DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 21/00610/B Applicant: Mr Alan & Mrs Angela Greenhalgh Proposal: Erection of an extension to dwelling Site Address: Ballaveare Old Castletown Road Port Soderick Isle Of Man IM4 1BB Planning Officer: Mr Nick Salt Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 09.07.2021 _________________________________________________________________

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 be in accordance with Environment Policy 1, Housing Policy 15 and General Policy 2 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 in that no unacceptable visual, residential amenity or other impacts were identified.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the following plans and drawings, received 27.05.21: 01 - Location Plan

• 04 - Proposed Floor Plans
• 05 - Proposed Elevations _______________________________________________________________

Interested Person Status – Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

- 1.0 THE SITE

1.1 The application site is a parcel of land comprising the residential curtilage of a large detached dwelling known as Ballaveare on the south side of the main road in Port Soderick. The site falls outside of any area designated for development. It is bounded by mature trees and hedging to the boundaries. - 1.2 The dwelling has been constructed in recent years but features traditional form and design features throughout.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Proposed is a single storey side extension to the eastern side of the dwelling. The extension would feature a pitched, tiled roof and project from the side of the existing dwelling by around 5.8 metres.

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area not designated for a particular purpose on the Area Plan for the East. As such, there is a general presumption against development in the Strategic Plan. - 3.2 Environment Policy 1 seeks to protect the countryside for its own sake, development therein should not have an adverse impact. - 3.3 Environment Policy 2 states that within Areas of High Landscape or Coastal Value and Scenic Significance (AHLV's), the protection of the character of the landscape will be the most important consideration unless it can be shown that:

• (a) the development would not harm the character and quality of the landscape; or
• (b) the location for the development is essential.

3.4 Housing Policy 15 is specifically relevant to the extension of existing dwellings in the countryside, which are considered traditional. Such extensions must respect the proportion, form and appearance of the existing property. Only exceptionally will permission be granted for extensions which measure more than 50% of the existing building in terms of floor space (measured externally). - 3.5 Housing Policy 16 relates to extensions to non-traditional dwellings in the countryside. Any extension to such will not generally be permitted where this would increase the impact of the building as viewed by the public. - 3.6 Whilst the site is not in an area designated for development, General Policy 2 is still considered relevant in that it relates to matters around design and amenity. - 3.7 Whilst not adopted planning policy, DEFA's Residential Design Guidance is a material consideration in the assessment of this application. Planning Circular 3/91 provides a guide to development in the Manx countryside.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 Ballaveare was approved for redevelopment under PAs 14/00381/B, 14/01320/B and

• 16/00024/B. (Prior to that, permission was refused for a replacement house, garaging and staff accommodation under PA 11/01551/B for reasons relating to the style and size of the replacement dwelling.)

4.2 The creation of ancillary accommodation above the existing garage was approved via

• 17/00390/B, a replacement field store under PA 17/00391/B, which followed an approval granted for a new access into the field (PA 14/00984/B) and also a replacement stable building within the curtilage of Ballaveare itself (PA 16/00412/B). Most recently, a new detached garage was approved under PA 18/00142/B.

- 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS

5.1 DOI Highways have confirmed that they have no highways interest this application (21.06.21). - 5.2 Braddan Parish Commissioners have no objection (18.06.21).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The key considerations in the assessment of this planning application are:

• - The principle of the development
• - the visual impact on the character and appearance of the site and wider surroundings; and
• - the residential amenity of neighbours.

6.2 Principle of Development

• 6.2.1 The application site is outside of any development boundary and is considered to be within the open countryside. There is therefore a general presumption against development. Housing Policy 15 allows for the extension of traditionally styled properties in the countryside where these are sympathetic to the original dwelling. For non-traditional dwellings, Housing Policy 16 seeks to restrict extensions where this would increase the impact of the building as viewed by the public.
• 6.2.2 The dwelling is contemporary but has many traditional design features including the chimney stacks, fenestration layout and the general form and materiality of the roof and elevations. As a result, it is considered to be a traditional dwelling for the purposes of this assessment. The extension would increase the volume and footprint of the dwelling as a whole by approx. 50 square metres, well below 50% of the existing total. For this reason, Housing Policy 15 applies in the assessment of this application.
• 6.2.3 The acceptability of the development is therefore further determined via an assessment of the proposed design and of any impacts on the character of the site and wider area, residential amenity and any other relevant aspects.

6.3 Design and Appearance

• 6.3.1 As noted above, Housing Policy 16 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 requires that development proposals to extend or alter non-traditional dwellings or those of poor or inappropriate form in the countryside will not generally be permitted where this would increase the impact of the building as viewed by the public. General Policy 2 also seeks to ensure that development respects the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, layout, scale, form, design and landscaping of buildings and the spaces around them and does not affect adversely the character of the surrounding landscape or townscape. The site is within an AHLV, and impact on the character and appearance of the landscape must be considered against Environment Policies 1 & 2.
• 6.3.2 The Residential Design Guidance notes that extensions should normally incorporate any design/interesting features of the existing dwelling (with windows and doors replicating the design, proportions and materials of the original building, and being in line with the existing openings) unless a deliberate design decision has been made to adopt a different approach. Its states that it is key that any side extension respects the proportion, design and form of the existing dwelling and that it appears as a subordinate to the main dwelling. Planning Circular 3/91 seeks to encourage traditional design and materiality when extending traditional dwellings and is more directly relevant to well-preserved traditional forms of dwelling.
• 6.3.3 The single storey extension proposed would feature a low eaves height of 2.4 metres and a ridge height of 4.3 metres. The modest height and footprint (50 square metres) when compared to the main two storey dwelling would ensure that the extension remains subordinate in appearance and does not become a dominant visual feature in the site. Furthermore, the extension would be set back from the primary elevation, feature windows

• similar to those elsewhere on the building and would have matching materials. The use of a pitched roof would also be sympathetic to the design of the parent dwelling.
• 6.3.4 Overall, the proposed extension would be modest, sympathetic to the existing dwelling and would not be readily visible from public view. The proposal would not increase the scale or visual impact of the dwelling in a way which would be unsympathetic to the surrounding rural context. It is not considered that there would be any loss of or harm to the character and appearance of the countryside. In this regard, the proposal is considered to be in accordance with Strategic Plan policies EP1, EP2, GP2 and HP15.

6.4 Residential Amenity

• 6.4.1 General Policy 2 further requires that new development does not affect adversely the amenity of local residents. Further details of how residential amenity can be impacted are set out in the Residential Design Guide. The key aspects are overlooking (loss of privacy), overbearing (loss of outlook) and overshadowing (loss of sunlight).
• 6.4.2 The proposed extension would be on the eastern side of the existing dwelling, beyond which are a number of mature trees. It is not considered that any overlooking, overbearing or overshadowing would result.

• 6.4.5 Overall, it is considered that the proposal as amended would not adversely impact on the residential amenity currently enjoyed by the occupants of the neighbouring properties, in accordance with General Policy 2 of the IOMSP.

6.5 Other Matters

• 6.5.1 The site is within a registered tree area. The scale and siting of the extension proposed is not considered likely to harm any of the nearby trees to the eastern boundary of the site.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 In summary, the proposal is considered to accord with Environment Policies 1 & 2, Housing Policy 15 and General Policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan. No unacceptable adverse impact has been identified as likely with respect of the character and appearance of the surrounding landscape or the residential amenity of the neighbours.

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: 09.07.2021 Determining officer Signed : J SINGLETON Jason Singleton Principal Planner

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