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                                      21/00454/B                                     Page  1  of  4

PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Application No. : 21/00454/B Applicant : Dandara Homes Limited Proposal : Erection of 9 detached dwellings (amendment to PA 19/00137/B) Site Address : 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 Christian Close Reayrt Mie Ballasalla Isle Of Man IM9 2BG

Planning Officer: Mr Paul Visigah Photo Taken :

Site Visit :

Expected Decision Level :

Recommendation

Recommended Decision:

Permitted Date of Recommendation: 15.06.2021 __

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 accord with General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to Cover Letter, and Drawing Nos. 02.02 Rev E, 321, 372, 14.01 Rev i, 14.03 Rev g, and Balla1_APL_02, received on 23 April 2021. __

Interested Person Status - Additional Persons

None __

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is the extent of nine plots located within phase 1 of the recently approved Reayrt Mie residential estate in Ballasalla approved under PA 19/00137/B. The five plots (5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 Christian Close) are located on the north-eastern side of the estate nearest the

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proposed round about which would connect Douglas Road with the new By Pass, while the other four plots (30, 31, 32, 33 Mylchreest Drive) are located at a central part of the estate and abutting the Isle of Man Steam Railway line.

1.2 Approved on the plots are Six 'Maple' two storey detached dwellings each with four bedrooms and an attached garage and off road parking to one side and an optional sunroom extension at the rear. There are also three 'Beech' two storey detached dwellings each with four bedrooms and an attached garage and off road parking to one side and an optional sunroom extension at the rear is a small inlet between the rear of the sunroom and the rear of the garage.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Proposed is the modification of each bungalow to reposition the rear sunroom and extend the rear garage and utility so as remove the inlet. In turn there are internal reconfigurations and a number of alterations to existing window sizes and positions and the installation of a new pedestrian door into the back of the garage. There are no changes to the off road parking or driveway.

2.2 The applicants have indicated via a Cover Letter that the scheme seeks to replace the approved Maple and Beech house types on 9 plots with updated versions of the same house types (called Maple 21 and Beech 21). It further stated that both the Maple and the Beech are well established, and are updated from time to time in order to provide visual variety and to meet changing customer expectations. The size and overall form of the dwellings will remain largely unaltered, and the positioning within plots is unchanged. Many of the changes are internal, with the principal external changes relating to the front facing gables. The external finishes of the dwellings are to remain as approved, as are parking arrangements and landscaping.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the South 2013 as 'Proposed Residential', given the commencement of 19/00137/B and the nature of the proposed works it is most relevant to consider General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and section 7.0 of the Residential Design Guide 2019 (RDG 2019) covering visual and neighbouring amenity impacts along with good neighbourliness in the assessment of the current proposal. It is also vital to note that the site the sites are not susceptible to flood risks as indicated on the Isle of Man Indicative Flood Maps for River and Tidal Flood Risk.

3.2 General Policy 2 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; (g) does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents or the character of the locality; (h) provides satisfactory amenity standards in itself, including where appropriate safe and convenient access for all highway users, together with adequate parking, servicing and manoeuvring space and (i) does not have an unacceptable effect on road safety or traffic flows on the local highways."

3.3 RDG 2019 - Section 7.3 LOSS OF LIGHT/OVERSHADOWING 7.3.1 A development should not result in significant levels of loss of day light or overshadowing, especially to primary habitable rooms, or to private gardens. Applicants are advised to look carefully at the path of the sun throughout the day, and consider where shadows fall, using this information to help in considering the design, position and height of

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the extension. The impact of overshadowing will increase if the new property/extension is to the South of a neighbouring property (as the sun's orientation is East to West). When the windows affected serve habitable rooms then it will be necessary to assess the impact upon light reaching these rooms.

3.4 RDG 2019 - Section 7.4: OVERBEARING IMPACT UPON OUTLOOK "7.4.1 Any development should ensure that existing residents can enjoy appropriate levels of comfort and enjoyment of their properties without their outlooks being impacted by an overbearing building/structure. The positioning, design and scale of an extension/new build dwellings should not be dominant or have an adverse impact on the primary windows of a primary habitable room or on the private garden that may be present in a neighbouring property. It is normally possible to avoid overlooking with careful design and by following the guidance set out within this document. The impact on a private garden may include consideration of the overall size of the garden and whether only a small part of it is likely to be impacted on detrimentally."

4.5 RDG 2019 - Section 7.5 OVERLOOKING RESULTING IN A LOSS OF PRIVACY 7.5.1 The "20 metre guide" provides a useful way to identify where overlooking is likely to be a concern. It refers to the distance between elevations that contain windows serving habitable rooms that face each other - if this distance is over 20 metres, overlook is unlikely to be a concern. This distance can be relaxed where the design or orientation is such that privacy and amenity of a neighbouring property is not compromised. In dense urban areas where there is already a level of mutual overlooking a lesser standard may be acceptable. The required distance may need to be greater if there is a change in topography, which would result in an adverse effect on the privacy and amenity of a neighbouring property.

7.5.2 The presence of existing or proposed landscaping features (e.g. fences, walls and hedges) may help to mitigate overlooking at a ground floor level (depending on relative heights). Although the permanent retention of such landscaping cannot be guaranteed, it would be within the gift of both neighbours to retain/maintain/replace such landscape features.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The estate was originally approved under 19/00137/B. There have been no others applications relevant to this site.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS Copies of representations received can be viewed on the Government's website. This report contains summaries only.

5.1 The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) Highways Division have indicated that they 'Do not oppose' in a letter dated 3 June 2021.

5.2 Malew Parish Commissioners have stated that they have no objection to the application in a letter dated 3 June 2021.

5.3 No comments have been received from neighbouring properties.

6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The proposal will result in a slight modification to the front elevation of the nine dwellings, although there would be no addition of new fenestrations; with the works only repositioning the front gables, window and door positions (in fact the number of fenestrations on the front elevation would be reduced for the Maple dwellings). Besides, the existing sites are all capable of accommodating the proposed alterations and extensions without creating any loss of light/overshadowing, any overbearing impacts or loss of privacy for any of the neighbouring properties to the selected sites which are the subject of the current application.

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6.2 Similarly, the overall roof-scape, although altered would still reflect the Maple and Beech dwellings styles as they would not the at variance with these modern dwelling styles; ensuring that the design and finish remain in keeping with the surrounding estate.

6.3 The scheme would also not result in significant changes to the on-site parking on the driveway even though the position of the garages would be altered. Therefore, the retention of the internal car parking space within the garage would serve as additional on-site parking provision which would be above the requirement for residential dwellings on the Island.

7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The application is considered to accord with the relevant parts of General Policy 2 and the Residential Design Guide 2019 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.

Decision Made: Permitted Date: 24.06.2021

Determining officer

Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

Customer note

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