51399

==== PAGE 1 ====

                                      21/00134/B                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 21/00134/B Applicant : Onchan District Commissioners Proposal : Replacement of existing windows and doors, cladding to front and side elevations, rendering works to rear and side elevations Site Address : Elm Tree House Main Road Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 1AH

Senior Planning Officer: Mr Jason Singleton Photo Taken :

Site Visit : 04.03.2021 Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 07.04.2021 __

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. No development shall commence until a sample of the timber cladding and further details of the paint or stain of the timber cladding have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department and shall be retained thereafter. The development shall not be carried out unless in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: In the interests of the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposed application to materially alter the external appearance of the property is not considered to harm the character of the surrounding streetscene and would respect the site/ property in accordance with General Policy 2(b) & (c) of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to drawings referenced; P-01; P-02; P-03, submitted digitally and received on 11 February 2021. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

==== PAGE 2 ====

                                      21/00134/B                                     Page  2  of  4

DoI Flood Risk Management Team should be afforded Interested Person Status as a Government department which has raised material planning considerations. __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of Elm Tree House, Main Road, Onchan. The property is a detached building to the East of the highway. The building when viewed from the Main Road appears three storeys in height, but when viewed from Elm Tree Road it appears two storeys in height. The frontage which faces onto Elm Tree Road is predominantly glazed at ground floor level with brick above and a mansard roof above that with seven roof lights installed. Generally the building is finished with bare dark brown brick with Upvc windows to the upper floors and aluminium glazing to the ground floor shop fronts (both sides). The roof (mansard) is grey tile roof cladding.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is a series of cosmetic works to the four elevations to materially alter the external appearance by the replacement of existing windows and doors; Cladding to the front (south east) elevation and side returns by using timber 'Elm' cladding; painted render to the remaining side elevations; and to the rear replacement aluminium windows to the shop fronts and painted render to the floor above. The existing grey roof tiles are to remain in situ.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 In terms of local plan policy, the application site is within an area recognised as being 'Mixed Use' on Map 6 of the Area Plan for the East.

3.2 The site is not within a Conservation Area or is identified as being within a flood risk area.

3.3 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this application;

3.4 General Policy 2 (GP2) (in part) 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;

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The application site has not been the subject of any previous planning applications that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Onchan District Commissioners has not commented but as they are the applicants this is understandable, as commenting could be perceived as being a conflict of interest.

5.2 Highways Services do not object (11/03/21)

5.3 DoI Flood Risk Mamagement Team advise that there is no flood risk interest in the application (30/03/21).

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The fundamental issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are;

==== PAGE 3 ====

                                      21/00134/B                                     Page  3  of  4

(i) visual impact of the proposed development; (GP2(b) & (c))

(i) Visual impact 6.2 From the streetscene and arguably the most viewed elevation as seen from Main Road, and the traffic junctions to the north and south, the proposal would seek to retain the built forms but to modernise the visual appearance which is welcomed. The palate of materials chosen could be considered to be in keeping with the character of the area and the surrounding buildings with the use of painted render, Upvc windows/ aluminium window and doors to the active streetscene. The most notable aspect, mainly by the surface of area to be covered will be the use of timber 'elm' cladding. Whilst this method of cladding is not commonplace within the street scene, the introduction of this material and method of cladding would be sympathetic to the property and streetscene which would soften the harshness of the current appearance of exposed facing brick.

6.3 Given the unique design and appearance of the building and its dominance within the streetscene the use of timber cladding could be an acceptable finish to modernise a tired (visually) building and would hopefully act as a catalyst for other similar finished properties (exposed facing brickwork) in the streetscene to follow suit, which would then add a uniform appearance to this section of the streetscene. It would be appropriate to include a condition that a sample of the material and staining or painting is submitted to the department to ensure the finish is appropriate for the context of the streetscene. This has been agreed with the agent in advance. These aspects of development are deemed to be an acceptable form of development that complies with those sections of General Policy 2(b) & (c)

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 For the above reasons, it is concluded that the alterations would be an appropriate form of development that does not harm the use and enjoyment of neighbouring properties and would comply with aforementioned planning policies of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016, and is recommended for approval.

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 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.

==== PAGE 4 ====

                                      21/00134/B                                     Page  4  of  4

Decision Made : Permitted

Date: 08.04.2021

Determining officer

Signed : S CORLETT Sarah Corlett

Principal Planner

Customer note

This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records.