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20/01321/B Page 1 of 6
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 20/01321/B Applicant : Mrs Jackie Wood Proposal : Erection of a detached dwelling with an integral garage Site Address : Plot Adj To 14 Romney Wynd Clifton Drive Ramsey Isle Of Man
Principal Planner: Mr Chris Balmer Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 30.04.2021 __
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 26 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 and to avoid the accumulation of unimplemented planning approvals.
C 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Permitted Development) Order 2012 (or any Order revoking and/or re-enacting that Order with or without modification) no extension, enlargement or other alteration of the dwelling(s) hereby approved, other than that expressly authorised by this approval, shall be carried out, without the prior written approval of the Department.
Reason: To control development in the interests of the amenities of the surrounding area.
C 3. The development hereby approved shall not be occupied or operated until the means of vehicular access has been constructed in accordance with the approved plans, and shall thereafter be retained for access purposes only.
Reason: In the interests of highway safety.
C 4. The development hereby approved shall not be occupied or operated until the parking and turning areas have been provided in accordance with the approved plans. Such areas shall not be used for any purpose other than the parking and turning of vehicles associated with the development and shall remain free of obstruction for such use at all times.
Reason: To ensure that sufficient provision is made for off-street parking and turning of vehicles in the interests of highway safety.
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C 5. Prior to the commencement of dwelling hereby approved details of a House Sparrow Terrace to the northern gable end wall of the dwelling shall to be submitted and approved by the Department, these approved details should be completed before the occupation of the dwelling and retained thereafter.
Reason: In the interests of biodiversity of the site.
This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The development proposed is acceptable without causing undue harm to local residential amenity and also without causing undue harm to the street scene/area or cause undue harm on public amenity. Accordingly, it is considered the proposal would comply with General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and the Residential Design Guide 2019.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawings 01, 10 682 04P2, 10 682 05P2 & Support Statement all received on 5th November 2020 and drawings 10 682 01P2 REV A and 10 682 03P2 REV A received on 12th February 2021. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
It is recommended that the following Government Departments should not be given Interested Person Status on the basis that although they have made written submissions these do not relate to planning considerations:
Flood Management Division (DOI) __
Officer’s Report
1.0 SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of a vacant plot which sits to the west of Clifton Drive near the junction with Romney Wynd. The plot is currently overgrown and rises steeply from the road side to the rear south west corner, but also runs downward from its south boundary to its north boundary with No.14 Romney Wynd.
1.2 The neighbouring properties that share a boundary to the site is a undeveloped plot (recently gain planning approval for a single dwelling) to the south, to the rear No.3 Romney Wynd and to the north is No.14 Romney Wynd.
1.3 The area is characterised by a mixture of detached and semi-detached properties, mostly two storey, painted render finish and concrete tiled roofs. The road into the estate begins to fall away from No.28 and reaches a low point around No.18 Clifton Drive.
2.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 2.1 The application is seeking permission for erection of a detached dwelling with an integral garage which is part single/part two storey detached dwelling. The dwelling would have a width of 12m and a depth of 9.8m.
3.0 PLANNING STATUS AND RELEVANT POLICIES 3.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is within an area recognised as being within predominantly residential use under the Ramsey Local Plan Order 1998. There are no policies with Planning Circular 2/99, the written statement that accompanies the local plan, considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.
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3.2 Within the adopted Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, the following policies are considered to be relevant in the determination of this application: General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35, Business Policies 7 and 8, and Transport 7
3.3 Strategic Policy 1; "Development should make the best use of resources by: (a) optimising the use of previously developed land, redundant buildings, unused and under-used land and buildings, and re-using scarce indigenous building materials; (b) ensuring efficient use of sites, taking into account the needs for access, landscaping, open space(1) and amenity standards; and (c) being located so as to utilise existing and planned infrastructure, facilities and services."
