DEC Officer Report

Application No.: 22/00344/B Applicant: Mr Barry Fearon Proposal: Installation of a pitched roof to replace existing castellated dormer roof Site Address: Laurel Bank 16 Murrays Road Douglas Isle Of Man IM2 3HT Technical Officer: Mr Thomas Sinden Expected Decision Level: Officer Delegation Recommended Decision: Permitted Date of Recommendation: 19.04.2022

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 application meets the tests of general policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the proposals do not adversely affect the character of the surrounding townscape. The application is therefore judged to be acceptable.

Plans/Drawings/Information; This decision relates to the information received on 11.3.2022. ___________________________________________________

Interested Person Status

Additional Persons

None _____________________________________________________________________________

Officer’s Report

1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is 16 Murray's Road, Douglas, a three storey mid-terrace property judged to date from the late 19th century or early 20th century. The property, together with the other buildings in the terrace, has a slate pitched roof, painted smooth render walls on the front elevation, a bay window at ground floor level, a two bay feature dormer and a secondary dormer alongside. The front elevation has string courses and the openings have feature hoodmouldings in a Victorian style.

2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 The application proposes to alter the form of the secondary dormer on the property's front elevation. The secondary dormer is currently formed of a castellated flat parapet wall, above and around the slate pitched dormer roof behind. The proposal is to remove the parapet wall and carry the slate pitched roof through to the front wall, with a painted render peaked gable front wall profile in a similar manner to the properties on either side (numbers 14 and 18).

3.0 PLANNING POLICY - 3.1 The site lies within an area designated on the Area Plan for the East 2020 as predominantly residential. The site is not in an area at risk of flooding, although Murrays Road in front of the property is noted as being at high likelihood of surface water flooding. - 3.2 National policy: THE ISLE OF MAN STRATEGIC PLAN 2016

General Policy 2: 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;

Environment Policy 34: In the maintenance, alteration or extension of pre-1920 buildings, the use of traditional materials will be preferred.

4.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 4.1 There are no applications at the property on the Department's electronic database.

5.0 REPRESENTATIONS. - 5.1 The Department of Infrastructure Highways Division judge the application to have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and /or parking. (31.3.2022). - 5.2 Douglas Borough Council have stated they have no objections to the application (1.4.2022).

6.0 ASSESSMENT - 6.1 The principal issue with this application is judged to be the impact of the proposed alterations on the impact on the character of the surrounding townscape and locality. Whilst not in a Conservation Area, the terrace has a style and rhythm to its design and appearance

• that contributes to the character of the surrounding townscape. Whilst many have been the subject of alterations, the secondary dormers on the properties along the terrace are likely to have been in an alternating form historically. Numbers 20, 16, 12 and 8 had secondary dormers with a flat parapet wall featuring castellations (as currently exists on the application property). The intervening properties have a peaked ridge profile, as is now proposed for number 16 within this application. Whilst it is unfortunate to lose the alternating pattern of the dormers, given that a number of the properties have already removed the castellations on these dormers, and that the peaked ridge dormers now have various different forms of detailing to one another, the proposals within this application are not judged to adversely affect the character of the surrounding townscape or the character of the locality.
• 6.2 Whilst Murrays Road immediately in front of the site is noted as being at high risk of flooding, the nature of the development will not change the resilience or susceptibility of the site and surrounding area from flooding and as such, this is not considered to be a reason to refuse the application in this case.

7.0 CONCLUSION - 7.1 It is judged that the application meets the tests of general policy 2 of the IOM Strategic Plan 2016 as the proposals do not adversely affect the character of the surrounding townscape. It is therefore recommended that the application be approved.

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 the Head of Development Management 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 : 25.04.2022 Determining officer

Signed : S BUTLER Stephen Butler Head of Development Management

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