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15/00862/B
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PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 15/00862/B Applicant : Chapman Brothers Limited Proposal : Erection of a three storey extension to rear elevation to provide additional office accommodation Site Address : 48 Athol Street Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 1JB
Case Officer : Miss Abigail Morgan Photo Taken :
Site Visit : 03.09.2015 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE APPLICATION SITE
1.1 The application site comprises the curtilage of 48 Athol Street which is three storey building, with basement. The rear yard, which is where the proposal is located, currently has space for parking of 2 vehicles.
1.2 To the northwest of the application site is St. Georges Walk and then St George's Church and to the southeast is the public highway of Athol Street. To the south west is the public highway of St George's Street. The application site is located within an area zoned as predominantly offices.
1.3 The site is also located within the Athol Street/Victoria Street Conservation Area Conservation Area. Athol Street itself has recently undergone renovation works via the laying of new pavements.
1.4 Athol Street offers a strong building line, with most buildings fronting directly or almost directly onto the pavement alongside. The streetscene has some unifying features, with the key one being the height and massing of the buildings with varying uniting features such as finishing colours, rhythms of windows, railings, stepped accesses to the buildings.
1.5 St Georges Walk to the rear represents the service/access lane to the rear of the properties and this is reflected in the overall design of the rear elevations and the fact that over the years a number of the properties along Athol Street have had rear extensions of varying sizes and designs.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL
2.1 Full planning approval is sought for the erection of a three-storey and basement extension in the rear yard. The proposal fills the existing rear yard, which currently has space for parking of two vehicles, with a footprint of 9m x 6m directly abutting an existing extension at no 46 Athol Street. The proposed basement extension is 2.75m x 6m.
2.2 At 3 storeys the proposed extension is 9m high with a mansard roof and three dormers, with materials to match the existing property.
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2.3 The proposal is a resubmission of previously approved scheme under 99//00246, which has since expired.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY
3.1 The site has been the subject of three previous applications, the most relevant is the following;
99/00246/B - Extension to rear to provide additional office accommodation - APPROVED
4.0 PLANNING POLICY
4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as "predominantly offices" on the Douglas Local Plan; no adopted Written Statement accompanies the Local Plan.
4.2 Within the adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, the following policies are considered to be relevant in the determination of this application: Strategic Policies 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 10, General Policy 2, Environment Policies 35 and 42, Business Policies 7 and 8, Transport Policies 1, 4 and 7. The most relevant are considered below.
4.3 Business Policy 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007, states that "New office floor space should be located within town and village centres on land which is zoned for the purpose on the appropriate area plan; exceptionally, permission may be given for new office (a) on approved Business Parks for Corporate Headquarters which do not involve day to day callers; or (b) in buildings of acknowledged architectural or historic interest for which office use represents the only or most appropriate practicable and economic way of securing future use, renovation and maintenance".
4.4 Business Policy 8 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2007 states that "New office buildings should, in terms of height and mass, respect the scale and character of adjoining and nearby buildings and should accommodate parking space in accordance with the standards specified in Appendix 7 of the Plan".
4.5 Transport Policy 7 states that "The Department will require that in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards".
4.6 Environment Policy 35 states that "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".
4.7 Environment Policy 42 states that "New Development in existing settlements must be designed to take account of the particular character and identity, in terms of buildings and landscape features of the immediate locality. Inappropriate backland development, and the removal of open or green spaces which contribute to the visual amenity and sense of place of a particular area will not be permitted. Those open or green spaces which are to be preserved will be identified in Area Plans".
4.8 Section 18 (4) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1999 states that "Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing it character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act".
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4.9 Within Planning Policy Statement 1/01 - Policy and Guidance Notes of the Conservation of the Historic Environment of the Isle of Man, the following policies are considered to be relevant in the determination of this application: CA/2 Special Planning Considerations
4.10 Policy CA/2 states that "When considering proposals for the possible development of any land or buildings which fall within the conservation area, the impact of such proposals upon the special character of the area, will be a material consideration when assessing the application".
5.0 REPRESENTATIONS
5.1 Douglas Borough Council have no objection to the application. 18.08.15
5.2 DOI Highway Services do not oppose the application and consider that the proposed office extension will not significantly alter traffic flow/parking. 14.08.2015.
6.0 ASSESSMENT
6.1 The location of the application site within an area zoned for office use is such that the principle of an extension to provide additional office space is acceptable. Such a presumption is set out in those policies of the Strategic Plan seeking to ensure new development takes place within sustainable - and generally town-centre - locations. The key issues to take account of in assessing the detail of the proposal, then, are whether or not sufficient parking is provided and whether or not the design is acceptable. Particular regard will be had to Environment Policy, Environment Policy 42, Business Policy 7, Business Policy 8 and Transport Policy 7.
Parking and highway safety
6.2 Highway Services have not objected to the proposal and consider that the proposal will not significantly alter or affect traffic flow or parking in the area. The owners of the building currently have 8 dedicated parking spaces in St Georges Terrace which is approximately a 3-4 min walk from 48 Athol Street. The site is in one of the more sustainable locations on the Island. There is good access to public transport here on both Lord Street (on which the bus station is located) and also Prospect Hill at the other end of Athol Street; also, the site's location within the main population centre of the Island is such as to reasonably conclude that a good proportion of workers would be in a position to walk or cycle to work.
Design and Visual Impact
6.3 The main issue is whether the proposed extension would either preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.
6.4 As the proposed extension is the rear there is no impact on Athol Street or the Conservation Area when viewed from Athol Street, the main effects will be to the rear of the buildings along St Georges Walk and from within the grounds of St Georges Church.
6.5 From the rear, the views are currently limited, although this is probably due to the tree coverage at the boundary and in the winter the site would be more visible. However, a number of properties along Athol Street have had rear extensions the most obvious are those directly adjacent to the application site 44 and 46 Athol Street which this proposal would be very similar to. The rear of the terrace here is fairly irregular with the various historic additions.
6.6 As St George's church is an important town centre building its setting needs to be considered. That being said it is considered that its setting would not be detrimentally
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affected by the proposed rear extension. The extension in architecturally linked to the existing neighbouring extensions and the main building through the use of materials, window rhythms, detailing and massing.
6.7 It is therefore considered that the proposal preserves the Conservation Area meeting the requirements of Environment Policy 35 of the Strategic Plan, and the equivalent more general requirements in General Policy 2. The location accords well with the aims of Transport Policy 1 and the Plan's Strategic Economic Objectives and Business Polices
7.0 RECOMMENDATION
7.1 It is recommended that the application be approved, subject to conditions.
8.0 PARTY STATUS
8.1 In line with Article 6(4) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure)(No2) Order 2013, the following Persons are considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings relating to the application: the applicant or, if there is one, the applicant's agent; the owner and occupier of the land the subject of the application; Highway Services and the Local Authority in whose district the land the subject of the application sits.
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 03.09.2015
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. All new external work and finishes and work of making good shall match existing original work adjacent in respect of materials used, detailed execution and finished appearance except where indicated otherwise on the approved drawings.
Reason: In the interests of visual amenity and the character of the area.
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This approval relates to Location Plan, Site Plan and drawings 4343/EX 1 Rev A, 4343/P1, 4343/ P2 Rev A and 3324/SK 1all date stamped as received on 30 July 2015.
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15/00862/B
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I confirm that this decision accords with the appropriate Government Circular delegating functions to a Senior Planning Officer.
Decision Made : Permitted Date; 15.09.2015
Determining officer
Signed :...
Chris Balmer
Senior Planning Officer
Signed :...S CORLETT... Sarah Corlett
Senior Planning Officer
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