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23/00045/B Page 1 of 5
PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
Application No. : 23/00045/B Applicant : Mr & Mrs Duane Allen Proposal : Proposed alterations and extensions to dwelling to provide additional and improved living accommodation. Site Address : 64 Laurel Avenue Onchan Isle Of Man IM3 3JQ
Planning Officer: Mr Peiran Shen Photo Taken :
Site Visit :
Expected Decision Level : Officer Delegation
Recommendation
Recommended Decision:
Permitted Date of Recommendation: 16.04.2023 __
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 is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Transport Policy 7 and Paragraph 8.12.1 of the Strategic Plan and Residential Design Guide 2021.
Plans/Drawings/Information;
This approval relates to the documents and drawing no. 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07, 08, 09 which has been received on 24th January 2023 and drawing no. 06A which has been received on 12th April 2023. __
Interested Person Status - Additional Persons
It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the following properties should be given Interested Person Status as they are considered to have sufficient interest in the subject matter of the application to take part in any subsequent proceedings and are not mentioned in Article 4(2):
52 Laurel Avenue Onchan
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54 Laurel Avenue Onchan
as they satisfy all of the requirements of paragraph 2 of the Department's Operational Policy on Interested Person Status. __
Officer’s Report
1.0 THE SITE 1.1 The site is the residential curtilage of 64 Laurel Avenue, Birch Hill, Onchan, a single- storey detached dwelling located on the southwest corner of the most eastern cul-de-sac of Laurel Avenue.
1.2 The house consists of a single-storey pitched-roof main dwelling, a single-storey flat- roof garage, a single-storey mono-pitched roof side extension, a single-storey mono-pitched roof rear extension and a single-storey flat-roof conservatory.
2.0 THE PROPOSAL 2.1 The proposal is the demolition of the existing garage and the erection of a replacement single-storey extension (Pitched roof and flat roof), the demolition of the conservatory, the extension of the existing single-story mono-pitched-roof and the erection of a pitched-roof first storey extension.
3.0 PLANNING HISTORY 3.1 There is no previous application considered materially relevant to this application.
4.0 PLANNING POLICY Site Specific 4.1 The site is within an area designated as Predominantly Residential in the Area Plan for the East.
Strategic Policy 4.2 The Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2016 contains the following policies that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: o Strategic Policy 3, 5 o Paragraph 4.3.11 o General Policy 2 (b) (c) (g) (m) (n) o Paragraph 8.12.1 o Environment Policy 42 o Transport Policy 7 o Appendix 7.6 o Community Policy 7, 10 o Infrastructure Policy 5
PPS and NPD 4.3 There is no planning policy statement or national policy directive considered materially relevant to this application.
5.0 OTHER MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS Strategy and Guidance 5.1 The Residential Design Guide (July 2021) contains the following guidance that are considered materially relevant to the assessment of this current planning application: o Section 4.5 Front Extensions o Section 4.6 Rear Extensions o Section 4.7 Flat Roof Extension
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o Section 4.8 Side Extensions o Chapter 5 Architectural Details o Chapter 7 Impact on Neighbouring Properties
6.0 REPRESENTATIONS 6.1 Onchan District Commissioners has no objection to this application (23.02.2023).
6.2 DoI Highway Services does not oppose this application (13.02.2023). The comment states that there is no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking.
6.3 Manx Utilities has no objection (05.04.2023) after the site passed a percolation test and a soakaway is to be installed.
6.4 Owners/Occupiers of 52 Laurel Avenue wrote in objection to this application (16.02.2023). The comment states that the proposal could be considered over-development of the site. The comment also states that the proposal would be overshadowing and overlooks their garden. The comment also mentions the garden of the site is under-maintained and the proposal could devalue their property.
6.5 Owners/Occupiers of 54 Laurel Avenue wrote in objection to this application (17.02.2023). The comment states that the proposal would devalue their property. The comment also states the construction would create noise and dust. The comment also states that the proposal is too big for its surroundings and it could set precedence. The comment also states that the proposal lacks sustainable energy provision.
7.0 ASSESSMENT Point of Clarification 7.1 The value of a property is not a material planning consideration and cannot be considered when assessing an application.
7.2 Paragraph 8.12.1 of the Strategic Plan states that as long as extensions do not have an adverse impact on adjacent property or the surrounding area, there is a presumption in favour of them. Therefore, the number of bedrooms itself is not a material planning consideration and in itself is not evidence of overdevelopment.
7.3 Garden maintenance of a private garden is usually a domestic activity and is not regulated by planning. Any issues regarding boundaries, ownership and the relevant rights are all civil matters and not controlled by planning.
7.4 All development would involve construction. While this is inconvenient to its surroundings, construction alone is not a material planning consideration as it is inevitable as long as development takes place within an existing built-up area.
7.5 Each application is assessed on its own merit and precedence is rarely set in planning terms given its strict definition. Having a neighbouring property that has planning approval does not mean a similar proposal would be favoured or acceptable around the same area.
7.6 While the government support the use of sustainable energy, the lack of such provision is not a ground to recommend it for refusal.
Elements of Assessment 7.7 The key considerations of this application are its impact on the house itself, on the character and streetscene of the area, and the amenities of the neighbours and on parking.
Design of the House Itself
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7.8 The proposed replacement extension is considered to have a neutral impact on the character of the house as the existing garage already has a flat roof.
7.9 The proposed first-floor extension has a roofscape that fits in with the existing one. It is considered to have a neutral impact on the character of the house.
Character and Streetscene 7.10 The new extensions are visible from the road. There are several two-storey or one-and- half-storey houses within the cul-de-sac all of different designs. Therefore, it is considered that the proposal has a neutral impact on the character and streetscene of the area.
Neighbouring Amenities 7.11 The replacement single-storey extension is considered to have no additional impact on neighbouring amenities.
7.12 The first-floor extension sits within the existing footage of the house. Therefore, it is considered that there is no concern for additional overbearing or overshadowing impact.
7.13 There are no windows on the west and east elevation of the first-floor extension. The windows on the ground floor are likely to be obscured by landscaping or fencing. Therefore, it is considered that there would be undue overlooking on No. 37, 52 and 54.
7.14 The window on the north elevation faces the street and is considered not to have any additional overlooking impact. The window of the south elevation is more than 20m from No.47. Therefore, it is considered that there is no additional overlooking from the new extension.
Parking 7.15 There are two parking spaces remaining after demolition of the existing garage. Therefore, it is still complying with the parking standard.
8.0 CONCLUSION 8.1 The proposal is considered to comply with General Policy 2, Transport Policy 7 and Paragraph 8.12.1 of the Strategic Plan and Residential Design Guide 2021. Therefore, it is recommended for an approval.
9.0 INTEREST 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 which 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
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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 Director of Planning and Building Control 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 : 20.04.2023
Determining officer
Signed : J CHANCE
Jennifer Chance
Director of Planning and Building Control
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