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21/00241/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 21/00241/B Applicant : Mr Alan Davies Proposal : Alterations and creation of and installation of external stairs Site Address : Flat 1 8 Fort William Head Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM1 5BQ
Planning Officer: Mrs Vanessa Porter Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 18.05.2021 __
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.
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 22nd February 2021; o Drawing No. 096 EX-01 o Drawing No. 096 EX-02 o Drawing No. 096 EX-03 o Drawing No. 096 EX-04 o Drawing No. 096 EX-05 o Drawing No. 096 P-01 o Drawing No. 096 P-102 o Drawing No. 096 P-103 o Drawing No. 096 P-104 __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
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It is considered that the following Government Department should be afforded Interested Person Status as they have raised material consideration in their representations in accordance with Article 4(2):
DOI Flood Risk Management Division
It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the following properties should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 4(2):
3 Beechcrest as they do not refer to the relevant issues in accordance with paragraph 2C of the Policy.
It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the following properties should be given Interested Person Status as they are considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 4(2):
9 Fort William as they satisfy all of the requirements of paragraph 2 of the Department's Operational Policy on Interested Person Status. __
Officer’s Report
THE APPLICATION SITE 1.1 The application site is within the residential curtilage of Flat 1, 8 Fort William, Head Road, Douglas which is a flat within 8 Fort William, a late 19th Century Town House. The flat encompasses all of the lower ground level and basement when viewed from Douglas Head Road. When viewed from the front elevation which faces North East the flat encompasses ground floor and basement level.
1.2 8 Fort William has four entrances of which Flat 1 encompasses two, firstly the entrance via the rear staircase and the entrance via the main entrance to the front elevation.
THE PROPOSAL 2.1 This application seeks approval in three parts firstly for the installation of a staircase to the basement of the front elevation to create a fire exit. The proposed stairs will be galvanised steel with a handrail measuring 1m high.
2.2 Secondly is the installation of new galvanised steel staircase over the existing concreate staircase to the rear entrance.
2.3 Thirdly is the addition of a roof and new railings to the existing flat roofed boiler/WC to create a Gas Box Meter area and bin storage.
PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 The site of 8 Fort William has had several applications on it over the years, of which Flat 1 does not have any specifically. With regards to relevant applications PA96/00936/B is the most relevant and was for "Alterations to upgrade existing flats" and was Permitted.
PLANNING POLICY 4.1 The site lies within an area zoned as "Predominantly Residential" on the Area Plan for the East, Map 4, Douglas. The property isn't within a Conservation Area, Flood Zone nor an area zones as High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance.
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4.2 In terms of the Strategic Plan (2016), General Policy 2 (GP2) is the most relevant and states 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; (e) does not affect adversely public views of the sea; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality;
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Douglas Borough Council have considered the application and have no objections. (22.03.21)
5.2 Highway Services have considered the application and state, "After reviewing this application, Highway Services find it to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network efficiency and/or parking." (19.03.21)
5.3 DOI Flood Risk Management Division have written in to state, "No Flood Risk Management Interest." (8.04.21)
5.4 The application has received two objections which can be viewed in full online.
5.4.1 Firstly the owner/occupier of 9 Fort William has written in an objection for the following reasoning;
5.4.2 Secondly the owner/occupier of 3 Beechcrest, Fort William has written in an objection for the following reasoning;
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The main issues to consider in the assessment of this planning application are;
6.2 CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE 6.2.1 When looking at the proposal it can be split into two sections firstly the addition of stairs and a new roof to an existing yard area and secondly the installation of stairs to the front elevation.
6.2.2 Public views of the proposed works to the rear entrance are highly unlikely with all works being undertaken within the existing yard area which is gated. The property is the only one within the block of 6 which has a different entrance point and as such is relatively plain compared to its neighbouring counterparts as such if any of the works are noticeable any impact on the character and appearance of the area would be negligible.
6.2.3 Turning towards the proposed staircase to the front elevation, public views could possibly be seen from Parade Street which is approximately 177m away, as such there would be a minimal impact on the character and appearance of the area.
6.2.4 Views of the proposed staircase will be seen from the front of Fort William when within the front foothpaths. The properties along this area do have different types of treatments to
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their front gardens and the addition of the staircase within this property will not affect the character and appearance of the streetscene.
6.2.5 Therefore, on balance, it is considered that the proposal will comply with GP2 b & c.
6.3 NEIGHBOURING AMENITY 6.3.1 Turning towards neighbouring amenity, firstly the owner/occupier of No.9 Fort William has raised a point regarding how the staircase is fixed to the party wall. This is something which will be dealt with within the Building Control application for the works proposed. Further, ownership matters are not material planning matters which can be considered as part of this applicaiton, rather are civil matters between the relevant parties.
6.3.2 Another issue raised is the creation of a third entrance within the basement level. Whilst on the face of it, it could potentially look like an additional entrance has been put in, the window is still in place and has not be changed into a door. The proposed works are only being done to assist the fire regulations due to needing an additional entrance.
6.3.3 It is not considered that there are any concerns in relation to the impact upon the neighbouring properties in terms of loss out outlook that would justify a refusal.
6.4 OBJECTIONS 6.4.1 The owner/occupier of No.9 Fort William has raised several reasons for refusal of the application of which the most relevant are separated within part 5 of this report. The impact upon their property has been assessed within the neighbouring amenity section above. When looking at the other issues raised firstly whilst they have raised the possibility of the property being within a proposed Conservation Area, this has not been transferred into the published Area Plan for the East.
6.4.2 Secondly with regards to the issue regarding the bin storage and capacity of sewerage. During my site visit with the applicant they stated they would be putting their refuse bin within the newly roofed area to the rear alleyway. Whilst this is not a fix for the whole of the building the proposal here is for the introduction of new stairs to an already existing flat within an already approved block of flats, the Department cannot assess matters which have already been approved. The same would be for the issue regarding the sewerage, this would be a matter for Manx Utilities.
6.4.3 Whilst the owner/occupier of No.3 Beechcrest have written in to object to the application they do not raise any relevant planning issues with regards to this application. Again ownership issues are no matter which can be considered.
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
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(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: 19.05.2021
Determining officer
Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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