3.4 Strategic Policy 2; "New development will be located primarily within our existing towns and villages, or, where appropriate, in suitable urban extensions of these town and villages. Development will be permitted in the countryside only in the exceptional circumstances identified in paragraph 6.3 (General Policy 3)"
3.5 General Policy 2: "Development which is in accordance with the land-use zoning and proposals in the appropriate Area Plan and with other policies of this Strategic Plan will normally be permitted, provided that the development: (b) respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them; (c) does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
3.6 Housing Policy 4; "New housing will be located primarily within our existing towns and villages, or, where appropriate, in sustainable urban extensions (1) of these towns and villages where identified in adopted Area Plans: otherwise new housing will be permitted in the countryside only in the following exceptional circumstances: (a) essential housing for agricultural workers in accordance with Housing Policies 7, 8, 9 and 10; (b) conversion of redundant rural buildings in accordance with Housing Policy 11; and (c) the replacement of existing rural dwellings and abandoned dwellings in accordance with Housing Policies 12, 13 and 14."
3.7 Housing Policy 6; "Development of land which is zoned for residential development must be undertaken in accordance with the brief in the relevant area plan, or, in the absence of a brief, in accordance with paragraph 6.2 of this plan. Briefs will encourage good an innovative design, and will not be needlessly prescriptive."
3.8 Transport Policy 4; "The new and existing highways which serve any new development must be designed so as to be capable of accommodating the vehicle and pedestrian journeys generated by that development in a safe and appropriate manner, and in accordance with the environmental objectives of this plan."
3.9 Transport Policy 7; "The Department will require than in all new development, parking provision must be in accordance with the Department's current standards".
4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 There recent planning applications which are considered relevant to the consideration of this application; albeit on the adjacent undeveloped plot to the south of the site;
o Variation of condition 1 of PA 16/00939/B, Erection of a detached dwelling with integral garage, to extend period of permission for a further four years - 20/01084/B - APPROVED
o Erection of a detached dwelling with integral garage - 16/00939/B - APPROVED
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5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services do not object making the following comments (09.11.2020 & 04.03.2021): "The application is for a single dwelling. This requires the allocation of two car parking spaces as required by Strategic Plan 2016. This standard is fulfilled by the provision of an integral garage and an area of hardstanding to the front of the house. The visibility splays shown have been drawn with a 2m X distance from the road edge. Due to the frequent use of and number of dwellings accessible from Clifton Drive, this distance should be drawn as 2.4m back from the road edge. However, the drawings have adequately shown that visibility from the proposed new access will be sufficient and meet the required standards recommended in Manual for Manx Roads. The alteration to the highway, in the form of creating a new access, will require a S109(A) agreement post planning consent. Consideration should be given to the provision of separate, covered and secure bicycle parking storage. Additional consideration should be given to the provision of an electric vehicle charge point to support the island's sustainable travel aims. The proposal raises no significant road safety or highway network efficiency issues. Accordingly, Highway Services raise no objection to the proposal subject to the condition for vehicle access arrangements, including the visibility splays, to accord with drawing No. 1068201P2. An advisory for a S109(A) Agreement to apply too. Recommendation: DNOC" And " Highway Services note the additional plans/information submitted by the applicants of PA 20/01434/REM and PA 20/01321/B and would like to make no further comment to our responses dated 26/01/2021 and 04/12/2021 respectively."
5.2 Ramsey Commissioners do not object (27.10.2020).
5.3 The Flood Management Division (DOI) comment there is no Flood Risk Management interest (29/3/2021).
5.4 The Ecosystems Policy officer (DEFA) comments (09.03.2021) that aerial photographs show that this plot has long been an area of long, tussocky grassland with gorse, all of which will be supporting a wide variety of biodiversity such as feeding, sheltering and breeding birds and invertebrates and providing a refuge for wildlife in an otherwise increasingly urban area.
Strategic Objective 3.3 Environment (b) of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 is 'to protect, maintain, and enhance the built and natural environment (including biodiversity)' and Strategic Policy 4 (b) is 'protect or enhance the nature conservation and landscape quality of urban as well as rural areas'.
