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15/00738/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 15/00738/B Applicant : Mr & Mrs David Higgins Proposal : Installation of replacement windows and doors to front elevation Site Address : 5 Bank Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1AT
Case Officer : Mr Edmond Riley Photo Taken : 22.07.2015 Site Visit : 22.07.2015 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE
1.1 The application site is the curtilage of 5 Bank Street, Castletown, which is part of a row of three-storey terraced properties located along the north-western side of the highway and within the town's Conservation Area. It is of traditional proportions, with the windows becoming progressively smaller from ground floor upwards. It is currently empty but has various established and approved uses, to include retail, residential and commercial office.
1.2 To its front elevation it has timber doors and windows, the latter all being sliding sash. The two ground floor windows are different to one another: the smaller offers a two-over-two design, while the larger unit has a three-over-one design. Neither can be opened.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL
2.1 Full planning approval is sought for replacement windows and doors to the front elevation. The windows would fit within the existing apertures and would match the glazing patterns of the existing windows, with two exceptions at the ground floor. The proposed windows would both have a central sliding sash unit either side of non-opening glazing panels.
2.2 The proposed doors would be of composite construction. The smaller of the two would have a window panel; both would have a rectangular fanlight above.
2.3 The submitted information indicates that the doors and windows would be in black or white. The quotation received suggests they would be black or white while the elevation photograph indicates that the frames would be black. If approved, a condition would need to clarify this.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY
3.1 In 2011, planning approval was granted for the additional use of upper floors of the property as office accommodation (PA 11/01307/C). Neither this nor any of the other applications here are considered to be of material relevance to the determination of the current application, though.
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15/00738/B
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4.0 PLANNING POLICY
4.1 The application site is within a 'Mixed Use' area as zoned under the Area Plan for the South Map 5 Castletown, as well as falling within the Conservation Area.
4.2 The main policy for consideration is Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan, which states: "Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."
4.3 Moreover, in Planning Circular 1/98 - The alteration and replacement of windows, the policy for Category B 'buildings in conservation areas' states: "If the original windows are in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is impracticable, replacement windows which would be visible from a public thoroughfare MUST HAVE THE SAME method of opening as the originals. Whatever the material used in their construction, the windows MUST HAVE THE SAME pattern, and section of glazing bars, and the same frame sections as the original windows."
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Castletown Town Commissioners offered no objection to the proposal on 16.07.2015.
6.0 ASSESSMENT
6.1 The property on the application site is in a prominent location as it sits on the edge of the highway and is in Castletown's Conservation Area. Therefore, it is considered necessary that the proposal should enhance or maintain the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area - as outlined in Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan.
6.2 While the loss of timber is unfortunate, it is generally accepted that uPVC material is an acceptable replacement for timber, albeit that the latter remains both preferable and available, and more so that such material has been - and continues to be - found acceptable in Conservation Areas. No objection is raised on this ground.
6.3 The glazing bars and opening style of the proposed windows largely match those previously in place at the property, while the units proposed for the ground floor are judged to be an improvement over the existing situation and will bring a welcome uniformity to the ground floor fenestration. It is therefore considered that the element of the proposal relating to windows meets the relevant policies of the Development Plan.
6.4 The doors are of a composite finish and would therefore replicate a timber finish to some degree. While, again, timber would be preferred the use of composite material (rather than uPVC) is generally accepted to be an appropriate 'middle ground' in Conservation Areas, and this application is no exception. This element of the proposal therefore meets with the provisions of EP35.
6.5 Finally, it is considered appropriate to require the windows and doors to be finished in black, and retained as such thereafter; the existing contrast between the frame and elevation colour is visually successful and to lose this via the insertion of white frames would be unfortunate. A condition is therefore recommended accordingly.
7.0 RECOMMENDATION
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15/00738/B
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7.1 It is concluded that the proposal successfully preserves the appearance of the Castletown Conservation Area and is recommended for approval subject to the condition mentioned above.
8.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS
8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013, the following persons are automatically interested persons:
o The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; o The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested, and o The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.08.2015
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 14 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No2) Order 2013 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
C 2. The windows and doors installed shall be finished in the colour black, and retained as such thereafter, unless otherwise agreed in advance with the Department.
Reason: In the interest of preserving the character and appearance of the application site and Conservation Area in which it sits.
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The development hereby approved relates to the untitled site location plan (scale 1:1000), the two DPM Conservatories Quotation Sheets, and Drawing 1306.1, all date-stamped as having been received 1st July 2015.
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15/00738/B
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I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to the Head of Development Management.
Decision Made : Permitted Date : 04.08.2015 Determining officer
Signed :...J CHANCE...
Jennifer Chance
Head of Development Management
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