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21/01147/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Application No. : 21/01147/B Applicant : Mr Andrew & Mrs Eleanor Harding Proposal : Conversion of outbuilding to provide living accommodation Site Address : Ashtree Cottage Ballavitchel Road Crosby Isle Of Man IM4 2DL
Head of Development Management: Mr S Butler Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Planning Committee
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 26.11.2021 __
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.
C 2. The development hereby approved shall be carried out in accordance with the details, finishes and colours as set out on the plan entitled Proposal Drawing (Drawing No. 20 1480 05) and retained as such thereafter.
Reason: the proposed details and finishes are important to visually tie the proposal to the main house, and the application has been assessed on the basis of it sensitively reusing the existing building.
C 3. The development hereby approved may only be used for purposes incidental to the residential use of the main dwelling known as Ashtree Cottage and shall not be occupied as an independent dwelling.
Reason: to ensure the development takes place in accordance with the approved details and to avoid any fragmentation of the curtilage.
N 1. As the proposed works are in close proximity to the watercourse, precautions will be needed to reduce the possibility of harmful materials such as concrete or washings entering the river. DEFA Fisheries have no objection to the proposed development, provided that there is no disturbance of the watercourse. The applicant is therefore advised to contact Fisheries Officers when works are due to commence (Tel. 685857). This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason.
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The proposal would represent a modest and sensitive conversion of a redundant outbuilding within a residential curtilage with design detailing to tie it to the main house, which although the principle is not specifically allowed for by Strategic Plan policies, the reuse of buildings is encouraged by Strategic Policy 1 and there is broad support for the sensitive conversion of redundant agricultural buildings. Furthermore, the building is located within an existing residential curtilage and the proposed use as a home office, as an ancillary use to the main house, is an acceptable and increasingly common form of development.
Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the following: Cover Letter/Plan List Form Photographs 1-7 Proposal Drawing (20 1480 05) Site, Location & Survey Drawing (20 1480 04)
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Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
THIS APPLICATION IS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE AS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED A DEPARTURE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN BUT IS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of Ashtree Cottage, an existing dwelling to the west of Ballavitchel Farm, accessed from Ballavitchel Road via a farm lane which serves other farm buildings. Ballavitchel Farm and Ballavitchel Lodge are the east of the site. The dwelling in question is to the west of this cluster of rural buildings, with a small stream running along the western edge. There are mature trees and large farm buildings to the south and a garage with a copse of trees beyond to the north. The site, and the Ballavitchel more widely, is in an elevated position with the land falling from north to south. The site dwelling is partially visible at a distance from Ballavitchel Road to the south.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Conversion of outbuilding to provide living accommodation is proposed. The application cover letter indicates that: o applicants find it necessary and convenient to work from home and want to convert an unused agricultural stone building to a home office space within property boundaries but detached from main dwelling o recent approval (21/00509/B) for extension of cottage used more up-to-date materials and want to use the same to visually tie together; and o proposal retains and repairs existing stone walls, removes upper concrete brick additions and lightweight roof structure and roof direction re-orientated to take advantage of sunlight.
2.2 The application form indicates: o existing and proposed use is residential, will create additional floorspace (45 sqm), no change to access, site levels or utilities; o no works to trees/hedgerows, o rainwater to be disposed of to existing stream add foul to existing septic tank; and o site is within 9 metres of watercourse but not within flood risk area.
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2.3 The proposed plan shows: o Layout - desk, sofa, filing areas, a WC (no bath or shower) and an archive store; o Walls - existing stone walls to be retained, existing paint blasted off and joints raked/repointed; o New wall areas above to be clad externally in burnt timber to match extension; and o Roof - monopitch clad in grey/black metal cladding. o Windows/Doors - grey/black aluminium or upvc
3.0 PLANNING POLICY 3.1 Site Specific - The site is not shown as within a settlement boundary or designated for development/specific purpose within the Area Plan for the East (2020). It is not within an identified flood risk area.
3.2 Strategic Plan (2016) o Strategic Policy 1 supports the use of redundant buildings and under-used buildings, and reusing scarce indigenous building materials General Policy 2 - 'Development Control' considerations including impact on site and surroundings, landscape character, amenity (site and neighbours), flooding, security and energy consumption o General Policy 3 - presumption against development outside allocated sites, other than specific exceptions which include, "previously developed land(1) which contains a significant amount of building; where the continued use is redundant; where redevelopment would reduce the impact of the current situation on the landscape or the wider environment; and where the development proposed would result in improvements to the landscape or wider environment" o Environment Policy 1 - protection of countryside and its ecology o Environment Policy 2 - protection of landscape o Environment Policy 7 - protection of watercourses o Environment Policy 16 - conversion of existing rural buildings for new purposes such as tourist, or small-scale industrial/commercial (subject to caveats). Also states, "Proposals to convert rural buildings to residential accommodation will be considered along with the advice given at Section 8.10 of this document". o 8.10.1 states, "Throughout the countryside, there are examples of buildings which are no longer suitable or needed for their originally intended use, but which are of sufficient quality or interest to warrant retention and re-use" and Housing Policy 11 deals with conversions into dwellings. o Housing Policy 15 is specifically relevant to the extension of existing dwellings in the countryside, which are considered traditional whilst Housing Policy 16 relates to extensions to non-traditional dwellings in the countryside.
