RAY CORKHILL

16th February 2017

The Director of Planning & Building Control Dept of Environment, Food & Agriculture Murray House, Mount Havelock Douglas IM1 2SF

Dear Sirs

Re Erection of Replacement Dwelling at Perk Cottage, Knock Froy Lane, Santon

This application follows a previous application 16/00886/B, which despite being recommended for approval by the Planning Officer and having no objections from local residents, the Local Authority or the Highways Authority was refused by the Planning Committee (see attached reasons for refusal - Appendix 1).

The previous application would have allowed the Applicant to reside in the existing cottage whilst the replacement was constructed, prior to its demolition, and it extended the residential curtilage.

Reference was made to "increase in visual impact," however any views are from considerable distance from a fast section of the main Douglas/Castletown Highway, across fields and through trees, with the substantial replacement dwellings High Bank and Cronk Froy behind.

Both High Bank and Cronk Froy were approved and built as replacements for small cottages and which were far in excess of the 50% maxim, on sites of greater visual impact than this site (see Appendix 2).

Additionally there have been two very substantial dwellings approved and being constructed on the site of the former Lancashire Hotel in a very highly visible location (see Appendix 3).

Another example is the replacement dwelling, previously a small dormer bungalow, at Bay View, Ballaveare, Santon on the Old Castletown Road (see Appendix 4).

All of these sites are in reasonably close proximity to the application site; all are substantial and larger than the proposal; all are much more visible, and their approvals are inconsistent with the refusal of this site.

However, the applicant has taken note of the Planning Officers Report and the Committee's concerns and has instructed the Architect to reduce the size of the replacement dwelling and contain it within the existing cartilage. The current dwelling is damp and thermally inefficient. This means the Applicant will be required to relocate to temporary accommodation during demolition and re-construction.

The Committee is asked to approve this revised Application.

Yours faithfully,

07624 452095 01624 852501 [email protected]

Contact: 07624 452095 Fax: 01624 852501 Email: [email protected]

07624 452095 01624 852501 [email protected]

Contact: Ray Corkhill

Appendix 1

PA 16/00886/B Refusal Reasons

PLANNING COMMITTEE DECISION 12.12.2016

Application No. : 16/00886/B Applicant : Redacted Proposal : Erection of a replacement dwelling Site Address : Perk Cottage Knock Froy Road Santon Isle Of Man IM4 1JD

Presenting Officer : Miss S E Corlett

Addendum to the Officer's Report

The Planning Committee unanimously rejected the recommendation to approve the application, considering that the increase in size of the curtilage and the dwelling was unjustified, given the provisions of Housing Policy 14 and that the proposal was not of so exceptional a design to warrant departure from the recommendations on the size given in this policy.

Reason for Refusal

R 1.

It is not considered that the increase in the residential curtilage and corresponding increase in the visual impact of the residential development and use of this site is justified by the improvement in vehicular access, parking and manoeuvring on site, given that the countryside is protected for its own sake in Environment Policies 1 and 2.

R 2.

The proposed new dwelling, by virtue of its height, size and mass, would have a significant and significantly greater impact than the existing cottage, on the character and appearance of the surrounding area which is identified as being of High Landscape Value and Scenic Significance, contrary to the provisions and objectives of Housing Policy 14. The new dwelling would be more prominent and of significantly greater proportions than is advocated in Planning Circular 3/91. Whilst the policy allows for replacement dwellings of a size greater than 50 % larger than the existing, this is where the existing property is of poor form, which this is not, or where there are exceptional circumstances and it is not considered that in this case, that there are.