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22/00262/B Page 1 of 4
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 22/00262/B Applicant : Douglas Land Securities Limited Proposal : Installation of replacement roof tiles and removal of existing chimney stack Site Address : 14 - 16 Tennis Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3LN
Enforcement/Planning Assistant: Ms Charlotte Gatt Photo Taken : Site Visit : Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 05.05.2022 __
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 complies with the relevant policies of the Isle Of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning act 1999, it is therefore APPROVED.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This application hereby approved relates to drawings and documents submitted to the Department titled;
Cover Letter and Drawing Register Planning Statement Site Plan and Existing Floor Plans and Elevations & Proposed Elevations
All recorded as being electronically received by the Department on 07.03.2022 __
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22/00262/B Page 2 of 4
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
None __
Officer’s Report
THE SITE 1.1 The site represents 14-16 Tennis Road, Douglas which is a two storey building which accommodates four apartments. The property is located along the northern side of Tennis Road and west of Brunswick Road within Douglas.
1.2 The properties along Tennis Road are made up of a mixture of traditionally styled properties and more modern properties as well as single, two and three storey properties. A good example of this variety can be found with the application site which has a 1970s appearance, whilst to the north east are a pair of semi-detached traditional properties (Nos. 2 & 4 Tennis Road), and approval exists (16/00227/B) for a row of five modern designed properties in between.
1.3 The property features a centralised pebble dashed chimney stack with 4 rosemary coloured chimney pots projecting from the top, although this is redundant.
1.4 The site is situated within the Selbourne Drive Conservation Area.
PROPOSAL 2.1 The application seeks approval for the installation of replacement roof tiles and removal of the existing chimney stack.
2.2 The proposal would see the replacement of the old red/brown non-traditional roof tiles, with the installation of a grey slate effect roof tile "Marley Edgemere".
2.3 The works would also see the removal of the centralised chimney stack, and replacement of the roof tiles in place to match the rest of what is proposed.
PLANNING POLICY 3.1 The application site is within an area recognised as being an area of "Predominantly Residential Use" under the Area Plan for the East 2020. As previously mentioned the site is situated within the Selbourne Drive Conservation Area.
3.2 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1999.
S18 Designation of conservation areas
(4) Where any area is for the time being a conservation area, special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing its character or appearance in the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in the area, of any powers under this Act.
3.3 In terms of strategic plan policy, the Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered specifically material to the assessment of this current planning application:
3.3.1 Strategic Policy 4 states:
Proposals for development must:
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(a) Protect or enhance the fabric and setting of Ancient Monuments, Registered Buildings(1), Conservation Areas(2), buildings and structures within National Heritage Areas and sites of archaeological interest;
3.3.2 Environment Policy 35 states:
"Within Conservation Areas, the Department will permit only development which would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development."
3.3.3 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;
PLANNING HISTORY 4.1 The site has been subject to a previously approved application in relation to ongoing works at the property to enhance the external appearance and which included replacing the windows, doors, rainwater goods and erection of entrance porches under PA 18/00422/B.
REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 The Douglas Borough Council raises no objection (received on 24.03.2022).
5.2 Department of Infrastructure Highways Services have stated that there is no Highways interest in this application (received on 24.03.2022).
ASSESSMENT 6.1 The main issue to be considered in the assessment of this application is the impact of the proposed development upon the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.
6.2 The Planning Authority has a duty to determine whether such proposals are in keeping with not only the individual building, but the special character and quality of the area as a whole. With this in mind it is very relevant to consider Environment Policy 35 of the Isle of Man Strategic Plan (2016). This policy indicates that development within Conservation Areas will only be permitted if they would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Area, and will ensure that the special features contributing to the character and quality are protected against inappropriate development.
6.3 The works proposed would result in a modest improvement to the existing building, which is of its time, but the works would update its appearance. As mentioned previously there are a variety of styles and different types of properties within the area, and this proposal would tie in with the adjacent five terraces which have had planning approval for improvement works in recent years, it is considered the proposal would comply with General Policy 2 and Environment Policy 35 as the works would preserve the character an appearance of the Conservation Area.
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22/00262/B Page 4 of 4
6.4 Other issues in this case is whether the proposed change; the removal of the chimney stack would have any adverse impact on the character or appearance of the property or the Selbourne Road Conservation Area. The chimney is very modest and does not represent a particularly significant or prominent element of the property and as such its removal would still preserve the character of the Conservation Area.
6.5 The Residential Design Guide notes that extensions and roof alterations should avoid the loss of a chimneystack "that positively contributes to the dwelling's character and appearance". It is considered that the chimney had a largely neutral impact on the appearance of the original building. Whilst chimneys are apparent on some properties on the street, they are not a defining or essential characteristic to most of the dwellings there. The building is relatively modest in scale for an apartment block of 4 flats and the loss of the chimney is considered to have had an equally modest impact on the character and appearance of the street scene.
CONCLUSION 7.1 Overall, it is considered the proposal would comply with the relevant policies of the Isle Of Man Strategic Plan 2016 and Section 18 of the Town and Country Planning act 1999, it is therefore recommended that the application be approved.
INTERESTED PERSON STATUS 8.1 By virtue of the Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) (No 2) Order 2013 (Article 6(4), the following persons are automatically interested persons: (a) The applicant, or if there is one, the applicant's agent; (b) The owner and the occupier of any land that is the subject of the application or any other person in whose interest the land becomes vested; (c) Any Government Department that has made written submissions relating to planning considerations with respect to the application that the Department considers material (d) Highway Services Division of Department of Infrastructure and (e) The local authority in whose district the land the subject of the application is situated.
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 in Article 6(4) 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: 06.05.2022
Determining officer Signed : C BALMER
Chris Balmer
Principal Planner
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