4.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS 4.1 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.
5.0 PLANNING HISTORY 5.1 21/00509/B Alterations and erection of a 2 storey extension Permitted 09.07.2021 (4 year condition only). Officer report stated at 6.3.3 onwards,
"The proposed extension would use contemporary design and materials which would contrast with the muted design of the existing dwelling with its rendered walls and relatively limited use of glazing ... The use of dark 'agricultural' materials including metal cladding and timber would also provide a natural link between the dwelling and the surrounding trees and open landscape to the north and west, as well as the surrounding farm buildings. The brightly coloured render of the main dwelling would also ensure that it remains the dominant visual feature of the site... Whilst a traditional approach in the countryside is often preferred, the existing context of the site is of a semi-traditional, semi-modern dwelling which already has some contemporary features and other later additions - including the large extension to the rear. As the site
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dwelling is not readily visible from public view and given its current appearance as discussed, it is not considered reasonable to enforce a particular design on the property. The key test of the visual amenity is harm, and it is considered that the proposal would not result in any demonstrable harm to the character or appearance of the site or surrounding landscape".
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS 6.1 Marown Parish Commissioners - No objection (21.10.21)
6.2 DOI (Highways) - Do not oppose (15.10.21)
6.3 DEFA (Fisheries) state, "This planning application has been checked by Fisheries Officers. As the proposed works are in close proximity to the watercourse, precautions will be needed to reduce the possibility of harmful materials such as concrete or washings entering the river. DEFA Fisheries have no objection to the proposed development, provided that there is no disturbance of the watercourse. The applicant is however advised to contact DEFA when works are due to commence, which can be done by email or telephone. In the meantime please contact Inland Fisheries on 685857 with any further queries".
7.0 ASSESSMENT 7.1 The key issues are:
7.2 Principle of Development - The Strategic Plan makes an assumption against development outside of allocated areas, subject to exceptions - none of which would relate to this proposal (unless the proposal is seen as reusing previously developed land). However, there is broad policy support for reusing vacant buildings. It also allows for the conversion of redundant agricultural buildings for other uses in certain circumstances, none of which would relate to this proposal.
7.3 The size of the building, its location within existing residential curtilage, its current condition (and the implication of these points being that it unlikely to be useful for modern agriculture), the limited scale of works proposed (and that some of these would remove the existing brickwork which arguably detracts from the building) are noted.
7.4 It is further noted that the Permitted Development Order (2012) allows for some outbuildings in residential curtilage and also that other applications have been approved for new sheds/garages within the gardens of properties in the countryside.
7.5 Therefore on balance it is considered that although the proposal is not specifically allowed for by the Strategic Plan, there are other material considerations which would mean this is in itself a reason for refusal.
7.6 Visual Impact - The nature and location of the site limit impact on public views. In any case, the sensitive conversion of an existing building is likely to have less visual impact than the construction of a new building.
7.7 Environmental Impact - The comments from Fisheries are noted and relied upon. No other concerns in relation to environmental impact have been identified that would justify refusal.
7.8 Amenity Impact - No concerns have been identified in terms of amenity impact for either current/future occupiers of the applicant site or neighbouring properties.
8.0 CONCLUSION
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8.1 The proposal would represent a modest and sensitive conversion of a redundant outbuilding within a residential curtilage with design detailing to tie it to the main house, which. Although the principle is not specifically allowed for by Strategic Plan policies, the reuse of buildings is encouraged by Strategic Policy 1 and there is broad support for the sensitive conversion of redundant agricultural buildings. Furthermore, the building is located within an existing residential curtilage and the proposed use as a home office, as an ancillary use to the main house, is an acceptable and increasingly common form of development.
9.0 INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 9.1 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.
9.2 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
9.3 The Department of Environment Food and Agriculture is responsible for the determination of planning applications. As a result, where officers within the Department make comments in a professional capacity they cannot be given Interested Person Status. __
I confirm that this decision has been made by the Planning Committee in accordance with the authority afforded to that body by the appropriate DEFA Delegation and that in making this decision the Committee has agreed the recommendation in relation to who should be afforded Interested Person Status.
Decision Made : Permitted
Committee Meeting Date: 13.12.2021
Signed : L KINRADE Presenting Officer
Further to the decision of the Committee an additional report/condition reason was required (included as supplemental paragraph to the officer report).
Signatory to delete as appropriate YES/NO See below
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