Officer Report 05/92373/CON

Planning Report And Recommendations {{table:310462}} ### Considerations {{table:310460}} ### Written Representations ### Consultations {{table:310461}}

Officer's Report

Site

The application proposes the installation of velux heritage style roof light to the rear elevation of Ivydene, Little Switzerland, Douglas. The property is a large detached dwelling which is located on the edge of a small housing estate / area, to the east of Victoria Road has a variety of styles of housing. Due to the high standard / age of the properties along Little Switzerland the area is within the Little Switzerland Conservation Area, the applicant's property is also a Registered Building and therefore an application for Registered Building Consent (05/92373/CON) has also been submitted. The Area along Little Switzerland has also been zoned under the Douglas Local Plan Order 1998 as an area of predominately residential use.

Proposal

The proposal is for the installation of a single velux heritage style roof light on the rear elevation (south east elevation) of the dwelling, which has a width of 0.55 metres and a height of 0.98 metres. The roof light will provide natural light into the en suite bathroom.

Relevant Policies:

In considering the Registered Building Applications it is necessary to consider the policies outlined within Planning Policy Statement 1/01 which makes provision for policy to identify and protect historic buildings, conservation areas and other elements of the environment. Those specific policies are

Of specific considerations are the following policies:

Policy Rb/3

General criteria applied in considering registered building applications

The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all registered building applications are:-

• The importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, relative to the Island as a whole and within the local context;
• The particular physical features of the building (which may include its design, plan, materials or location) which justify its inclusion in the register; descriptions annexed to the entry in the register may draw attention to features of particular interest or value, but they are not exhaustive and other features of importance, (e.g. Interiors, murals, hidden fireplaces) may come to light after the building's entry in the register;
• The building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, e.g. Where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or other townscape or landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby (including other registered buildings).

Policy Rb/5 : Alterations And Extensions

In considering whether to grant planning approval for development which affects a registered building or its setting and in considering whether to grant registered building consent for any works, the Department shall have special regard to the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses.

Registered building consent is required for the building's alteration in any way which would affect its special architectural or historic character. There will be a general presumption against alteration or extension of registered buildings, except where a convincing case can be made, against the criteria set out in this section, for such proposals.

Applicants for registered building consent for alteration or extension to a registered building must be able to justify their proposals. They will be required to show why the works which would affect the character of the registered building are desirable or necessary and they should provide full information to enable the Department to assess the likely impact of their proposals on the special architectural or historic interest of the building and on its setting. Where registered buildings are the subject of successive applications for alteration or extension, consideration will also be given to the cumulative affect upon the building's special interest as a result of several minor works which may individually seem of little consequence.

Assessment / Recommendation

Rooflights on Baillie Scott houses are something of a rarity as he prefers to use dormers instead. There are however, heritage style roof lights in evidence on some of his other works on the Mainland, namely Meadway in Hampstead Garden City Suburb of 1907 which was designed to include them. In addition this property has an existing roof light on its front elevation.

Normal practice for the installation of roof lights to a property within a Conservation Area or a Registered Building is that the roof light must be a Conservation Roof light / velux Heritage style roof

light. In this case the appropriate roof light has been proposed would not a detrimental affect upon the building or that of the Conservation Area due to its orientation on the rear of the property and not seen from the street scene but also because of its design and size.

For this reason the proposal would seem to be appropriate in this location and therefore my recommendation is for an approval.

Recommendation

Recommended Decision: Permitted

Date of Recommendation:

Conditions and Notes for Approval / Reasons and Notes for Refusal

C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions R : Reasons for refusal

• : Notes attached to refusals

C 1. The development hereby permitted shall commence before the expiration of four years from the date of this notice.

C 2. This approval relates to the submitted documents and drawing D.550.03 REV A all received on 14th December 2005.

C 3. PRIOR to the commencement of any building works, a photographic survey must be undertaken to record all existing features of interest, such a record to be prepared in consultation with the Conservation Officer of the Department.

I confirm that this decision accords with Government Circular Nos 44/05 (Delegation of Functions to Director of Planning and Building Control) and 47/05 (Delegation of Functions to Senior Planning Officer)

Decision Made : Permitted Date: Signed : M. I. McCauley Director of Planning and Building Control

16 March 2006

16 March 2006