DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 20/01402/B Applicant: Mr Julian Privett Proposal: Erection of proposed single detached garage on land adjacent to Okara Site Address: Okara Crescent Road Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 2JR Planning Officer: Mrs Vanessa Porter Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 09.02.2021 _________________________________________________________________

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. The garage must be used only in conjunction with the property known as Okara, Crescent Road. Reason: for the avoidance of doubt and to prevent the separation of the planning unit

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following plans and drawings, date stamped received on 7th December 2020:

• o Drawing No. 20 1473 01
• o Drawing No. 20 1473 02 _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the 15 Killeaba Mount, Ramsey should not be given Interested Person Status as they do not satisfy all of the requirements of paragraph 2 of the Department's Operational Policy on Interested Person Status (January 2020). _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report THE APPLICATION SITE

1.1 The application site is a parcel of land situated to the north of Okara, Crescent Road. The parcel of land is shown within the red line curtilage of Okara, Crescent Road. THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks approval to erect a single garage with a flat roof measuring approximately 3.1m by 6.7m with an approximate height of 3.1m to the front elevation sloping to 2.5m at the rear elevation.

2.2 To the front elevation a garage door measuring approximately 2.1m by 2.2m and to the rear a window measuring approximately 1.1m by 1.1m is proposed. PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 The previous planning applications are not considered to be specifically material in the assessment of the current application. PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as Predominantly Residential on the Ramsey Local Plan 1998, Map 2.

4.2 Of specific relevance to the assessment of this application is General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 which states "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;

• n) is designed having due regard to best practice in reducing energy consumption."

4.3 Paragraph 8.12.1 if the Isle of Man Strategic Plan is also relevant and states, "As a general policy, in built up areas not controlled by Conservation Area or Registered Building policies, there will be a general presumption in favour of extensions to existing property where such extensions would not have an adverse impact on either adjacent property or the surrounding area in general." - 4.4 The Residential Design Guidance 2016 is also relevant in this application of which the parts which are relevant are below in the assessment of this application.

REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Highway Services have considered the application and state, "After reviewing this application, highway services find it to have no significant negative impact upon highway services find it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network efficiency and/or parking (8.01.21).

5.2 Ramsey Town Commissioners have considered the proposal and have no objection (21.1.21).

5.3 Kerruish Law have written in on behalf of 15 Killeaba Mount, Ramsey and wish to put in their objection against the application on the grounds that they have a prescriptive right of way over the land.

ASSESSMENT

6.1 The fundamental issues in the assessment of this application are the principle of the development, the potential impact on the neighbouring properties, the visual impact on the streetscene and whether there would be an impact on the highway safety for access/parking provisions.

6.2 In the first instance it is necessary to note the objection received from Kerruish Law on behalf of 15 Killeaba Mount, Ramsey, whilst the information is noted it is regarding a possible right of way over the land which is not within the Departments remit and is a civil matter between the parties themselves and as such is not assessed within this assessment. Visual impact on the Streetscene - 6.3 The proposed garage is going to be situated to the far end of the parcel of land and whilst noticeable from a public vantage point of Crescent Road it will fit within the existing property which has a stone outhouse which faces onto the parcel of land and the single storey garage which is situated to the north of the parcel of land at a closer distance to the main road than the proposed garage. As such there should not be an impact on the overall streetscene. Highway Safety/Manual for Manx Roads - 6.4 Manual for Manx Roads lends guidance regarding garages in general and states in part, "11.7.2 Experience from the UK indicates that approximately 75% of garages are not used to store vehicles. When calculating parking provision, therefore, unless use of a proposed garage can be conditioned to be retained for the storage of a motor car, the garage will not count towards the overall provision of car parking. In addition, a proposed garage must meet the following minimum internal dimensions: "1) Standard single = 6.0m x 3.0m with minimum door width of 2.4m." - 6.5 Due to the garage door not meeting the minimum requirements additional information was sought for from the agent of the application who have stated that in the first instance the garage would be used for "general domestic storage." - 6.6 When looking at the main street of Crescent Road there are a few properties close by who do not have their own driveway and as such it is necessary to assess whether the creation of the garage could create an impact on the off street parking due to its size. From the main pavement to the front of the proposed new garage is approximately 24m which is more than enough to supply the two parking spaces within Appendix 7 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and as such there should not be an issue with this regard. It is also worth noting that Highway Services did not have any objections to a garage being put here with regards to visibility or highway safety. Separation

4.7 It is necessary to note that the proposed parcel of land adjacent to Okara, Crescent Road lends itself to being a separate parcel of land, even with its small stature due to its location, severability and as the previous applications for Okara have not included it. With this in mind and using the Departments Aerial Photography it can be seen that this parcel of land has been used for car parking over the last 10 years. Whilst it could not be stated that the cars parked there are in connection with Okara, the land has been used as residential, as such for the

benefit of doubt a condition should be attached to this application to state that the garage is to be used in conjunction with Okara, Crescent Road only.

CONCLUSION

7.1 For the above reasons the proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and therefore acceptable. 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;
• (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

I can confirm that this decision has been made by a Principal Planner 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: 11.02.2021 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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