3 December 2021 · Head of Development Management (Stephen Butler)
28, Harcroft Avenue, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM2 1pd
The proposal involves alterations to the driveway of a two-storey semi-detached dwelling in an established residential area, widening the tarmacked surface from 3.0m to 6.7m while retaining 50% of the front landscaped garden with shrubs and a small palm tree.
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The officer assessed the proposal against key issues of site user impact, highway safety, and visual appearance. For site users, widening the driveway by 3.7m to 6.7m maintains the existing tarmac and…
General Policy 2
GP2 permits development in accordance with zoning if it respects site/surroundings in siting/layout/scale, does not adversely affect character, amenity, or highway safety, and provides safe access. The officer tested the driveway widening against criteria (b), (c), (g), (h), and (i), finding compliance due to retained landscaping, adequate visibility, and no amenity/highway harm. No tensions noted as all aspects met policy tests.
Residential Design Guide 2019 Section 6.3.4
Limits loss of front lawned garden to no more than 50% to retain street character and balance hard/soft landscaping. The proposal retains exactly 50% with shrubs/palm tree, using minimum space, matching materials, and complying with guidelines on visibility, pedestrian access, and boundary treatments.
Residential Design Guide 2021 (section 6.3.7)
Requires good visibility splays (vegetation <1m high within splay per Manual for Manx Roads) and no pavement overhang/blocking. Provided splays (65m+ and 71.5m) exceed 25m requirement for 20mph limit, confirmed acceptable by Highway Services.
Time limit
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.
Road drainage retention
The existing road drainage shall be retained unless it is replaced with an alternative scheme which is in accordance with details which have first been approved in writing by the Department. Reason: to ensure that the drive does not cause surface water issues for the adjacent highway.
Access provision before use
The access hereby approved shall be provided in accordance with the approved details before the amended driveway is brought into use and retained as such thereafter. Reasons: to ensure that the access is provided in accordance with the approved details in the interests of highway safety.
The proposal to widen the existing access and extend the dropped crossing is acceptable from the highway viewpoint... exit visibility splay is acceptable... exceeding requirements... Recommendation: DNOC.
Highways Development Control raised no objection subject to conditions on bound materials, surface water drainage, and layout conformity, while Highways Drainage required additional information on private drainage arrangements to prevent runoff onto the highway.
Key concern: Surface water runoff from the widened driveway would fall toward the public highway with no drainage arrangements shown
Highways Development Control
Conditional No ObjectionThe exit visibility splay is acceptable at 2.4 x 65m to the left and 71.5m in the right exceeding requirements for the 20mph speed limit of 25m in each direction.; Accordingly, Highways Development Control raises no opposition subject to conditions for the layout to conform to Plan 5 and on surface water drainage provision.; A separate technical review is necessary as part of s109(A) Highway Agreement after grant of any planning consent.
Conditions requested: extended area must be finished in a compacted and bound material; layout to conform to Plan 5; surface water drainage provision; existing road drainage must either be retained or an effective alternative scheme provided
Highways Drainage
ObjectionThis would contravene Section 58 of the Highway Act 1986 and guidance contained in section 11.3.11 of the Manual for Manx Roads.; Recommendation: Additional information required with regard to the private drainage arrangements for the widened driveway.
