boundary, and sits on the boundary with the rear lane which serves the application site and the neighbouring dwelling. There are a number of balconies at the rear of the dwellings here. - 1.3 The immediate street scene along Summerhill is characterised by terraced buildings of varying roof heights, with the rising topography affording views to the Douglas Bay and beach adjacent, separated by the King Edward Road and the tramway. - 1.4 One of the neighbouring dwellings has had its roof replaced by a balcony that is clear visible from the street scene, and overlooks the bay. However, there are no records of this work benefitting from planning approval.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application seeks approval for Registered Building consent for alterations consent for demolition elements relating to the application PA 23/01280/B to form roof terrace with external staircase. - 2.2 The demolition would involve the removal of part of the existing pitch roof over dwelling to enable the erection of a roof terrace at the rear section of the roof. The works would also see the introduction of a new stairway at the rear of the dwelling to link the roof terrace to the dwelling.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site is within an area designated as Residential in the Area Plan for the East and within the Douglas Promenade Conservation Area. The site is not in an area at risk of flooding. - 3.2 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999

• 3.2.1 S18 Designation of conservation areas

(4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act.

3.3 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016

• a. Environment Policy 35 - Seeks to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of Conservation Areas.
• b. Environment Policy 39 - General presumption in favour of retaining buildings which make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the Conservation Area.
• c. Strategic Policy 4 - Seeks to Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Conservation Areas (etc.).

3.4 Planning Policy Statements: 1/01 POLICY AND GUIDANCE NOTES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT OF THE ISLE OF MAN

• 3.4.1 POLICY CA/2 - Special Planning Considerations

3.5 Douglas Promenade Conservation Area Character Appraisal (2014).

• 3.5.1 Essential Character and Townscape Paragraph 2 (Page 5):

"Whilst there are local variations in character within the area, the architectural concept and form of the Promenades owes much to the Victorian period, with some of the earlier elements retaining their original Late-Georgian and Regency elegance. The buildings of the Promenade share many similarities with other residential parts of the town, being built at the same time, but they do have special characteristics, particularly attributable to their location on the seafront. Their original function, which was usually to provide accommodation for short-term visitors to the island, produced a particularly high building form which strongly contrasted the most attractive frontages facing the sea with their rear outlets, which are often squeezed tightly up against the foot of the cliff."

- 4.0 PLANNING HISTORY

4.1 The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning applications considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application. - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 Douglas Borough Council have no objection to the application (11 November 2023).

5.2 DEFA Assistant Registered Buildings Officer has made the following comments regarding the application (6 February 2024): Character of Lower Summerhill

• o The terrace that includes 4 Summerhill shares many characteristics with the Victorian architecture along the main Douglas Promenades.
• o The rhythm and pattern of openings, the front elevation set back behind front courtyards enclosed by dwarf masonry walls, the two storey bay windows, the string courses, the pilasters and hood mouldings in a generally neo-classical style.
• o In addition to these elements of character, this terrace also features a stepped form as the road climbs away from the sea.
• o The exposed gables, chimney stacks and rhythm of the roof line resulting from this step are judged to positively contribute to the terrace's character and appearance. Proposals within applications 23/01280/B and PA 23/01284/B
• o Much of the works proposed within these applications would impact the rear of the property.
• o Although the rear outriggers of the properties along the terrace do contribute to its character, several of these have been subject to significant alterations and their contribution to the conservation area's character is considered to be significantly less than the front elevation.
• o Given the limited contribution made by the property's rear to the conservation area's character, it is judged that the proposed stair, balustrade and alterations to the roof are acceptable.
• o The principal issue within these proposals is considered to be the alterations to the property's roof form, and their impact on the front elevation of the terrace as a whole.
• o The proposal as now set out would reduce the pitched roof's apparent ridge level by approximately half a metre. In reality, the pitched roof would only remain on the front elevation, and would be capped at a point that would be 1.1 metres above the proposed roof terrace. The current proposals have been altered so that the apparent ridge line is higher than number 3, the adjacent property lower down the hill.
• o Although there is an element of misdirection in the visual appearance now proposed, the stepped nature of the roof lines along the terrace would be maintained (although the step would be reduced). I consider it of relevance that the roof line is not visible from immediately
• outside the property itself, and that the main view is from the Promenade in the region of 50 metres away. From this viewpoint, the only physical alteration to the property would be the reduction of the ridge line.

• o The degree to which the ridge lines are stepped does vary along this part of Summerhill (numbers 1 to 14), as the road's gradient varies. The proposed reduction in the ridge level 'step' is therefore judged to be less significant than if this step was the same all the way up the road.
• o With all of these factors in mind, I consider that, on balance, the special character of the Douglas Promenades Conservation Area would be preserved by the proposals and that the application passes both the statutory test and the policy tests.

5.3 No comments have been received from neighbouring properties.

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The fundamental issue to consider in the assessment of the current application is whether the proposal would preserve or enhance the special character of the Douglas Promenade Conservation Area.

6.2 The proposal seeks to demolish part of the existing pitch roof over the dwelling with parts of the front section (beyond the chimney stacks retained to preserve the pitch roof appearance when viewed from the street scene along Summerhill. Whilst the roof is an element of the dwelling which serves to contribute to the character of the Conservation Area, the stepped nature of the roof would still be retained to maintain the consistency with the other properties on the terrace to which the property sits. Likewise, the main roof features which serve to further contribute to the character of the dwelling, street scene, and Conservation Area; such as the slate roof tiles, cornices, and brackets would all be retained, with the main difference being the lowering of the roof at the front.

6.3 Additionally, most of the works proposed would be largely confined to the rear lane which comprises mainly rear outriggers, garages, parking and rear boundary treatments (fences and walls) and exist as an inconsistent mix of built development, and which has been altered considerably over time, contributing little to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area. - 6.4 Based on the foregoing, it is considered that the proposed demolition of the rear part of the roof would preserve the character of the Conservation area.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 It is judged that the proposal meets the statutory tests within Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999, as the character of the conservation area is being preserved. It is also judged that the application meets the tests of strategic policy 4 and environment policy 35 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the proposed conservation area is being protected and preserved. It is therefore recommended that the application be approved. - 8.0 INTERESTED PERSONS STATUS

8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Registered Buildings) Regulations 2013, the following are automatically interested persons:

• (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent;
• (b) Manx National Heritage; and
• (c) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated

8.2. In addition to those above, the Regulation 9(3) requires the Department to decide which persons (if any) who have made representations with respect to the application, should be treated as having sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application.

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 : 08.02.2024 Determining officer

Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management

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