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                                      20/01459/B                                     Page  1  of  3

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 20/01459/B Applicant : Verity Almond & Lewis Dawson Proposal : Installation of replacement windows Site Address : 38 Queen Street Castletown Isle Of Man IM9 1NZ

Principal Planner: Miss S E Corlett Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 14.01.2021 __

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. This decision relates to the installation of windows which replicate the existing windows in the property in terms of opening style (ie sliding sash where the existing are sliding sash and casements where the existing are casements).

Reason: to ensure that the replacement windows preserve the character or appearance of the Conservation Area in which the property sits.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. It is concluded that the proposal complies with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, Planning Circular 1/98 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and is supported. Although the frame materials are not traditional, as required by Environment Policy 34 they are considered appropriate in this case given the context of the site and that the general impact would be to preserve the character and appearance of the area.

Plans/Drawings/Information;

This decision relates to the location and site plans received on 1st December, 2020.

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                                      20/01459/B                                     Page  2  of  3

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is residential curtilage of an existing dwelling situated on the northern side of Queen Street opposite numbers 55 and 57 next to which is the Castletown Silver Band Hall.

1.2 The application property is a stone faced two storey building and like number 40 immediately to the west, has sliding sash windows, albeit not the originals.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the replacement of the front windows and one in the rear with the same as the existing but in uPVC frames. After discussion with the applicants, it became apparent that it was their intention to install casement windows to match others in properties in the vicinity. However, after discussion the applicants are prepared to install sliding sashes as replacements, framed in uPVC.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South as Predominantly Residential and within the town's Conservation Area where Environment Policy 35 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 require development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area and to take into account in any decision, the special character of the area.

3.2 Also, General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan is relevant: 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; and (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality.

3.4 Environment Policy 34 expresses a preference for the use of traditional materials in the maintenance, extension or alteration of pre-1920 buildings.

3.5 Planning Circular 1/98 provides guidance on the replacement of windows and in Conservation Areas states that whatever the frame material, the method of opening on windows visible by the public must replicate the original.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The property was the subject of two planning applications, one for a satellite dish (92/01180/B) and one for extensions (01/02029/B).

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Highway Services do not oppose the application and make comments about the need for licences for working within the highway (24.12.20).

6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The issue here is whether the proposed works preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Conservation Area in which the property sits taking into account the special character of the area.

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                                      20/01459/B                                     Page  3  of  3

6.2 As originally proposed the windows would not have preserved the character or appearance of the area by replacing a traditional form of window with a more modern one in terms of opening style and frame material. What is now proposed, however, uPVC framed sliding sashes will preserve the character and appearance of the property and the area, in line with the appropriate policies. Whilst the most appropriate frame material would be timber to match the existing, and in accordance with EP34, the property has around it uPVC framed windows which are sliding sash and casements and as such, it is not considered essential to maintain the character of the area, for the new windows to be timber framed.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 It is concluded that the proposal complies with General Policy 2, Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, Planning Circular 1/98 and Planning Policy Statement 1/01 and is supported. Although the frame materials are not traditional, as required by Environment Policy 34 they are considered appropriate in this case given the context of the site and that the general impact would be to preserve the character and appearance of the area.

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; (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 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 : 14.01.2021

Determining officer Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler

Head of Development Management

Customer note

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