27 July 2015 · Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture (Hon R A Ronan MHK), upholding delegated approval by Director of Planning and Building Control (Michael Gallagher)
80, Parliament Street, Ramsey, Isle Of Man, IM8 1aq
The site at 80 Parliament Street is a prominent three-storey end-of-terrace building currently used as retail at ground floor with office/residential above, plus a rear two-storey outbuilding in storage use, located in Ramsey town centre zoned Mixed Use.
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The officer viewed the site as prominent and tired, with proposals favourably improving appearance through railings matching adjacent Town Hall, timber cladding, and repairs to hood moulds, enhancing …
Ramsey Local Plan Policy R/R/P4
Encourages residential use of floors above shops in Mixed Use - Town Centre zoning. Officer applied alongside HP17 as area has good residential level; proposal makes effective PDL use in sustainable location adding town centre vitality.
Housing Policy 17
Permits flat conversions in residential areas (extended to town centre) if adequate amenity space, refuse storage, parking if practical, and pleasant outlook from principal rooms. Satisfied by 65sqm floorspace, good views to hills, bin store in lane, one practical parking space, no bad neighbours.
General Policy 2
Requires development to respect site/surroundings in scale/design, not harm townscape/amenity/road safety/parking, provide standards, not prejudice adjoining land. Met by aesthetic enhancements, parking condition, sustainable location, minor French door impact outweighed by benefits; parking ok per precedent.
Time limit
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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
Delete French windows
The 2 French windows in the gable wall immediately above the neighbouring property Dolce Vita shall be deleted from the scheme, as shown on Drwg No 04 Revision A received on 3 September 2015. Reason: In order to prevent any prejudice to the future use or development of the neighbouring property Dolce Vita.
Parking provision
The part of the outbuilding marked "Store" on Drwg No JC08, accessed via the new garage door, shall at all times be made available for the parking of a private motor car belonging to a resident of the apartments hereby approved. The apartments hereby approved shall not be occupied until this parking space is made available for such use. Reason: To provide off-street parking.
Ramsey Town Commissioners objected to the planning application due to new windows overlooking the adjacent property's flat roof.
Key concern: new windows overlooking adjacent property's flat roof, preventing future development and harming neighbour amenity
Ramsey Town Commissioners
ObjectionObject to the proposal for the following reason; object in the strongest terms to a provision of new windows to a gable boundary with an adjacent single storey property which they consider is unneighbourly and unacceptable; would also prevent the ability of the adjacent property to be developed above the ground floor at a future date which is felt to be inequitable and detrimental to the amenity and rights of the adjacent property owner
The original application for alterations including replacement shop front, windows, roof work, self-contained apartments, and chimney removal was permitted by DEFA on 24/07/2015. Ramsey Town Commissioners appealed, arguing the gable-end French windows and Juliet balconies over Dolce Vita were unneighbourly, prejudiced future development of adjoining land contrary to GP2(k), and required access over the neighbour's roof. The applicant countered that windows would not prevent independent development, offered to delete them if needed, and highlighted regeneration benefits. DEFA supported approval citing town centre sustainability, visual improvements, and precedent. The inspector found visual enhancements beneficial under GP2(b)(c), required deletion of two windows via condition to protect neighbour under GP2(k), accepted parking underprovision due to location and precedent, and recommended dismissing the appeal while upholding approval with conditions.
Precedent Value
Demonstrates inspectors will condition schemes to protect adjoining development potential under GP2(k), even upholding approvals; town centre parking standards flexible with precedents; applicants should proactively offer mitigations for neighbour impacts.
Inspector: Ruth V MacKenzie