In 2013 the Isle of Man Government signed up to the International Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) and in 2015 published a Biodiversity Strategy 2015 to 2025 that set out the aims, objectives ad actions to meet the obligations of the CBD. Habitat loss action 21 under the Biodiversity Strategy is 'DEFA will continue to promote a policy of 'no net loss' for semi-natural Manx habitats and species and ensure that unavoidable loss is replaced or effectively compensated for'. In order to ensure that opportunities for wildlife are retained on site, the Ecosystem Policy Team request a condition on approval for at least 1 House Sparrow Terrace to be erected on the property on a northerly elevation. Plans should be provided which detail the location, amount and specifications of the nest boxes and these should be submitted to Planning for written approval prior to works taking place. They also seek a advisory note in relation to nesting birds.
6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The following Material Planning Issues should be considered:
Principle of Residential Development; 2. Impact upon Neighbouring Amenities; and 3. Impact upon the visual amenities of the street scene/area.
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Principle of Residential Development 6.2 The starting point is to establish the principle of residential development on the site. As indicated within the planning status section of this report, the site is zoned as "residential use". A outlined in the history section of this report the neighbouring site has also benefited from planning approval for residential development recently. Accordingly, it is considered the principle of residential development on this site is acceptable.
Impact upon Neighbouring Amenities 6.3 The main issues to consider regarding the impacts upon neighbouring amenities are loss of light; overbearing impact and/or overlooking resulting in a loss of privacy. The property mostly likely to be affected by the development would be No.14 Romney Wynd to the north.
6.4 There was initial concern with the proposal which was a full two storey dwelling which was located adjacent to the boundary with No.14 Romney Wynd. Concerns of overbearing impact where the main concern especially having a full two storey in close proximity. However, following these concerns being raised the applicants amended the application to create a part single/part two storey dwelling taking into the accounts of the concerns of the proposal in relation to No.14 Romney Wynd. There are directly facing windows within No.14 Romney Wynd which face towards the site; albeit the owners of this property appears to have planted a conifer hedgerow (above No.14 Romney Wynd eves level) which in the main would screen views of the new dwelling. Further, while there are rear windows within the main rear elevation and the rear single storey extension, there are side windows in both which act as the main source of outlook and light, i.e. primary windows, rather than the rear windows which would be secondary windows. While there may be a reduction in direct light during noon periods, it is considered the impact would not be so more, compared to the neighbouring own boundary hedge. Further, during morning and mid/late afternoon periods any direct light would be unaffected by the development. Accordingly, while there will be an impact, it is not considered the impact to be so great to warrant a refusal.
Impact upon the visual amenities of the street scene/area 6.5 The development of the application site with a new dwelling is in accordance with the land use zoning but will change the appearance of the street scene from a vacant over grown piece of land between two dwellings. The erection of the new dwelling would be visible from Clifton Drive, nonetheless whilst the proposal would alter the appearance of the surrounding area and street scene, it is not considered to be of a scale to cause unacceptable harm to the character of the area. In addition, the erection of a new dwelling would not be out of keeping within the immediate locality given the existing density of housing and established residential areas and the proposed finish would be in keeping with the surrounding properties. Overall, it is consider the proposed design, scale, form, siting and finsh would be appropriate in this location and would comply with General Policy 2.
7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 It has been assessed that the development proposed is acceptable without causing undue harm to local residential amenity and also without causing undue harm to the street scene/area or cause undue harm on public amenity. Accordingly, it is considered the proposal would comply with General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 and the Residential Design Guide 2019 and it is recommend the application is 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: (a) the applicant (including an agent acting on their behalf); (b) any Government Department that has made written representations that the Department considers material; (c) the Highways Division of the Department of Infrastructure;
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(d) Manx National Heritage where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (e) Manx Utilities where it has made written representations that the Department considers material; (f) the local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated; and (g) a local authority adjoining the authority referred to in paragraph (f) where that adjoining authority has made written representations that the Department considers material.
8.2 The decision maker must determine: o whether any other comments from Government Departments (other than the Department of Infrastructure Highway Services Division) are material; and o whether there are other persons to those listed above who should be given Interested Person Status
8.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status. __
I can confirm that this decision has been made by the 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 : 12.05.2021
Determining officer
Signed : S BUTLER
Stephen Butler
Head of Development Management
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