**Document:** DEC Officer Report **Application:** 23/01277/B — Alterations to door, window, canopy and driveway - additions to approved application PA 16/01210/B (Retrospective) **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2024-04-03 **Parish:** Lonan **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/56806-lonan-the-old-sunday-windows-doors/documents/1108615 --- # DEC Officer Report ## PLANNING OFFICER REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION **Application No.:** 23/01277/B **Applicant:** Mr & Mrs David & Ruth Birch **Proposal:** Alterations to door, window, canopy and driveway - additions to approved application PA 16/01210/B (Retrospective) **Site Address:** The Old Sunday School Glen Road Laxey Isle Of Man IM4 7AH **Planning Officer:** Mr Toby Cowell **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 22.03.2024 ## Conditions and Notes for Approval C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The development is considered to be acceptable from a visual impact perspective, without detriment to the character and appearance of the immediate streetscene or wider Conservation Area. The development is therefore deemed compliant with General Policy 2 and Environment Policies 35 and 42 of the Strategic Plan (2016). Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the followings drawings and documents referenced; - JTM-095A-P-00 - Location Plan - JTM-095A-P-01 - Existing Ground Floor Plan - JTM-095A-P-02 - Existing Site Plan - JTM-095A-P-03 - Existing Elevations - JTM-095A-P-04 - Approved Ground Floor Plan - JTM-095A-P-05 - Approved First Floor Plan - JTM-095A-P-06 - Approved Site Plan - JTM-095A-P-07 - Approved Elevations - JTM-095A-P-08 - Approved Mezzanine Plan - JTM-095A-P-09 - As Built Ground Floor Plan - JTM-095A-P-10 - As Built First Floor Plan - JTM-095A-P-11 - As Built Site Plan - JTM-095A-P-12 - As Built Elevations Received 02.11.23 ## Interested Person Status Additional Persons It is recommended that the following should not be given Interested Person Status as they are not 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 6(4): Glenwood, Glen Road, Laxey as they have not explained how the development would impact the lawful use of land owned or occupied by them and in relation to the relevant issues identified in paragraph 2C of the Policy, as is required by paragraph 2D of the Policy. _____________________________________________________________________________ ## Officer’s Report 1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The application site is the curtilage of the former Methodist Sunday School, Glen Road, Laxey, which is a traditional detached property sited on the northern side of Glen Road within the Laxey Conservation Area. - 1.2 The existing building gable end which faces the Glen Road is rendered, whilst the side elevations are finished with Manx stone. The building roof is finished with natural slate. The front of the existing building is bounded by a stone wall to the highway. - 1.3 Glen Road is characterised by a mix of dwelling types of different forms, design and layout. The neighbouring dwellings to the west of the site, Thie Glenwood and Thie Gennal, are a pair of traditional semi-detached cottages, one and half storeys in height. To the east is the Police House which is part single, part two storeys in height. The buildings in the immediately area are a mixture of single and two storey properties, mainly traditional in appearance. - 1.4 Works to extend and convert the former Sunday School to a dwelling have now been completed. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 Planning permission is sought for a series of retrospective alterations to the building following the previous grant of planning permission to extend and convert the former Sunday School into a dwelling (PA 16/01210/B). Such alterations represent deviations from the approved works and are listed as follows: - - Removal of 2 no. gable windows from the East-Facing Elevation; - - Addition of gabled porch on south-facing elevation; - - Changes to style of timber doorway on south-facing elevation; - - Minor fenestration alterations on south and east facing elevations; - - Additional rooflight on north-facing elevation and 'sun tunnel' on west-facing elevation. 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 16/01210/B - Conversion of property to provide residential accommodation including creation of first floor, new vehicular access and external alterations to provide parking Permitted 4.0 PLANNING POLICY - 4.1 The application site is identified in Area Plan for the East as land zoned for 'predominantly residential' purposes within the settlement boundary of Laxey, whilst further falling within the Conservation Area. 4.2 The following policies from the 2016 Strategic Plan are considered pertinent in the assessment of this application; Strategic Policy 2 Priority for new development to identified towns and villages 3 To respect the character of our towns and villages 5 Design and visual impact Spatial Policy - 3 Development in Service Villages General Policy 2 General Development Considerations Environment Policy 35 Development in Conservation Areas 42 Designed to respect the character and identity of the locality Transport Policy - 4 Highways safety 7 Parking 4.3 Residential Design Guide (2021) This document provides advice on the design of new houses and extensions to existing property as well as how to assess the impact of such development on the living conditions of those in adjacent residential properties and sustainable methods of construction. - 5.0 REPRESENTATIONS 5.1 Garff Commissioners - There were no objections to this application. The consensus being that the refurbishment of the building was of high quality and was a great improvement to the character of the area. (04.12.23) - 5.2 Highways Services - Development would have no significant negative impact upon highway safety, network functionality and/or parking, due to the existing building parking availability on-street and on-site and the use of the site being similar or less than existing in terms of parking demand. (10.11.23) - 5.3 Registered Buildings Officer - no response received at the time of writing - 5.4 Manx National Heritage - no response received at the time of writing - 5.5 Manx Utilities Authority - no response received at the time of writing - 5.6 One letter of representation has been received making the following comments: I confirm that I have no objections to the content of the retrospective Planning Application pertaining to The Old Sunday School, Glen Road, Laxey. I would however note that [the applicant] has since erected a shed of sorts in [their] front garden, approximately 1m from the boundary wall of [their] curtilage juxtaposing Glen Road ( in contravention of Planning Regulations), which restricts our view of the road during access from our driveway. The prominent position of this 'rustic' structure is at odds with the streetscene of the Conservation Area (the status of which significantly restricts the erection of such structures without public consultation and Planning Consent). I have spoken with [the applicant], who assures me that this structure is only temporary, while [their] outside works continue, and [they] expect to remove the structure in spring to summer of 2024. For clarification, I have stated that I am happy to accommodate [them], on this basis. ## - 6.0 ASSESSMENT 6.1 The works as completed following the initial grant of planning approval to extend and convert the building in 2016 are noted to not have significantly deviated from the approved plans, with the character, design and appearance of the building still considered to result in a marked improvement relative to the building in its original state. Changes to the fenestration have been marginal, whilst the addition of the canopy/gabled porch is considered to be acceptable from a design standpoint in the context of the building's vernacular and character and appearance of the immediate streetscene. Likewise, changes to the main door on the south-facing elevation are noted and whilst representing a change in design are still considered to be in keeping with the design and heritage of the building, whilst representing a strong improvement to the original doorway. On this basis, the works as completed are deemed to be appropriate from a design standpoint, without detriment to the character and appearance of the wider Conservation Area. - 6.2 No concerns have been raised by Highway Services over the works with respect to parking and potential highway safety impacts. ## - 7.0 CONCLUSION 7.1 The development is considered to be acceptable from a visual impact perspective, without detriment to the character and appearance of the immediate streetscene or wider Conservation Area. The development is therefore deemed compliant with General Policy 2 and Environment Policies 35 and 42 of the Strategic Plan (2016), and recommended for approval. - 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 Acting 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 : 02.04.2024 Determining officer Signed : A MORGAN Abigail Morgan Acting Head of Development Management Customer note This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the file copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online services/customers and archive records. --- *Data sourced from the Isle of Man public planning register under the [Isle of Man Open Government Licence](https://www.gov.im/about-this-site/open-government-licence/).* *Canonical page: https://planningportal.im/a/56806-lonan-the-old-sunday-windows-doors/documents/1108615*