**Document:** Officer Report **Application:** 25/90726/B — Installation of door to rear of garage (retrospective) **Decision:** Permitted **Decision Date:** 2025-09-17 **Parish:** Lezayre **Document Type:** report / officer_report **Source:** https://planningportal.im/a/33202-lezayre-fernlea-road-garage-retrospective/documents/1148481 --- # Officer Report **Application No.:** 25/90726/B **Applicant:** Mr Svenn Fromm **Proposal:** Installation of door to rear of garage (retrospective) **Site Address:** Fernlea Lezayre Road Ramsey Isle Of Man IM8 2LN **Planning Officer:** Peiran Shen **Expected Decision Level:** Officer Delegation **Recommended Decision:** Permitted **Date of Recommendation:** 09.09.2025 _________________________________________________________________ ## Conditions and Notes for Approval C : Conditions for approval N : Notes attached to conditions N . A planning decision does not override ownership or (lack of) easement. This application has been recommended for approval for the following reason. The proposal is considered to have no adverse impact on the character and streetscene of the area and neighbouring amenities. It is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan. ## Plans/Drawings/Information; This approval relates to the documents, site plans, elevation drawings and door designs, which have all been received on 7th August 2025. _________________________________________________________________ Right to Appeal It is recommended that the owners/occupiers of the following properties should be given the Right to Appeal as they have submitted an objection that meets the specified criteria: Manx Petroleum, Garage/Filling Station, Parliament Square, Ramsey ## Officer’s Report 1.0 THE SITE - 1.1 The site is Fernlea, Lezayre Road, Ramsey, a semi-detached house located on the south of Lezayre Road. A communal driveway is on the west of the property. Fernlea has a detached garage located to the rear of the property, separated by the communal driveway. - 1.2 The rear of the garage is a car park. The car park is private and is accessible from Parliament Square. The car park has a boundary wall against the rear elevation of the garage. 2.0 THE PROPOSAL - 2.1 This application seeks retrospective approval for the installation of a door on the rear elevation of the garage. 3.0 PLANNING HISTORY - 3.1 Alterations and extensions and the erection of a garage was APPROVED under PA 04/02527/B. The proposal was for a pitched-roof garage on the site of the existing garage. - 3.2 Alterations to garages was APPROVED under PA 08/00701/R. It gives retrospective approval for the existing garage. 4.0 PLANNING POLICY Site Specific - 4.1 The site and the car park behind are located within an area designated as Predominantly Residential Use in the Ramsey Local Plan 1998. 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 General Policy 2 (b) (c) (g) (k) PPS and NPD - 4.3 No planning policy statement or national policy directive is 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 Chapter 5 Architectural Details - o Chapter 7 Impact on Neighbouring Properties 6.0 REPRESENTATIONS - 6.1 Ramsey Town Commissioners has no objection to this application (26.08.2025). - 6.2 DoI Highway Services has not commented at the time of this report (08.09.2025). - 6.3 Manx Petroleum wrote in objection to this application (27.08.2025). Manx Petroleum owns the car park behind the garage. The comment states that the opening onto the car park is without the owner (of the wall) 's consent and compromises the integrity of the car park's boundary wall and contravenes Building Regulations. The comment also states that the door is not in keeping with the surrounding area, reduces the privacy of car park users, and impacts future development of the site. ### 7.0 ASSESSMENT Elements of Assessment 7.1 The key considerations of this application are the design of the building itself, its impact on the character and streetscene of the area and the amenities of the neighbours. Design of the Building Itself - 7.2 The garage has a practical design, and the door is not considered to harm the design of the garage. Character and Streetscene - 7.3 The door also creates an opening in the boundary wall of the car park. The blank wall and the rear elevation of houses are not unusual character that qualify for protection. The addition of a uPVC door is not considered to harm the character of the area. - 7.4 The proposal is not readily visible to the public and is therefore considered to have no impact on the streetscene. Neighbouring Amenities - 7.5 Photos show the door open outwards onto the car park and demolished part of the car park's boundary wall. Whether the opening method would impair the usage of the car park is a civil matter and not regulated by planning. At the same time, a planning decision does not override ownership or (lack of) easement. - 7.6 The overlooking created by the door is no more intense than the existing overlooking created by windows on the house's rear elevations. Therefore, the proposal is not considered to have an overlooking impact. 8.0 CONCLUSION - 8.1 The proposal is considered to have no adverse impact on the character and streetscene of the area and neighbouring amenities. Therefore, it is considered to comply with General Policy 2 of the Strategic Plan and is recommended for an approval. 9.0 RIGHT TO APPEAL AND RIGHT TO GIVE EVIDENCE - 9.1 The Town and Country Planning (Development Procedure) Order 2019 sets out the process for determining planning applications (including appeals). It sets out a Right to Appeal (i.e. to submit an appeal against a planning decision) and a Right to Give Evidence at Appeals (i.e. to participate in an appeal if one is submitted). - 9.2 Article A10 sets out that the right to appeal is available to: - o applicant (in all cases); - o a Local Authority; Government Department; Manx Utilities; and Manx National Heritage that submit a relevant objection; and - o any other person who has made an objection that meets specified criteria. 9.3 Article 8(2)(a) requires that in determining an application, the Department must decide who has a right to appeal, in accordance with the criteria set out in article A10. - 9.4 The Order automatically affords the Right to Give Evidence to the following (no determination is required): - o any appellant or potential appellant (which includes the applicant); - o the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, the Department of Infrastructure and the local authority for the area; - o any other person who has submitted written representations (this can include other Government Departments and Local Authorities); and - o in the case of a petition, a single representative. 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 and/or rights to appeal. Decision Made : Permitted Date: 10.09.2025 Determining Officer Signed : C BALMER Chris Balmer Principal Planner Customer note This copy of the officer report reflects the content of the office copy and has been produced in this form for the benefit of our online service/ customers and archive record. --- *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/33202-lezayre-fernlea-road-garage-retrospective/documents/1148481*