DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/00204/B Applicant: Mr Anthony Page Proposal: Removal of existing chimney stack (retrospective) Site Address: 37 Devonshire Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3QZ Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 20.05.2021 _________________________________________________________________

Conditions and Notes for Approval

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions

This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. This application is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing no. PL001, PL002, PL300 as having been received on 1st March 2021.

_______________________________________________________________ Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

It is recommended that the following Government Departments should be given Interested Person Status on the basis that they have made written submissions relating to planning considerations:

DoI Flood Risk Management Division _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of 37 Devonshire Road, Douglas, a two-storey semidetached dwelling located on the south of Devonshire Road, between its junctions with Devonshire Crescent. The house has a hipped roof. - 1.2 There is one chimneystack on the west elevation. There is a symmetric chimneystack on No.35.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The current planning application seeks retrospective approval for the removal of the chimney stacks and the making good of the roof in matching materials.

3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 There is no previous application considered materially relevant to this application.

4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 In terms of local policy, the site lies within an area designated as Predominantly Residential Use in the Area Plan for the East. - 4.2 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: - 4.3 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".

4.4 Residential Design Guidance (July 2019) provides advice on the design of new houses and extensions to an existing property as well as how to assess the impact of such development on the living conditions of those in adjacent residential property.

4.6 RDG 5.1.1 state: "Chimneystacks make an important contribution to the character and appearance of dwellings, the street scene and the skyline. They are also often particularly important features of many dwelling designs which as well as being functional provide interesting and distinctive patterns in the roofline often making a positive contribution to the particular quality and general appearance of an area. Extensions and roof alterations should avoid the loss of a chimneystack that positively contributes to the dwelling's character and appearance. The Department encourages, wherever practical, the retention of prominent chimney stacks to traditional/period properties, which add to the character and quality of the street scene, especially where the individual property is within a Conservation Area." - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 Douglas Borough Council has no objection on this application (26/03/2021). - 5.2 DoI Highway Services have no highway interest in this application (19/03/2021). - 5.3 DoI Flood Risk Management Division states there is no flood risk management interest in this application (13/04/2021).

- 6.0 ASSESSMENT

6.1 The main concerns for this application are its impact on the character and landscape of the area. - 6.2 The stack is high and very prominent compared with the other properties along the road. Its removal would not be appreciable from the roadside. However, the existing dwelling and its chimneystacks are of no particular architectural or historic interest to warrant their retention or protection. It is expected that the removal of the stacks would have a neutral or minor negative impact on the general character and appearance of the property and the area.

- 7.0 CONCLUSION

7.1 The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan. Therefore, it 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 which 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: 26.05.2021 Determining officer

Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner

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